EASTLAKE, Ohio -- UW-Whitewater sent a message to the remaining three teams in the NCAA Division III World Series on Sunday.
Facing Denison (Ohio) University, the only team left that was seeded and ranked higher than them, the Warhawks overpowered the Big Red 11-4 to remain undefeated in Pool 2 double-elimination play.
UW-Whitewater (46-6) plays Rowan (38-11) at 12:15 p.m. Monday. With a victory over Rowan, UW-Whitewater would advance to the best-of-3 World Series championship series that starts Wednesday. The Profs will have to beat UW-Whitewater twice Monday to advance to the best-of-3 series.
The Profs have had to use their top four starting pitchers in their first three games, while the Warhawks likely will start Max Huseboe, the WIAC Pitcher of the Year in Monday’s 12:15 game.
If Huseboe matches the starts Cade Hansen and Logan Eisenbarth provided the Warhawks in their first two World Series games, UW-Whitewater should be in good shape to beat No. 7-seed Rowan.
Fueled by the pitching of Eisenbarth and home runs by Danny Hopper and the red-hot Adam Cootway, the Warhawks scored runs in five of the first seven innings Sunday to pull away from the Big Red.
Eisenbarth, who pitched the final inning Saturday in the Warhawks 7-3 victory over Trinity (Texas) University, started and went 6 2/3 innings Sunday. Eisenbarth improved to 9-0 in 18 appearances, which includes just six starts and three saves.
“It was a great game for us,” Warhawks coach John Vodenlich said. “Logan gave us a tremendous outing.”
Eisenbarth, a 6-foot-1 junior righthander out of Barrington, Illinois, said he just wanted to limit opponents while his offense awaits its turn to bat
“As a starter, I’m just trying to keep the offense in the game,” Eisenbarth said. “Just being able to do that puts us in a good spot.
“As a reliever, I’m just trying to shut the door every time out there.”
Cootway and Hopper helped slam the door on the Big Red with homers.
Cootway hit his school record 20th homer of the season in the third inning. The 6-foot, 205-pound senior designated hitter has been unstoppable in the Warhawks’ 13 tournament games.
After his 4-for-6 day, which included the homer and three singles, Cootway is 25-for-55 (.455), with 16 runs scored and 16 RBI, which includes six homers in the postseason.
Hopper, the Warhawks’ senior third baseman, blasted a three-run homer to left in the four-run third that put the Warhawks up 5-0.
Hopper enjoys hitting at Classic Auto Group Park. In last year’s World Series, Hopper went 11-of-34 with six runs scored and four RBI in eight games.
“It’s a totally different environment,” Hopper said. “You try to make this like any other game, but it’s not. I’ve been successful so far.”
So has the rest of the Warhawks, who pounded out 18 hits Sunday after an 11-hit performance against Trinity on Saturday.
“They’re very capable, and I love how they compete,” Vodenlich said. “We have nine guys in the lineup that can help the team win.”
Second baseman Andy Thies went 4-for-5 and drove in a run and scored twice. Catcher Aaron Holland went hitless, but had two sacrifice flies, and Matt Scolan joined Cootway with two RBIs.
All in all, it was too much for the Big Red, who could not keep up with a team that was seeded one spot lower than them in the World Series and in the final poll.
“We knew Whitewater was a really good team historically and this year as well,” Denison coach Mike Deegan said. “They came out and put a lot of pressure on us early.
“They had us on our heels all night.”
The message was delivered.
No. 1 seed eliminated
In another example that seeding processes are far from perfect, No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Johns Hopkins (Maryland) University was the first team out of the eight-team World Series.
Johns Hopkins lost to the No. 8 seed and only unranked team in the World Series Messiah (Pennsylvania) University 16-7 in the first game Friday. The Blue Jays, ranked No. 1 in the final poll, were sent home after losing to No. 5-seeded Kean (New Jersey) University 5-3 on Saturday.
Johns Hopkins, Kean, Messiah and Endicott (Massachusetts) College were members of Pool 1. UW-Whitewater, Denison, Trinity and Rowan (New Jersey) University were in Pool 2.
Messiah (38-14) plays Endicott (45-5) at 9 a.m. today. If Messiah wins, it advances to the best-of-3 championship series. If Endicott wins, the two play at 3:45 p.m. with that winner advancing.
(Result Sunday)
UW-WHITEWATER 11, DENISON UNIVERSITY 4
-³ٱɲٱ;104;201;300;—11;18;0
ٱԾDz;001;010;101;—3;10;1
Leading hitters—Whitewater: Cootway 4x6, Hopper 4x5, Scolan 2x4, Thies 2x5, Jackson 2x5, McVay 2x4; Denison: Sundgren 2x3, Vega 2x3. 2B—Thies (W), McVay (W), Scolan (W), Hopper (W), Lutte (D), Fishbein (D). HR—Cootway (W), Hopper (W), Nowik (D), Vega (D).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)—Whitewater: Eisenbarth (W, 9-0) 6 2/3-7-3-3-1-1, G. Hansen 1/3-0-0-0-1-0, Brust, 2-3-1-1-1-1; Denison: Lemke (L) 5 1/3-10-8-7-3-3. Starr 2/3-3-1-1-1-2, Nagar1-3-0-0-0-2, Paganelis, 1-1-0-0-0-1, Remley, 1-1-0 0-0-1.
(Result Saturday)
UW-WHITEWATER 7, TRINITY UNIVERSITY 3
Trinity;000;000;21;--3;9;1
UW-Whitewater;400;201;00x;--7;11;2
Leading hitters—Trinity: Champness 3x4. Whitewater: Cottway 3x3, Hopper 2x4, Paden 2x4. 2B—Tinker (T),. Scolan (W), Frank (W). 3B—Cootway (W), Thies (W). HR—Cootway (W).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)—Trinity: Morio (L, 7-1) 3 2/3-6-5-5-3-5, Lee 1/3-1-1-1-1-1, Bussard 4-4-1-1-0-1; Whitewater: C. Hansen (W, 11-1) 5-5-0-0-1-5, Hagen 1 2/3-3-2-2-3-0, Malkow 1 1/3-1-1-0-1-2, Eisenbarth 1-0-0-0-0-1.
2025 NCAA DIVISON III WORLD SERIES
(Double-elimination in pool play, then best-of-3 final series)
Pool 1 (Johns Hopkins, Endicott, Kean, Messiah). Pool 2 (Denison, UW-Whitewater, Trinity, Rowan)
At Classic Auto Group Park, Eastlake, Ohio
(Seeding in parentheses)
RESULTS FRIDAY
Game 1—(4) Endicott (Massachusetts) College 6, (5) Kean (New Jersey) University 4
Game 2—(8) Messiah (Pennsylvania) University 16, (1) Johns Hopkins (Maryland) University 7
Game 3—(2) Denison (Ohio) University 12, (7) Rowan (New Jersey) University, 10
RESULTS SATURDAY
Game 4—(3) UW-Whitewater 7, (6) Trinity (Texas) University 3
Game 5—Kean University 5, Johns Hopkins University 3 (Johns Hopkins (44-5) eliminated)
Game 6—Messiah University 9, Endicott College 4
RESULTS SUNDAY
Game 7—Rowan 13, Trinity 2 (Trinity (41-10) eliminated)
Game 8—UW-Whitewater 11, Denison 4
Game 9—Endicott 5, Kean 4 (Kean (41-11) eliminated)
Game 10—Rowan 6, Denison 1 (Denison (41-7) eliminated)
GAMES MONDAY
Game 11—Messiah University (38-14) vs. Endicott (45-5), 9 a.m.
Game 12—UW-Whitewater (46-6) vs. Rowan (38-11), 12:15 p.m.
Game 13—Winner of Game 11 vs. Loser of Game 11 (if necessary), 3:45 p.m.
Game 14—Loser of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 12, (if necessary), 3:45 or 7 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
GAME WEDNESDAY
Game 1--Pool 1 winner vs. Pool 2 winner, 11 a.m.
GAMES THURSDAY
Game 2—Pool 1 winner vs. Pool 2 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 3—(if necessary) Pool 1 winner vs. Pool 2 winner, 45 minutes after Game 2.
