Cumberland sweeps tournament to claim DIII World Series title
After entering the 2019 NJCAA DIII Baseball World Series with the single at-large bid in the eight-team bracket, No. 3 Cumberland (NJ) swept through the five-day tournament to hoist the national title. The Dukes downed in-state foe Rowan Gloucester with an 11-7 victory in Greeneville, TN.
The national championship win marks the first in Cumberland baseball history. The Dukes finish the 2019 season with an outstanding 47-5 record.
Making its third overall world series appearance, Cumberland started the tournament off in dominant fashion - outscoring its first two opponents 18-1.
The championship final versus Rowan Gloucester was a rematch of Monday's semifinal game, where the Dukes claimed a 15-13 victory over the Roadrunners.
Cumberland started strong once again in the title game, leading 6-0 after one and 8-2 after four.
The Dukes led a balanced offensive attack en route to their first national title, as eight players on the Cumberland squad recorded hits and five notched at least one RBI in the championship game.
Rowan Gloucester finished as the runner-up in the 2019 NJCAA DIII Baseball World Series. The Roadrunners made their 23rd overall appearance at the national tournament and finished the 2019 season with a 42-11 record
Jack Billings, Nick Evangelista, Alex Gattinelli, and Dauri Genao were recognized for their outstanding performances during the world series, being named to the All-Tournament team.
Alex Gattinelli boasted one of the most memorable moments of the world series. After the team battled back from a 9-1 deficit in the elimination semifinal, the sophomore blasted a walk-off home run to send the Roadrunners to the championship final.
Brookhaven took home the third place trophy in their second all-time NJCAA DIII Baseball World Series appearance.
The Bears' national tournament run was nothing short of thrilling. In the opening round, Brookhaven overcame a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth to top No. 7 Rockingham 10-9.
After falling to Cumberland in the quarterfinal round, the Bears came out swinging - blasting five home runs in a 17-9 win over Rhode Island. Continuing their post-season run, Brookhaven topped No. 6 Century in the elimination round quarterfinal 13-5.
The Bears placed four players on the all-tournament team - Esqueda, Jolly, McGinty, and Wagner - and finished the season with a 42-27 record.
Cumberland's Michael Miles was named the MVP of the tournament. The sophomore RHP made three appearances on the mound in Greeneville, including notching two wins and 13 strikeouts over 14.1 innings of work.
