Looking back at D-III baseball's first title game

Cal State Stanislaus was 3-0 in earning the first D-III Baseball Championship. Cal State Stanislaus Sports Information

By Jim Dixon

Throughout the year D3baseball.com will highlight previous title games.  In our first look back, we highlight the first title game in 1976 that took place in Marietta, Ohio.

Cal State Stanislaus captured the first Division III baseball championship with a 13-6 win over the Ithaca Bombers.  Led by first baseman Dan Boer, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Cal State Stanislaus unleashed a 13-run, 15-hit attack on Ithaca to salt away the victory and the title. Boer hit at a .636 clip while in Marietta, collecting a double, two triples, a home run and eight RBIs in his three games.

Cal State Stanislaus took the early lead in the title game with two unearned runs in the second and a single tally in the third set up by Boer's one-out triple.  Ithaca responded in the fourth with four runs to take an one-run lead.  With the bases loaded, Tom Welch tripled to right center, clearing the bases and scoring on an error by the Warrior's shortstop.

Cal State Stanislaus regained the lead in the next inning.  Mike Valponi led off the inning with a triple and scored on John Farmer's double.  Boer added a double for a run and scored on a Mel Anderson single for a 6-4 advantage over the Bombers.

In the fifth inning Ithaca tied the score.  Gary Bucci's sacrifice fly to centerfield scored Welch and Kevin Van Remmen came around on a throwing error by the Warrior's centerfielder.  With two outs in the inning, Steve Rodriguez replaced Warrior's starter Bill Sizemore and got the Ithaca batter to ground out, preserving the tie.

Rodriguez would finsh the game, pitching one-hit ball over the final four innings, while Cal State Stanislaus would add seven runs, scoring in three of their final four innings.  Rodriguez earned the win with Ithaca's second pitcher of the day, Scott Pierce, taking the loss.  Boer's four hits led all batters with Cal State Stanislaus's Rusty Kuntz and Ithaca's Paul Mezza adding three hits for their respective teams.

In the four team double-elimination tournament, Cal State Stanislaus drew Ithaca in the first contest.  The Warriors needed just five hits as Gene Oliver pitched a complete game in the 5-4 win over Ithaca.  Montclair State took game two 2-1 over Wilkes behind the pitching of Dave Gunstra.  Wilkes' Andy Kesky was the hard luck pitcher of the day, allowing a run in the third on a wild pitch and an unearned run in the fourth in the loss.

On the second day of the tournament, it was the offenses that dominated.  Wilkes was eliminated with a 16-3 shellacking at the hands of Ithaca and Montclair lost a slugfest with the eventual champions, 10-9.  In the late game, Ithaca eliminated Montclair State, 10-5, to set up its second meeting of the tournamant with Cal State Stanislaus.  

Boer was joined on the all-tournament team by four teammates: second baseman Valponi, outfielder Kuntz, outfielder Gary House, and designated hitter Anderson. Shortstop Mike Whittemore, third baseman Van Remmen, and outfielder Bucci joined the honor squad from Ithaca. Montclair State placed catcher John Scoras, and Grunstra on the team.  Wilkes' lone representative was Kresky.