Welcome, NCAA DIII College World Series

Just because the Rattlers are on the road does not mean that Time Warner Cable Field is empty for two weeks.

Communities get one chance to make a good first impression.

In the case of the Fox Cities, its first impression on those who put on the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship was lasting.

Anthony Holman, assistant director of the five-day championship that kicks off its 11th year here Friday, said the people — from the visitors bureau and local organizing committee to host families — made the difference.

"The people (of the Fox Cities) really have taken ownership of the championship and have made it theirs," Holman said. "Our kids feel when they are there, they are appreciated and the people really make them feel welcome."

This year's event is expected to generate $313,300 in revenue for the Fox Cities, including lodging and other spending by the visiting players, coaches and spectators.

Some 6,500 people will likely be in town for the event, according to the visitors bureau.

Visitor traffic to the Fox Cities during the Memorial Day holiday weekend traditionally is light, said Lynn Peters, executive director of the bureau. But with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point among participating colleges, more people could visit.

"Because they're so close, and if they do well and go deep in the tournament we could see some really big crowds," Peters said.

Some guy has a Yogi Berra-type look at the Championships.

It has never happened in World Series history, and it hasn't happened since.

Umm. I think what he means is we'll see a first-time champion since none of the eight teams in this year's field has ever raised the trophy.

In fact, of the 88 championships offered by the NCAA, none has gone longer without a repeat winner than Division III baseball. Rowan was the last to accomplish the feat in 1978 and '79.

And...

We were overwhelming underdogs.

Yogi is referring to Illinois Wesleyan and the University of Massachusetts-Boston — a pair of unranked clubs and this year's Cinderella entrants.

Three weeks ago, Wesleyan was scuffling at 14-17. The Titans have won 13 of 16 since, a span that includes a conference tournament title as a fourth seed and a regional championship as a sixth seed.

Their team batting average and ERA over that 16-game stretch? Try .352 and 3.83. Their opponents' numbers? Try .281 and 7.94.

UMass-Boston, meanwhile, won its conference tournament as a fourth seed before outscoring its opponents 33-15 during a 4-0 regional run despite entering as the seventh seed.

And get this: The Beacons don't even have a true home ballpark. They share their field with an area high school and only played four games there this season. Now that's an underdog.

Head over to read it all. But, keep in mind people don't go there anymore. It's too crowded.

A look at the teams.

Then, there are these:

• NCAA Division III profile: Brad Archambeau, UW-Stevens Point
• NCAA Division III profile: Steve Nickel, SUNY-Cortland
• NCAA Division III profile: Tim Fontaine, Massachusetts-Boston
• NCAA Division III profile: Kelson Brown, Linfield College
• NCAA Division III profile: Steve Decker, Heidelberg University
• NCAA Division III profile: Greg Van Sickler, Shenandoah University
• NCAA Division III profile: Brian Youchak, Johns Hopkins University
• NCAA Division III profile: Brett Moore, Illinois Wesleyan

Have fun at the Stadium this week.

Coming soon to Time Warner Cable Field (UPDATE)

BUMPED NEAR THE TOP:

Here is the Sunday scoreboard for the Regional games.

The NCAA Division III College World Series is going to be here while the Rattlers go off on their longest road trip of the season.

Here is the d3baseball.com scoreboard for action today.

Here is their wrap-up on the Day three action.

The big story is that the defending champs are out.

The defending national champion is out of the bracket, as UW-Whitewater edged St. Thomas 5-4 on Friday afternoon to eliminate them from the NCAA Tournament.

That means that Division III baseball's streak without a successful title defense continues, the longest current streak in any NCAA sport. The last national champion to repeat was Glassboro State (now Rowan) in 1978 and 1979.

Click for more.

UPDATE: Here is the front page to d3baseball.com. As of Saturday night, there are six teams with their tickets punched for Time Warner Cable Field.

Mass-Boston
Wis-Stevens Point
Shenandoah
Linfield
Cortland State
Heidelberg

Sunday's action is down to:

Mid-Atlantic Region:
Johns Hopkins and Kean

Central Region:
Illinois Wesleyan and Buena Vista

Putting the bid out there

The NCAA Division III World Series is scheduled to be at Time Warner Cable Field in 2010 and 2011. The bids are already being put in for 2012 and 2013.

Local committee chairperson Gary Kilgas confirmed his group recently submitted another bid that, if accepted, would keep the event stationed at Grand Chute's Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium through 2013.

The five-day, double-elimination tournament, hosted by Lawrence University, has been an area mainstay since 2000. This year's event is May 28-June 1.

"The challenge for us is, the longer you host an event, the tougher it is to keep the event," Kilgas said. "We're going to have 12 years in as of (2011). That's a heckuva run. We're trying to do things to enhance the tournament and make it a fun venue for the players, coaches, teams and fans.

"But I think we stand as good a chance as any at retaining the championship."

Numbers like this are why there is a heckuva chance for retention and why this event is important to the Fox Cities:

Average yearly paid attendance while at Fox Cities Stadium is 21,159, with last year's tourney – boasting an economic impact of $313,300, according to Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates – luring 21,391 fans to the ballpark.

Regular posting will begin later

The internet connection at the hotel is being particularly dodgy this morning.*

So, I will be on the early bus to Pohlman Field with a full range of posts.

In the meantime, go check out the NCAA Division III College World Series coverage over at the PC.

Coach helps Carthage maintain game attitude

Shenandoah star hit hard by death of Angels pitcher

Trinity makes early tourney exit

Here's the NCAA D-III site...Great page with a lot of information, BUT they have one of my biggest pet peeves over there. The first game today does not start at Noon CST...It's at Noon CDT. All of the times say CST...Yeeearrrrgh!

*How dodgy? It's taken me 15 minutes to put this post together. I may be an idiot, but I'm not that slow.

While we are out of the area

You might feel compelled to check out the NCAA Division III World Series at Time Warner Cable Field.

Check out the Prodigal Beat Writer's column on the topic

1. Batting leadoff is Carthage College, the lone state team in this year's bracket. Carthage figures to have plenty of crowd support, but there's always room on the bandwagon for a few more looking to give the "home" team a boost. By the way, Carthage part-time assistant coach Boe Baitinger is an Appleton native. So cheer away.

2. As usual, the tournament is speckled with programs that know what it takes to win the big game. Six of the eight clubs have appeared in the finals, while four — Trinity College, Kean University, Chapman University and the University of St. Thomas — have national championship trophies. Impressive, indeed.

3. Really good teams are propelled by really good players, regardless if we're talking Division I, II or III. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers outfielder Michael Vass, for instance, played in the finals last season with Chapman. Vass was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 35th round of the 2008 June draft. And of course, there's Washington Nationals hurler Jordan Zimmermann, the most outstanding player of the 2007 tourney when he starred at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

4. In the No. 4 spot — again — is Trinity. Should the defending champion Bantams make it back-to-back, they would become only the third repeat winner in finals history and the first since Rowan won championships in 1978 and '79.

5. Speaking of streaks, Chapman is making an impressive fifth consecutive finals appearance, while Kean is on a three-year run.

6. Maybe you're into backing the underdog. Well, both Farmingdale State College and Shenandoah University are making their first tournament appearances.

There are three more reasons to attend the event that starts on FRIDAY and singing...well, imagined singing at the link.

Plus, make sure you check all the links on the sidebar for the team-by-team capsules.