MCC Ready to Roll in National Spotlight

TYLER, TEXAS (May 16, 2008) MCC Head Baseball Coach Chris Strahowski has taken his teams on many bus rides over nine seasons, but Thursday morning he boarded an airplane with a team for the first time.

“It’s ironic that we had to wait a little longer to get here, but now that we are here, I think we belong,’ Strahowski said prior to the tournament banquet Friday afternoon. “Just looking around and researching some of the other teams a little bit, we are on the same page as all of them.”

The Cougars (29-11-2) defeated Massasoit 7-4 Sunday afternoon in the Region XXI, Division III Tournament championship game, and are in Tyler, Texas preparing for the 2008 NJCAA Division III World Series. MCC’s first game is Saturday at 4 p.m. against Richland (Dallas, Texas) College at Mike Carter Field.

Richland, who won the tournament three consecutive seasons (2002-04), eliminated the defending champions and host, Tyler Junior College in the District C tournament last weekend. The eight-team, double-elimination tournament field is rounded out by 2005 and five-time champion Gloucester County College (Sewell, NJ); Suffolk County Community College – Grant (Brentwood, NY); 2007 runner-up Joliet (Ill.) Junior College; Montgomery College- Germantown (MD); Ridgewater College (Wilmar, Minnesota) and Hudson Valley CC (Troy, NY).

Right-hander Liam Ohlmann (7-1, 2.05 ERA) is scheduled to start against Richland for MCC with Hebron’s Jeff Raymond (8-0, 2.61) set to pitch Sunday’s game, which will be at noon or 7 p.m., pending the outcome of Saturday’s game.

Kevin Clements of Vernon led the Cougar offense during the regular season with a .438 average and 38 RBI. Last weekend, the University of Bridgeport bound sophomore pounded out 10 hits in 17 at-bats (.588), with four doubles, six runs scored and three RBI, leading the Cougars to the series for the first time since 1994.

The Series, which is in its second year in Tyler, will be played without the host team involved. “This is going to be the first test of this tournament,” Director Tim Drain said at media day on Wednesday according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph. “Tyler is not in, let’s see if the true baseball fan come out to watch it.

“Richland will have a great chance…whether they are the favorite or not,” Tyler Junior College Jon Garth said in a published report in the Telegraph. “To me, Richland, Gloucester and Joliet are going to be the cream of the crop. I would think those three teams have the inside track to make it through the winner’s bracket.”

Meaning no disrespect to the other seven teams, Strahowski doesn’t feel like his team is in an underdog position. “Historically, they (Richland, Glaucester and Joliet) have performed here, but no one has seen anyone else, so as far as someone being a favorite, that’s nice to say, but it’s all new teams every year, so its not like we have a commonality to go on.”

NJCAA Division III
World Series
May 17-22
Mike Carter Field

Saturday

Game 1 –Suffolk County Community College-Grant (30-7), Brentwood, NY, vs Gloucester County College (38-11), Sewell, NJ, 9 a.m.
Game 2 – Joiliet (Ill.) Junior College (45-11) vs. Montgomery College – Germantown Maryland (35-10), noon
Game 3 – Richland College (38-21), Dallas, TX, vs Manchester Community College (29-11-2), 4 p.m.
Game 4 – Hudson Valley Community College (31-8), Troy NY, vs. Ridgewater College (33-4-1) Wilmar, Minn, 7 p.m.

Sunday

Game 5 – Loser game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 am.
Game 6 – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, noon.
Game 7 – Winner game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 8 – Winner game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m.