ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, May 28, 1996 TAG: 9605290106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
Death, taxes and bad weather at NCAA championship events in Salem.
Another can be added to those three always reliable facts of life: Bridgewater (Mass.) State pitcher Jason Newhall's right arm.
On Monday, one day after he threw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball to eliminate Methodist (N.C.), Newhall threw 7 1/3 and the Bears knocked Wisconsin-Oshkosh out of the NCAA Division III baseball championships, 9-7. Newhall has pitched 191/3 innings in the championship series thus far. He isn't expected to throw today as Bridgewater State plays for the national championship, weather permitting.
``I'd like to pitch,'' he said. ``I don't know, maybe lefty. I'll have trouble washing my hair tonight.''
That shouldn't be any more difficult than his throwing efforts have been, though. Newhall has a crew cut.
Today's action will begin with California Lutheran meeting William Paterson (N.J.), the series' only unbeaten team, at noon. If Cal Lutheran (34-13-1) wins that, it will play Bridgewater State (31-9) at 3:30 p.m. If Cal Lutheran loses, Bridgewater State and William Paterson (38-4-1) will play for the championship.
Bears coach Rick Smith said he'll likely call on Kevin O'Leary for the team's starting pitching duties. Newhall won't have much say, unlike Monday, when Smith decided to go with him about an hour before their 5 p.m. game time.
``I look at it as the senior's choice,'' Smith said. ``In no way is my job in jeopardy.''
Smith, unlike the rest of the coaches here, doesn't consider coaching baseball his full-time job. He and third base coach Bob Wooster operate their own retail cabinetry business back in Bridgewater, Mass., about a 45-minute drive from Boston. Unlike his counterparts, Smith's livelihood isn't tied to the baseball field. That's why he doesn't worry about the game. But the longer the Bears play in Salem, the more he has to worry about selling cabinets. ``Right now, we're probably out of business,'' he said.
Bridgewater State has finally made the national baseball championship its business after years of watching regional foes Southern Maine, Connecticut Wesleyan and Eastern Connecticut State contend for the national title. The program has steadily improved in Smith's three years at the helm, but nothing has come easy.
The Bears, for example, did not have a home field this season. A proposed stadium had all kinds of construction problems, so the team threw some bases down on a soccer field and went to work for three months. Now, the work has paid off. ``Not bad for four part-time coaches and no baseball field, huh?'' said Smith.
Bridgewater State's players admitted they didn't expect to go this far in their first championship series appearance, but after knocking out Marietta (Ohio) and Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the new kids have sent the old kids to another block.
Oshkosh coach Tom Lechnir said, ``We weren't up to their level. They're bigger, stronger, and we got it handed to us today. We pretty much got devastated.''
The Bears aren't to the level yet, however, where they take anything for granted. Newhall enjoyed a 9-2 lead when Monday's game went to a 1 hour, 13 minute rain delay with the game in the eighth inning. Officials from Home Team Sports asked Bridgewater State sports information director Michael Storey to join them in a TV booth to talk about the team.
After their conversation, Storey said to his athletic director, John Harper, ``I just talked to Home Team Sports for an hour about going to the championship. I hope I didn't jinx us.''
When the game resumed, Newhall gave up a grand slam to the third batter he faced, Chuck Anderson. Oshkosh made it 9-7 before the Bears sent the Titans home. It was another unexpected performance and another unexpected victory. ``Every time we take the field now it's doing something,'' Smith said.
It's getting to be something to count on.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 linesby CNB