Montclair State College - La Campana Yearbook (Upper Montclair, NJ)

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NCAA Division I Chomps! An Interview With KEVIN COONEY Heod Boseboll Cooch Dererminorion was rhe key ro AASC ' s vicrory In rhe NCAA Division III World Series on May 31, 1987, Perhaps nor as blessed wirh rhe norurol ralenr of previous bosebQl! reams, v hor disrin- guished rhe 1987 Indians vvos rheir derermina- rion and desire ro win. One mighr say rhor rhey v ere gifred wirh rhe fighring spirir of rhe underdog. Wirh o regular season record of 30-14-1 rhey faced rough comperirion in rhe world series againsr reams from Norrh Caroline and Wiscon- sin wirh records of 40-5-0 or berrer. In focr, rhe Universiry of Wisconsin or Oshkosh had ser a NCAA record wirh a ream barring average of .428 in 1987, Going inro rhe firsr round of World Series ploy, AASC was ranked os rhe lasr reom in a field of six, Dur four games lorer rhey emerged os rhe NCAA Division III champions; rhe firsr ream in rhe hisrory of rhe six ream rournomenr ro accomplish a four gome sweep, MSC baseball cooch Kevin Cooney credirs rhe ream ' s confidence and dererminorion, es- pecially in dose gomes againsr Upsolo, Eosrern Connecricur, ond Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Cooney agreed wirh ossisronr coach Rick Gioncolo rhor rhe Upsala gome was rhe rurning poinr of rhe Indian ' s posr-season play rhis year. Afrer giving up a 9-1 lead, MSC come bock from a 14-9 deficir in lore innings ro win rhe regional rirle ond eorn o rrip ro Morierro, Ohio for rhe NCAA World Series, According ro Cooney, They never doubred rhemselves. They Knew rhey could win no morrer whor happened Lo Campono conducred on inrerview wirh Cooney ro ger o descriprion of rhe exciremenr of rhe final gome. Here is how he recalled rhe fourrh gome of rhe World Series againsr rhe Universiry of Wisconsin or Oshkosh: