Fresno Pacific University wins NCCAA World Series

MASON, Ohio (KFSN) -- Fresno Pacific completed its dominant run at the NCCAA World Series, continuing to ride its stellar pitching to two wins on Saturday and bringing home the program's first national championship. The Sunbirds (39-19) defeated #7 Cedarville 6-1 in the semis behind a stellar start from Wilson Ashford to put them in the national championship game vs. #3 Lee, where the team got another outstanding start from Josh Medeles.

"I'm so proud of this team," said head coach Oscar Hirschkorn. "Every champion overcomes adversity, but this team really overcame an incredible amount of adversity. We played well in all areas of the game throughout this national championship. In every game we played great defense, we hit well, we ran the bases well and we certainly pitched well. And I'm so proud if the way we conducted ourselves. Not only did we win the national championship, but we won the Team Sportmanship Award. This team really represented Fresno Pacific University well."

With the Sunbirds playing their sixth game in four days, Medeles got the nod on the mound in the national championship game and was nothing short of spectacular in just his third start of the season. Medeles took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before it was broken up and allowed just two hits on the day in 8 1/3 innings pitched to earn the win.

"Josh Medeles was outstanding today," said Hirschkorn. "He was dominant. It took him a few innings to command his secondary pitches, but he showed great poise throughout the game. He kept attacking the hitters with his fastball and he did what he is capable of doing. It was very impressive to watch him perform like he did knowing that it has been several weeks since he started a game."

Senior J.D. Salles, who had started the World Series opener on Wednesday, came on out of the bullpen with one on, one out in the bottom of the ninth for his first relief appearance of the season. He capped off his Sunbird career with a save, getting Lee to line into a game-ending double-play to first baseman Joshua Banuelos.

Michael Hostetler provided the punch for the offense in the championship game, going 4-for-4 at the plate. Kaohu Gaspar went 2-for-4. The Sunbirds jumped on the Flames right off the bat when Baron Bower crushed the game's first pitch for a standup double. He would later come around to score on a wild pitch and FPU would never relinquish that lead.

In the semifinal game earlier in the day, FPU's strategy of holding Ashford until the elimination round paid off perfectly as the junior lefty tossed a complete game in a 6-1 win over #7 Cedarville. Ashford didn't allow a run until the ninth inning, scattering six hits while striking out six to pick up his team-high eighth win on the year.

Michael Tittle, Joshua Banuelos, Michael Hostetler and Hunter Villanueva each had two hits in the first game. Tittle had two RBI and Villanueva provided a web gem in the field with a diving catch to end the third that saved two runs from scoring.

FPU went a perfect 6-0 during the tournament and stifled opposing hitters with a 1.17 team ERA, giving up just seven runs in six games. FPU ended the season by winning 23 of its last 27 games and went 8-0 during its national championship run which began with a sweep of Azusa Pacific in the West Region championship.

Travis Beck was named the tournament MVP after batting .500 (9-for-18) with five runs and five RBI over the six games. Michael Hostetler made the all-tournament team. Hirschkorn was named the NCCAA's national coach of the year.

The team's 39 wins ties an all-time program high set by the 2009 team that advanced to the NAIA World Series. Coincidentally that year's team was eliminated by Lee, a former NAIA baseball power that has since made the move to NCAA Division II with the Sunbirds.

FPU graduates Salles and Gaspar, but expects to be loaded with talent next season as the Sunbirds return eight of their nine starters in the lineup and three of the four pitchers in their starting rotation.

This article is courtesy of Fresno Pacific Athletics.