Fresno Pacific repeats as National Christian College World Series champ
Josh Medeles hasn’t started many games in his Fresno Pacific career, but he has been the go-to guy for a couple of the biggest the past two seasons.
It was Medeles on the mound again Saturday as the Sunbirds made it back-to-back National Christian College Athletic Association championships, beating Lee University of Cleveland, Tenn., 6-2 in the tournament final in Mason, Ohio.
A day of repeats saw Fresno Pacific:
▪ Take down Lee in the title game for the second straight year; the Sunbirds won 5-1 a year ago.
▪ Tie the program record for wins in a season at 39-18-1, matching the 2014 club that equaled the mark set in 2009.
▪ Get a second straight win in the final from spot starter Medeles, who has made 32 appearances over the past two seasons but just six starts.
“I’m so happy for these guys and couldn’t be more proud of this group,” coach Oscar Hirschkorn said. “Every single guy contributed to this. There were so many big moments throughout our run and someone different came through every time. It couldn’t have happened to a better group, and I’m thankful they got to experience this feeling.
“Lee is a solid program and a very well-coached team. To win a championship against a team of that caliber is impressive.”
Medeles, who finished 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA, wasn’t at his sharpest, allowing 10 hits in 6.1 innings. But he walked just one and gave up only the two runs, and Drew Merlo took it from there with 2.2 innings of one-hit relief.
“Two years in a row Josh has come up big for us,” Hirschkorn said. “You want to be known as a guy that rises to the occasion, and Josh is that type of pitcher. He threw a great game and Drew was phenomenal out of the bullpen, making big pitch after big pitch.”
Michael Hostetler launched a 3-for-3, three-RBI day with a run-scoring single in the second. He drove in Preston Scott, who led off with a double. Baron Bower’s one-out single in the third was followed by Steven Lozier’s two-run homer and Fresno Pacific had all the runs it would need.
Lee (39-19-1) got a run back on Ben Holland’s solo homer in the fourth, but the Sunbirds answered with three in the fifth. Michael Tittle — named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player — singled home McKay France and Hostetler followed one batter later with a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line to make it 6-1.
Tittle went 7 for 21 in the six tournament games, with five RBIs (including a walk-off hit in the semifinal) and five runs scored.
“Once again our coaching staff put together a great team,” Tittle said. “With the core back from last year, guys stepped in to fill the holes that existed. Our pitching staff and defense gave us a chance each game.
“This was a special group of guys and we had a lot of fun competing this year.”
Bower, who hit .462 and scored nine runs, also made the all-tournament team and the Sunbirds played their third errorless game out of six.
“Our defense was a difference maker today,” Hirschkorn said. “Right in the first inning, Hostetler made a great play on the line drive to turn a double play. It switched the momentum completely to our side and put us back on stride. Everybody made great plays all over the field, a true championship effort.”
The Sunbirds graduate 12 seniors from the most successful group to play under Hirschkorn, who has been at the helm since the program’s inaugural 2006 season and earlier this year reached the 300-win milestone with the school.
“Each one of our assistants made this possible with all their work and sacrifice,” Hirschkorn said. “The heart they have for the student-athletes is unbelievable. I can’t thank our family members who made it to Ohio to support us enough, to win in front of them makes it even more gratifying.”
This story was originally published May 23, 2015 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Fresno Pacific repeats as National Christian College World Series champ."