EASTLAKE, OH – Third-seeded UW-Whitewater (49-6) defeated eighth-seeded Messiah (39-16), 21-5 in Game 2 of the 2025 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship best-of-three series to win the national championship.
The Warhawks, who finished as national runner-ups last season, have captured their third national title in program history after going undefeated in the NCAA Baseball World Series, and dropping just one game throughout the entire NCAA postseason.
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 2: No. 3 UW-Whitewater 21, No. 8 Messiah 5
UW-Whitewater wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning, as Andy Thies crushed a three-run home run to right field, driving Adam Cootway and Matt Scolan to the plate. The Warhawks extended their lead to five when Dominik McVay sent Darryl Jackson home with a double to left center, then McVay scored off Aaron Holland’s single through the right side.
UW-Whitewater delivered six more runs at the top of the fourth, capitalizing on two walks, a wild pitch, a hit batter and a single. Up 11-0, the Warhawks added to the damage with another five runs. Spotlighting this surge were a Scolan home run, a single by Thies and a double by Frank. In the sixth inning, Scolan and Cootway hit back-to-back homers for a 19-0 advantage.
Messiah avoided the shutout with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by four hits and Drew Hurst’s single to right center, which knocked in Isaiah Parido and Jarrett Gordon.
The Warhawks surpassed the 20-run mark for the first time this postseason as Cootway and Thies scored off singles from Danny Hopper and Sam Paden.
The Falcons fought back in the eighth when Nick Moyer pushed Brody Travagline and Evan Wagaman to home with a double to center field to tally their final two runs of the game.
In the 21-5 victory, seven different Whitewater players recorded multi-hit performances, led by Scolan, Holland and Cootway, who tallied three hits apiece. Cade Hansen only allowed three hits across 5.1 innings to secure the win on the mound.
The All-Tournament Team was announced and eight of the 15 selections came from the national championship team. Cootway, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, was the individual leader in hits (16), runs scored (12), RBI (10), triples (2), total bases (34) and home runs (4) throughout the College World Series.
2025 NCAA Div. III Championship All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Player - Adam Cootway, UW Whitewater
Catcher - Dustin Isanogle, Messiah
First Base - Eli Frank, UW-Whitewater
Second Base - Andy Thies, UW-Whitewater
Third Base - Danny Hopper, UW-Whitewater
Shortstop - Nick Moyer, Messiah
Outfield - Jason Morgan, Rowan
Outfield - Sam Paden, UW-Whitewater
Outfield - Matt Scolan, UW-Whitewater
Designated Hitter - Adam Cootway, UW-Whitewater
Pitcher - Jason Gilman, Kean
Pitcher - Cade Hansen, UW-Whitewater
Pitcher - Jake Harmony, Endicott
Pitcher - Austin Kreyenhagen, Rowan
Pitcher - Ben Lee, UW-Whitewater
Pitcher - Jason Long, Messiah
UW-Whitewater Dominates Game One Of The NCAA Baseball Championship Series
EASTLAKE, OH – Game 1 of the 2025 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship best-of-three series between eighth-seeded Messiah (39-15) and third-seeded UW-Whitewater (48-6) was played on Tuesday, June 3. The Warhawks continued their powerful postseason run with an 18-3 victory over the Falcons and are one win away from claiming the national title.
Messiah and UW-Whitewater will rematch on Wednesday, June 4, at 11:00 a.m. for game 2. If the Falcons prevail in tomorrow’s matchup, game 3 will ensue 45 minutes following the end of game 2 to decide the national champion.
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 1: No. 3 UW-Whitewater 18, No. 8 Messiah 3
UW-Whitewater struck first for the fourth consecutive game as Danny Hopper tallied an RBI single to plate Andy Thies.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Warhawks tacked on another four runs to create a 5-0 advantage. Dominik McVay headlined the inning with his first homer this series, delivering Darryl Jackson and Sam Paden to the plate.
Messiah’s Dustin Isanogle pushed Nick Moyer home with a rip to left field to snap the shutout in the top of the fifth. UW-Whitewater responded in the bottom of the frame when Adam Cootway crushed a home run over the center field fence and Eli Frank secured an unearned run from Hopper who reached base after a dropped fly ball to left field.
Trailing by six at the top of the seventh, Messiah’s Luke Ott blasted one to right field for his first homer of the World Series. The Warhawks widened the margin with an explosive nine runs in the seventh for a 16-2 advantage. The inning was highlighted by six hits, two doubles and a grand slam by Frank to left field.
Two more Whitewater runs in the eighth frame by Jackson and McVay built the insurmountable lead, while Ott added one last score for the Falcons off a double to left center from David Martinez.
Ben Lee pitched 7.0 innings to earn the win on the mound while Frank, Hopper, Paden, Aaron Holland and Adam Cootway paced the offensive showcase with multi-hit performances.