By Brayden Haley ’25
Stepping out of the plane into the unknown hallways of Des Moines International Airport, the first thing I felt was the blistering heat that differed from a cold, muggy Beverly. Not many people will end up in Iowa, and to me, it felt like a new dimension. However, I was not the only one who found myself in a new and painfully unforgettable place. The Endicott College baseball team, one with some of the best batting and pitching statistics in the country, had finally reached the mountain peak. They had finally reached the Division III College World Series.
After a heartbreaking exit at their home field which came after two losses to the Baldwin Wallace Hornets in the 2022 Super Regional, the Gulls were motivated to play smarter and harder in order to reach the next round. With the addition of several young bullpen arms and a shortstop to replace the graduate who played there formerly, they were ready to begin their conquest for the Division III title. It would be an understatement to say that they picked up where they left off last season.
The Gulls’ star-studded pitching rotation led by senior Gabe Van Emon and Nick Cannata shut down their opponent in the Super Regional round. But it was their offense that ultimately carried them to victory. Putting up twelve runs on fourteen hits, Endicott took the game one slugfest which gave them the advantage heading into game two. In game two, after a pitcher’s duel, Nic Notarangelo clobbered a go-ahead home run to give the Gulls the lead they needed to reach the World Series.
The stage was finally set. Eight of Division III’s best teams were ready to face off at Perfect Game Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The first opponent the Gulls would face was the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets, the team that eliminated them the year before. Out of the gate, both teams were slugging. The Gulls tied the score at one on an RBI single by Notarangelo in the first. However, the Yellow Jackets brought their A-game and capitalized on walks and errors made by the Gulls. After scoring eight runs in the 4th, Baldwin Wallace was up 12-3 and in a prime position to win the game. However, a rally by the Gulls helped close the gap in the 8th and in the 9th Danny MacDougall crushed a 3-run home run which put the game at 13-9. Still, the scoring was not enough to beat Baldwin Wallace, and the Gulls would end up 0-1 heading into the elimination game.
The second game started off with a bang. Joey Millar, the graduate student right fielder, lined a leadoff triple to the right field corner. He would eventually score on an RBI single by Danny MacDougall, who continued to prove that he was an X-Factor in the tournament. A sacrifice fly, once again by MacDougall, put the Gulls up 2-0 in the 3rd. However, after a long playoff run, the Endicott College pitching began to wear down. The Misericordia Cougars would respond with three runs in the bottom of the inning putting them up 3-2. Yet, the Gulls were not ready to give up as freshman TJ Liponis hit a clutch 2-run shot over the left field wall. Unfortunately, this would not be enough, as the Cougars piled on runs from walks, errors, and hit-by-pitches. These runs would put them up 7-4 going into the sixth. This was not all they would do. With coach Bryan Haley’s arms limited, the Cougars put up six more runs in the 7th and 8th innings putting their lead at 13-6, after the Gulls tacked on two more. After a valiant season, the Gulls were finally going home.
As a spectator in Iowa, I can say that there was an extremely competitive and entertaining atmosphere. Although it was scalding hot in the daily ninety-degree weather, and the constant ten-minute change between sun and rain was awful, I’d say that the experience was worth it. For me, there is nothing better than relaxing in a foldable stadium chair watching the game I love, with my father coaching on the biggest stage in D3 baseball.
Photo credit David Le
