It all came down to one final game. After two hard-fought contests, the NCAA Division II College Baseball World Series Championship Series between West Chester University and the University of Tampa came down to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Saturday afternoon in Cary, North Carolina. First pitch was scheduled for 3 p.m., with a national championship hanging in the balance.
West Chester entered the game with a 48-11 record, while Tampa, the two-time defending national champion, arrived at 50-9. Both teams had earned their way to the final game of the season through a series that showcased resilience, determination, and timely performances.
The series opener on Thursday saw the Golden Rams once again demonstrate their trademark grit. Trailing midway through the contest, West Chester rallied with a three-run fifth inning and added another run in the sixth to force extra innings. However, Tampa ultimately prevailed 7-4 in 10 innings, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three championship series.
Facing elimination on Friday night, the Golden Rams responded in emphatic fashion. West Chester’s offense erupted for 12 runs in a convincing 12-4 victory, evening the series. The win marked yet another example of the team’s resilience during a season filled with memorable moments.
With the championship series tied at one game apiece, everything now came down to Saturday afternoon. Tampa seized control early, scoring three runs over the first two innings and never relinquishing the lead. The Spartans continued to apply pressure throughout the afternoon, ultimately defeating West Chester 8-4 to capture the NCAA Division II National Championship.
The victory secured Tampa’s 11th national title in program history and its third consecutive championship, both Division II records.
West Chester battled throughout the contest and finished with 11 hits. Despite the loss, several Golden Rams turned in strong offensive performances. Carter Rust drove in three runs while collecting two hits, continuing his outstanding postseason. Tanner Donati added two hits, scored twice, and drove in a run, while Landen Rozich paced the offense with a four-hit performance.
On the mound, Drew Simpson was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over 1.1 innings. He struck out three and finished the season with a 3-2 record.
Following Saturday’s championship game, four Golden Rams were named to the NCAA Division II Baseball All-Tournament Team. Rust, Austin Stalker, Patrick Gozdan, and Kyle Lazer each earned the honor for their performances throughout the College World Series.
After the game, head coach Mike LaRosa reflected on the disappointment of falling one win short of a national championship while also expressing pride in what his team accomplished during a historic season.
“First off, congratulations to Tampa, they had a tremendous season and played a great game that was just enough to beat us today,” LaRosa told West Chester University Athletics after the game. “I’m heartbroken for our players and staff, who gave this season everything they had, and I felt like we deserved to win this thing, but it doesn’t always work out that way, and that’s just how baseball is. Obviously, the emotions for our guys are very raw right now, but once the dust settles, we can look back and appreciate just how great a season we had. We rewrote the record books, including a new program wins record, and came one game short of a National Championship in a game that I felt like could’ve easily gone either way. This was a really special group that was a lot of fun to coach because they genuinely just enjoyed playing baseball and being around each other.”
While the final result was not what the Golden Rams had hoped for, their 2026 campaign featured a record-setting 48 victories and a return to the national championship stage for the first time since the program’s title-winning season in 2017. Though the season ended one game short of a national title, the accomplishments of this team ensured its place among the finest in West Chester baseball history.
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