The road to a national championship got off to a strong start for West Chester University on Friday evening.
Entering the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship as the tournament’s No. 1 seed, the Golden Rams (45-10) opened play in Cary, North Carolina, with a decisive 12-3 victory over eighth-seeded University of Indianapolis (39-23).
As has been the case throughout much of the season, West Chester wasted little time establishing control. The Golden Rams erupted for five runs on six hits in the bottom of the first inning, immediately putting pressure on the Greyhounds and setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
The early offensive outburst continued a trend that has been a major factor in West Chester’s success this year. The Golden Rams improved to 27-2 when scoring first and 25-1 when plating a run in the opening inning. They also moved to an impressive 37-1 when scoring six or more runs in a game.
West Chester’s lineup produced contributions from nearly everyone in the order. Eight of the nine starters recorded at least one hit as the Golden Rams finished with 14 hits overall.
Caleb Strawhecker led the offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Hunter Smith also collected three hits, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Carter Rust continued his standout postseason, scoring three runs while driving in three more as part of a two-hit performance.
After the five-run first inning, West Chester added single runs in the fifth and sixth before pulling away late with two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth.
The offensive support was more than enough for starting pitcher Julian Costa, who delivered another strong postseason outing. The left-hander worked seven innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out seven and walking two.
Holding a comfortable lead, West Chester turned to its bullpen in the ninth inning. Patrick Taney recorded the first two outs before Indianapolis mounted a brief rally. After the Greyhounds pushed across their third run of the game, Nick Cugino entered and recorded the final out to secure the victory.
The win marked a successful return to Cary for head coach Mike LaRosa, who is making his second appearance at the Division II National Finals. LaRosa previously guided the Golden Rams to the national championship site in 2022, the program’s first trip under his leadership.
“It’s always good to get the first win in the books,” said LaRosa. “I thought it was a really good, complete team win for us against a talented and tough UIndy team. It’s always good to get out to an early lead, and with someone like Costa on the mound, we knew we were going to be in a position to win.”
With the win, West Chester advances in the winner’s bracket and will face UT Tyler on Sunday evening at 6 p.m.
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