Baseball Earned UW-Oshkosh’s First NCAA Division III Team Title
UW-Oshkosh is among 446 member institutions taking part in NCAA Division III Week from April 13-19.
This year's Division III Week has taken place during an unprecedented time in our nation's history, but its purpose is to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on campus and in the surrounding community.
The event is part of Division III's Identity Initiative, which was introduced in 2010 to sharpen the division's identity and to enable schools and conferences to more effectively explain why they prefer to compete in Division III. The initiative has been guided by a strategic-positioning platform, describing Division III as a place where student-athletes can "follow your passions and develop your potential" within an approach that combines rigorous academics, competitive sports and an opportunity to pursue other interests.
Division III student-athletes have an opportunity to compete for a team title in 28 sports – 14 for men and 14 for women.
The first Division III Championship was conducted in 1973 for men's cross country. The event was held at Wheaton College (Ill.) and won by Ashland University (Ohio).
The first Division III women's championships were conducted in 1981 in field hockey and cross country. The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College) won the field hockey title at Westfield State College (Mass.) while Central College (Iowa) captured the cross country crown at Carthage College (Wis.).
UW-Oshkosh has a proud history of athletic participation and achievement, dating back to 1893, when the school's first football team was formed. Today UW-Oshkosh's 600-plus student-athletes are members of at least one of the school's 19 intercollegiate programs.
UW-Oshkosh became a Division III member in the late 1970s. Since then the Titans have captured 32 Division III team titles in nine sports – baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's indoor track & field, men's outdoor track & field, women's indoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field. UW-Oshkosh's championship total ranks seventh in Division III history.
Baseball gave UW-Oshkosh its first Division III team title in 1985. The Titans defeated host Marietta College (Ohio), 11-6, in the championship game to win the six-team World Series.
UW-Oshkosh suffered a 9-4 loss to William Paterson University (N.J.) in its opening game of the World Series before rattling off victories of 8-4 over the University of Redlands (Calif.), 8-7 over Montclair State University (N.J.) and 11-4 over Ithaca College (N.Y.).
UW-Oshkosh qualified for the World Series by advancing through the loser's bracket to win the Midwest Regional at Oshkosh North High School's E.J. Schneider Field. The Titans defeated Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio), 10-2, before losing a 2-1 decision to Luther College (Iowa). The Titans then rallied to win the regional, edging Baldwin Wallace University, 5-3, and posting wins of 12-2 and 12-4 over Luther College.
UW-Oshkosh won its first 17 games of the 1985 season until losing an 11-4 result to visiting UW-Whitewater. The Titans then won 13 straight games before being defeated by Luther College in the Midwest Regional.
UW-Oshkosh concluded the 1985 season with a 37-3 record and claimed the WIAC title for the seventh straight year. Head coach Russ Tiedemann, who recorded his 400th coaching victory at the World Series, was named 1985 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.
Four UW-Oshkosh players earned NCAA Division III All-America recognition – pitchers Troy Cota and Bob Stocker, infielder Kevin Reichardt and outfielder Terry Jorgensen.
Stocker, who finished his senior season with a 10-1 record, signed a professional contract with the Oakland Athletics after being the team's 22nd-round selection in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft held two weeks following the Division III World Series.
Jorgensen concluded his freshman season by hitting .418 with 12 home runs and 50 runs batted in. He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Division III World Series after hitting .550 with two home runs and nine RBIs.
Joining Jorgensen and Stocker as a member of the Division III All-World Series Team were UW-Oshkosh teammates Dan Miller and Rusty Tiedemann.
UW-Oshkosh's second Division III title was won by women's cross country in 1987. UW-Oshkosh then captured 29 more Division III championships before men's basketball won the national title in 2019.
In all, UW-Oshkosh has won nine Division III titles in both women's indoor and outdoor track & field, four in both men's and women's cross country, two in baseball and one apiece in men's basketball, women's basketball and men's indoor and outdoor track & field.
Including championships in NCAA Division II and III, Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association, UW-Oshkosh has won 47 national titles.
1985 UW-Oshkosh Baseball Team
Head Coach: Russ Tiedemann
Assistant Coaches: Gene Johnson, Ron Kozlowski, Tom Lechnir, Dean Niewolny, Dan Wnuk
Players: Dean Barkey, Tom Barnetzke, Randy Bielmeier, Brian Cashore, Troy Cota, Todd Curtis, Jeff Falk*, Mike Heller, Jim Hrlevich, Terry Jorgensen, Fred Kirchenwitz, Craig Kloes*, Steve Knurowski*, Rusty Kryzanowski, Troy Lillicrop*, Mark Meglic*, Tim Meredith, Mike Messenger, Dan Miller, Kevin Murdock, Dave Nelson, Dan Oleson, Kevin Reichardt, Todd Schliem, Bruce Schreiber*, Mark Stenske*, Jim Stewart, Bob Stocker, Rusty Tiedemann, Tom Walenski*, Brian Wessley
* - Redshirt Player
UW-Oshkosh NCAA Division III Team Titles (32)
Baseball (2): 1985, 1994
Men's Basketball (1): 2019
Women's Basketball (1): 1996
Men's Cross Country (4): 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002
Women's Cross Country (4): 1987, 1988, 1991, 1996
Men's Indoor Track & Field (1): 2009
Men's Outdoor Track & Field (1): 2009
Women's Indoor Track & Field (9): 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014
Women's Outdoor Track & Field (9): 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011
UW-Oshkosh AIAW Division III Team Titles (1)
Women's Gymnastics: 1980
UW-Oshkosh NAIA Team Titles (9)
Men's Gymnastics: 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
Women's Gymnastics: 1986
UW-Oshkosh NCAA Division II Team Titles (3)
Men's Gymnastics: 1980, 1981, 1982
UW-Oshkosh NCGA Team Titles (2)
Women's Gymnastics: 1989, 2007