Back to Back to Back National Championships

 A new season that brings the same ending for Penn State DuBois baseball.  For the 3^rd season in row DuBois has made it to the USCAA World Series Championship game.  For some reason they always like to take it to the "if necessary" game in the double elimination tournament.  Today they would face the #1 seeded University of Cincinnati Clermont Cougars. 

DuBois had put the Cougars in the loser's bracket earlier in the week, and now faced them again in the championship game.  Braiden Blair would get the start for DuBois, and though Clermont would score 3 quick runs in the 1^st inning DuBois knew there was a long way to go.

In the bottom of the 2^nd Trevor Hanna belted a shot over the wall to score 3 runs, and tie the game.  Clermont would keep rolling in the next inning scoring 3 runs, and 4 more in the top of the 5^th.  DuBois would keep chipping away at the lead however, and score 2 more runs in the bottom of the 5^th.  Clermont would add another run in the 8^th, but DuBois would come back with 3 more in the 8^th to make the score 11-8.

The 9^th inning found DuBois in familiar territory as Daniel Stauffer smashed a 2-run home run to bring DuBois within 1 run.  With the bases loaded DuBois looked like they might have the walk off win in the first game, but a fly out would end the game with Clermont victorious and forcing a game 2 for all the marbles.  

Game 2 showed a familiar duo to the DuBois crowd as Brandon Orsich and Joseph Dipietro would get the nod from Coach Calliari one last time in their career.  These 2 have been here a few times, and were ready and willing to do it again.

A pitcher's duel for the first few innings until DuBois would score the first run of the game in the top of the 3^rd.  Clermont would respond in the 4^th with a run to tie it up, 1-1.  Another scoreless inning in the 5^th from Orsich with an efficient 3 pitch inning.

Clermont would knock in 2 runs in the 6^th to take the lead, but DuBois wasn't done yet.  The 7^th saw DuBois get 1 run on the board from a Zane Morgan single that scored Brandon Sicheri before the captain himself came up to bat.  Toner Corl stepped up to the plate in usual fashion, and usual fashion hit a 3 run bomb to take the lead, 5-3.

Clermont would answer in the bottom of the 7^th to tie the game up, and Coach Calliari would bring Morgan Bell in to relieve Orsich.  A standing ovation from the crowd to an amazing career from Brandon Orsich would send him out in fashion.  Bell would finish the inning off for DuBois to keep the tied.

DuBois would nab another 2 runs in the 8^th off of a Thayne Morgan single that scored Jacob Allen and Talon Falls.  Daniel Stauffer would come in on the mound in the 8^th to try to close out the final 2 innings.  The 8^th inning went well for Stauffer as has all tournament, and shut down Clermont in the 8^th.

DuBois looked to add some insurance runs to the lead, and insurance runs they got.  Trevor Hanna hit a 2 out home run before Stauffer came up to bat.  Stauffer did it again, and hit a 2 run home run to help himself going into the 9^th to finish off the game.

The bottom of the 9^th has been good to DuBois and Stauffer, and today was no different.  Stauffer finished them off with a 3^rd out ground ball, and DuBois became the first team to win 3 USCAA World Series National Championships.

Orsich would pitch 6 and 2/3^rd innings, and allow 4 earned runs and have 5 strikeouts.  Bell would allow no hits or runs in his relief work that would give him the win, and Stauffer would throw 2 innings, and allow only 1 hit.  Corl would go 2 for 5 with 3 RBI's, Hanna hit 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's, and Stauffer would go 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's.

Stauffer would earn the 2021 USCAA World Series MVP to go alongside the 2018 MVP in Dipietro, and the 2019 MVP in Corl.  He finished the tournament with 4 home runs, and 10 RBI's in 5 games, and added 3 saves to his resume.  Stauffer, Corl, and Orsich would all earn spots on the All-Tournament team.