| The 2012 Division III
baseball champion Marietta Pioneers hold up two fingers for
repeat. Marietta athletics photo by Larry Radloff |
For Marietta, the repeat was sweet
More than three decades had gone by since Glassboro State (now Rowan) had successfully defended a Division III baseball championship, the longest streak of futility in any NCAA championship sport. And although the Pioneers had fairly cruised through the 2012 regular season and came into the playoffs as the prohibitive No. 1 team in the D3baseball.com Top 25, Marietta made it difficult on itself, dropping the second game in the regionals and the second game in the World Series before coming all the way back through to win.
| The last D-III baseball champion to repeat before Marietta was Glassboro State in 1978 and 1979. Here's how the defending champions have fared: | ||
| Year | Champion | How they followed it up |
| 1976 | Cal State Stanislaus | Repeat |
| 1977 | Cal State Stanislaus | Went 0-2 at World Series |
| 1978 | Glassboro State | Repeat |
| 1979 | Glassboro State | Eliminated in regionals |
| 1980 | Ithaca | Lost in championship game |
| 1981 | Marietta | Went 1-2 at World Series |
| 1982 | Eastern Connecticut | Went 1-2 at World Series |
| 1983 | Marietta | Lost in championship game |
| 1984 | Ramapo | Lost in reg. championship |
| 1985 | UW-Oshkosh | Went 0-2 at World Series |
| 1986 | Marietta | Eliminated in regionals |
| 1987 | Montclair State | Lost in regional championship |
| 1988 | Ithaca | Eliminated in regionals |
| 1989 | N.C. Wesleyan | Went 1-2 at World Series |
| 1990 | Eastern Connecticut | Lost in reg. championship |
| 1991 | Southern Maine | Went 0-2 at World Series |
| 1992 | William Paterson | Eliminated in regionals |
| 1993 | Montclair State | Went 1-2 at World Series |
| 1994 | UW-Oshkosh | Went 3-2 at World Series |
| 1995 | La Verne | Missed playoffs (went 29-11) |
| 1996 | William Paterson | Eliminated in regionals |
| 1997 | Southern Maine | Eliminated in regionals |
| 1998 | Eastern Connecticut | Missed playoffs (went 26-15) |
| 1999 | N.C. Wesleyan | Eliminated in regionals |
| 2000 | Montclair State | Went 3-2 at World Series |
| 2001 | St. Thomas | Eliminated in regionals |
| 2002 | Eastern Connecticut | Went 2-2 at World Series |
| 2003 | Chapman | Eliminated in regionals |
| 2004 | George Fox | Went 1-2 at World Series |
| 2005 | UW-Whitewater | Missed playoffs (went 30-14) |
| 2006 | Marietta | Went 0-2 at World Series |
| 2007 | Kean | Went 0-2 at World Series |
| 2008 | Trinity (Conn.) | Went 0-2 at World Series |
| 2009 | St. Thomas | Eliminated in regionals |
| 2010 | Illinois Wesleyan | Eliminated in regionals |
| 2011 | Marietta | Repeat |
|
Glassboro State is now known as Rowan. |
||
Read through our full coverage from the week that was in 2012 in Appleton.
- Recap: Marietta wins sixth title
- ATN: Ricky's reflections
- Video: Final out, dogpile
- D3baseball.com's All-Tournament team
- d3photography.com's 5,600 photos
May 30
Game 15: Marietta 7, Wheaton (Mass.) 2 Box Score Recap
Game 14: Marietta 5, St. Thomas 0 Recap
May 29
Game 13: Marietta 6, Wheaton (Mass.) 5, 10 inn.
Box Score
Recap
Game 12: St. Thomas 7, Cortland State 6 Box Score Recap
May 28
Game 11: Wheaton (Mass.) 13, St. Thomas 9 Box Score Recap
Game 10: Marietta 12, Webster 7 Box Score Recap
Game 9: Cortland State 5, Whitworth 4 Box Score Recap
May 27
Game 8: St. Thomas 3, Marietta 1
Box Score
Recap
Game 7: Wheaton (Mass.) 6, Cortland State 1 Box Score Recap
Game 6: Whitworth 7, Christopher Newport 2 Box Score Recap
May 26
Game 5: Webster 8, Kean 7 Box Score Recap
May 25
Game 4: Marietta 13, Whitworth 2 Box Score Recap
Game 3: St. Thomas 12, Christopher Newport 7 Box Score Recap
Game 2: Cortland State 10, Kean 5 Box Score Recap
Game 1: Wheaton (Mass.) 3, Webster 2 Box Score Recap