Rocky Mount, NC - The N.C. Wesleyan baseball program welcomed back the 1989 & 1999 National Championship teams back to Bauer Field for the 25 and 35 year reunions on Friday night. Led by Head Coach Mike Fox, The 1989 Battling Bishop baseball squad brought home NCWU's first National Championship when Wesleyan defeated California State-Stanislaus by an 8-7 score on June 4th, 1989 at Muzzy Field in Bristol, Connecticut. The game, which lasted 13 innings, still ranks as the longest National Championship game in Division III history. 

The 1989 roster includes five individuals that have previously been inducted into the NCWU Hall of Fame in Head Coach Mike Fox, Doug Flowers, Eric Jarman, Rusty Dail, and Rich McNee. 

Led by Head Coach Charlie Long, The 1999 Battling Bishop Baseball team secured the program's second National Championship with a thrilling 1-0 win over St. Thomas on June 1, 1999 in Salem, Virginia. The victory remains the only 1-0 championship win in the history of Division III baseball.

Making their 11th overall and 3rd straight College World Series appearance, the Bishops put together the most successful NCAA tournament run in school history by winning eight straight games to clinch the title.

The 1999 roster includes NCWU Hall of Famers Head Charlie Long and Jeremy Stewart.

Prior to the game, both championship teams were honored on the field for their remarkable achievements and were followed by ceremonial first pitches thrown by National Champion Head Coaches Mike Fox and Charlie Long along with '89 National Champion Kennedy Bland and '99 National Champion Jeremy Stewart.

The current squad of Battling Bishops would give their massive crowd a lot to cheer about earning a 12-4 victory over USA South foe William Peace. Responding to an early 2nd inning run from the Pacers, Wesleyan shot out the gate with four runs in the bottom of the 4th, thanks to a double on the warning track by Davie Morgan and a Maison Nance single to bring around Morgan.

In the 5th, Tyson Bass launched a moonshot to left field, landing on Scalf Field to extend the Bishop lead to 5-1 before tacking on four more in the 6th.

Drifton Padgett would get the rally started with a single up the middle to score Maison Nance and Davie Morgan would collect his 5th of six RBIs on the evening, singling to bring in Jackson Hobbs and Drifton Padgett.

In the 8th, Jaiden Barker would get in on the hit parade, singling to left field to score Jackson Hobbs and Tyson Bass.

On the mound for Wesleyan, Graduate Student Chandler Padgett was outstanding in his second start of the year, going seven innings and striking out twelve Pacers for his third win of the 2024 campaign. Coming in the 8th, Cullen Davis would finish the job and struck out four Peace hitters to seal the win.

Up Next:

Wesleyan and Peace will hit the field on Saturday at 3:00 for game two of the three game series.