MARIETTA, Ohio — Case Western Reserve has a funny tradition.
If you are selected the pitcher of the week you get to carry a pink Hello Kitty back pack with the pitcher's baseballs.
Last Sunday, the team chose freshman Josh Suvak, who had logged just 17 2/3 innings this season. The slim-built right-hander lived up to the billing.
Suvak allowed three hits over 5 1/3 innings as the Spartans (33-14) rolled to a 10-4 victory over Franklin (30-14) in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional at Don Schaly Stadium. [
Box Score]
"Josh was fantastic," said CWRU coach Matt Englander. "Like all of our players, this is his first regional, but he's a kid who knows how to win. He did it in high school and we know he can do it for us."
Suvak used a two-seam fastball, slurve and a new change-up.
"I just starting using a new grip that our pitching coach (Nick Callahan) showed me just five days ago," said Suvak, who didn't walk a batter. "It was really working for me."
The Spartans' offense was also clicking, especially in the first inning. Case Western Reserve scored nine runs on eight, including a two-run single by catcher Steve Bills.
"We're a pretty aggressive team," said Bills, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI. "We want to make the other team make plays to get us out. In an inning like that you can put a team down for good."
Franklin didn't slink away, though.
The Grizzlies plated a run in the second and three more in the fourth, but Suvak put the breaks on any thoughts of a miracle comeback.
"Our guys were trying to draw walks and we had a few guys get hit by a pitch, but we just didn't get that big hit," said Franklin coach Lance Marshall. "Case just did a good job and we got beat."
Marshall said it is tough to see his senior class depart, as the group averaged more than 28 wins a season and earned the program its first regional appearance.
"For our guys it has been a terrific year," Marshall said. "We earned the opportunity to play in a regional. The bar has been raised for our program and these guys accomplished it."
Case Western Reserve can continue to raise the bar for its program on Saturday. The seven-team field has been pared down to just three teams. No. 1 Marietta (41-3) is in the driver's seat and will face the winner of Heidelberg-Case Western Reserve at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Case Western Reserve (33-14) will try to win its fourth game of the tournament when it faces the Student Princes (30-14) at noon Saturday. However, Heidelberg has defeated the Spartans in all four games they have played.
"We're not even thinking about that right now," Bills said. "It's win or go home now. If we have to beat them one time this year, now would be a great time to do it."
