The Championship Series
Fourteen games after the TLU series, two against defending champions, State University of New York at Cortland and one marking Coach Scannell’s 600th career victory, the Tigers walked onto the field that they would leave as champions. The first game ended 14-6 Tigers, but the second game proved more formidable. It was delayed four hours due to rain in the area, and the last few innings were “touch and go,” presenting some uncertainty for the first time in the series. The crowd present in Appleton, Wisconsin sported a majority maroon with Tiger-supporters likely flown in from all across the country, outnumbering the Keystone fans. The Tigers shared with each other looks of determination, circles of prayers, laughs, smiles, and a lot of high-fives. In the end, they shared a victory. The champions dawned white shirts, with their new titles stretched across their proud chests. They showered each other in embraces and they showered their Skipper in bright orange Gatorade. Hands reached up to touch the trophy and lips reached out to kiss it as they celebrated fifty-one games and twenty-years. Scannell later said “We really feel like we are here on the shoulders of past teams, past players, past parents...This is about the history of the program”. They made history that year, indeed.