In a true, winner-take-all national championship, the Linfield Wildcats won their first ever NCAA Division III title with a 4-1 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies on May 28, 2013. Chris Haddeland capped off an incredible sophomore campaign in the title game, throwing a complete game and only allowing one run, while striking out five.
Southern Maine entered this championship bout coming off a 13-inning marathon game against Ithaca to earn the right to face Linfield a second time. The Wildcats defeated the Huskies 10-1 earlier in the tournament.
Southern Maine got on the scoreboard first, riding the momentum of their win just an hour earlier. A leadoff double headlined three straight hitters that opened the game by reaching base, and within minutes the Wildcats trailed 1-0.
But Haddeland struck out two straight hitters to get two outs and then forced a ground out to end the threat. Southern Maine stranded two runners in scoring position, which became a theme throughout the game.
Huskies starter Andrew Richards did everything he could to try to get Southern Maine the title. Making five appearances in the tournament, Richards ended his sophomore season by pitching 12 innings against Ithaca in relief before turning around and working three and a third innings against Linfield in the championship game.
The righthander worked three hitless innings before he finally reached the end of his rope in the fourth. The Wildcats scored all their runs in the fourth, starting with Nick Fisher doubling down the left-field line before fellow outfielder Kramer Lindell singled to put runners on the corners.
Clayton Truex continued a strong championship series at the plate, singling a run home to tie the game. Catcher Kyle Chamberlain dropped down a suicide squeeze to score another run and reached base when the ball was mishandled. Michael Hopp forced another run across when he was hit by a pitch to make the score 3-0. A fourth run came after a throwing error by the Southern Maine catcher that allowed Chamberlain to score.
Over the next five innings, Southern Maine could only scratch four hits and left all four runners stranded on base. Haddeland did not walk a single batter and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to finish off the complete-game victory.
Haddeland left no doubt that he was the best pitcher in all of Division III. Named Most Outstanding Player for the tournament, the McMinnville-born righthander earned two wins and a save in three appearances. Allowing only three runs and 16 hits over 17 innings, Haddeland finished with an earned run average of 1.59.
Six Wildcats selected to the all-tournament team. Sophomore pitcher Aaron Thomassen threw a complete game in the previous matchup with Southern Maine, striking out nine.
Truex finished the tournament with a .429 average and had at least one hit in every game, with a series-high four against the Huskies the first time around. Tim Wilson may not have had a lot of hits for the tournament but had four extra-base hits.
Kramer Lindell and Jake Wylie rounded out the Wildcats selections. Lindell hit .379 for the tournament and had an on-base percentage over .400. An All-America outfielder who was the team's designated hitter in the postseason, Wylie batted .474 and drove in six runs to go along with his .737 slugging percentage.
The 2013 national championship was the first for the Wildcats as a member of the NCAA. The Linfield baseball program also claimed NAIA titles in 1966 and 1971.
