As the closer, Jonathan Holt is used to doing his work at game’s end. To deliver his Tampa Spartans to the school’s fifth national championship, Holt did his thing from beginning to end.
Holt, who had thrown 57 innings in 30 games this season, threw a complete-game six hitter to lead Tampa (53-10) to a 7-2 victory over Columbus State (51-19) in the 40th Division II baseball championship Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium. Holt earned tournament most outstanding player honors, getting two of Tampa’s four wins during the week.
Tampa has now won back-to-back national titles, the first time that’s happened in Division II play since Tampa did it in 1992-93. Current Tampa head coach Joe Urso was the second baseman on the 1992 team. Tampa also won the title in 1998.
The Spartans overcame an early 1-0 deficit with two runs in the fourth inning on Chris Rosenbaum’s RBI double and a wild pitch. They added single runs in the sixth (passed ball) and eighth (Rosenbaum’s RBI double), then used the long ball for three runs in the ninth. Junior Mejia led off the inning with his third home run. Troy Ferguson then hit his eighth home run in the next at-bat. Roberto Mena’s RBI single closed the scoring.
Columbus State scored its lone run on a ground out in the third.
Rosenbaum led Tampa’s 11-hit attack with a 3-for-5 night.
The All-Tournament team included Chris Rosenbaum (C), Tampa; Billy Howard (1B), Columbus State; Darin Mastroianni (2B), Southern Indiana; Brian Frew (3B), Nebraska-Omaha; Roberto Mena (SS), Tampa; Fernando Franco (OF), Cal State Los Angeles; Drew Candlin (OF), Columbus State; Junior Mejia (OF), Tampa; Rodney Rutherford (DH), Columbus State; Cory Julian (P), Southern Indiana; Jonathan Holt (P), Tampa; Most Outstanding Player, Holt.