Eastern Michigan Athletics
Salute to 70': Game By Game National Championship Look-Back
6/4/2020 4:27:00 PM | Baseball
Relive games one through six as EMU claimed the 1970 NAIA national title
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Fifty years ago, the Eastern Michigan University baseball program made history. Commanded by legendary Head Coach Ron Oestrike, the then-Hurons finished with an impressive 41-11 overall record, and claimed the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship.
The following is an excerpt from a release by the "EMU Sports News," written by former EMU Sports Information Director, John Fountain, dated June 15, 1970.
One week ago, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team was rated the top college division team in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Magazine and the Hurons' head coach Ron Oestrike was voted "Coach of the Year," by the 400 voting members of the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association.
Today, both the team and the coach are basking in the glory that comes from living up to expectations made by the pollsters and the coaches.
A half-century later, the 1970 team is still considered one of the very best to ever play, any sport, at Eastern Michigan. To celebrate the team's success and once again help its members to "bask in the glory," The Eastern Michigan University Athletics Media Relations Office is excited to announce a month-long series of content and social media-based material that will pay tribute to the 1970 squad and its members.
In addition to various social media campaigns, each game of the six-game national championship tournament will be summarized in this running article. Check back each Tuesday and Thursday for up-to-date information.
GAME ONE: EMU 2, EMPORIA STATE 1
After a thrilling win over Lewis in the regional tournament catapulted the 1970 EMU Hurons baseball team into the NAIA National Tournament, the team faced an impressive Emporia State club in the first matchup of the double-elimination event.
A defensive affair at its start, the two teams traded goose eggs for the first three frames of the game. It was EMU's Tom Olms who got the start on the bump for the Green and White. He came into the game with an impressive 5-1 record, including a win in the team's winner-take-all regional game against Lewis. Olms went on to pitch seven frames, relinquishing just one run (unearned) on eight hits.
Although Emporia State plated a run in the top half of the fourth inning, the Hurons were undeterred, as they quickly evened the score in the bottom half of the frame when Terry Trott crossed the plate. Following Olms' departure in the seventh, Woody Mills came on the finish the job. He blanked the opposition in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.
An EMU run in the bottom of the eighth inning, again scored by Trott, gave EMU the 2-1 lead for good, and earned the team an impressive win to start its six-game national title run.
GAME TWO: NEW HAVE 2, EMU 4
The following is an excerpt from a release by the "EMU Sports News," written by former EMU Sports Information Director, John Fountain, dated June 15, 1970.
One week ago, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team was rated the top college division team in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Magazine and the Hurons' head coach Ron Oestrike was voted "Coach of the Year," by the 400 voting members of the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association.
Today, both the team and the coach are basking in the glory that comes from living up to expectations made by the pollsters and the coaches.
A half-century later, the 1970 team is still considered one of the very best to ever play, any sport, at Eastern Michigan. To celebrate the team's success and once again help its members to "bask in the glory," The Eastern Michigan University Athletics Media Relations Office is excited to announce a month-long series of content and social media-based material that will pay tribute to the 1970 squad and its members.
In addition to various social media campaigns, each game of the six-game national championship tournament will be summarized in this running article. Check back each Tuesday and Thursday for up-to-date information.
GAME ONE: EMU 2, EMPORIA STATE 1
After a thrilling win over Lewis in the regional tournament catapulted the 1970 EMU Hurons baseball team into the NAIA National Tournament, the team faced an impressive Emporia State club in the first matchup of the double-elimination event.
A defensive affair at its start, the two teams traded goose eggs for the first three frames of the game. It was EMU's Tom Olms who got the start on the bump for the Green and White. He came into the game with an impressive 5-1 record, including a win in the team's winner-take-all regional game against Lewis. Olms went on to pitch seven frames, relinquishing just one run (unearned) on eight hits.
Although Emporia State plated a run in the top half of the fourth inning, the Hurons were undeterred, as they quickly evened the score in the bottom half of the frame when Terry Trott crossed the plate. Following Olms' departure in the seventh, Woody Mills came on the finish the job. He blanked the opposition in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.
An EMU run in the bottom of the eighth inning, again scored by Trott, gave EMU the 2-1 lead for good, and earned the team an impressive win to start its six-game national title run.
GAME TWO: NEW HAVE 2, EMU 4
After picking up an opening-round win over Emporia State, 2-1, the Hurons went right back to work against another worth competitor, this time matching up with New Haven, who entered the game at an impressive 28-2 mark.
If facing one of the nation's top teams wasn't enough, the Green and White were tasked with going up against hurler John Krawiecki, who was a perfect 11-0 heading into the game.
Unlike Eastern's first game, which featured limited offense and didn't see the team pull ahead until the eighth inning, game two featured fireworks early. Although New Haven got on the board first with a run in the top of the second inning, its lead didn't hold. The Hurons came back with an impressive four run second inning of their own to push ahead by three, 4-1. It was All-American Jeff Peck that had the hot bat for EMU, as he knocked-in a three-run triple during the at-bat.
Jay Kuhnie picked up the win on the bump for Eastern, finishing the game with five strikeouts and having not allowed an earned run. His record improved to 11-1 with the win.
GAME THREE: NE LOUISIANA 4, EMU 6
If facing one of the nation's top teams wasn't enough, the Green and White were tasked with going up against hurler John Krawiecki, who was a perfect 11-0 heading into the game.
Unlike Eastern's first game, which featured limited offense and didn't see the team pull ahead until the eighth inning, game two featured fireworks early. Although New Haven got on the board first with a run in the top of the second inning, its lead didn't hold. The Hurons came back with an impressive four run second inning of their own to push ahead by three, 4-1. It was All-American Jeff Peck that had the hot bat for EMU, as he knocked-in a three-run triple during the at-bat.
Jay Kuhnie picked up the win on the bump for Eastern, finishing the game with five strikeouts and having not allowed an earned run. His record improved to 11-1 with the win.
GAME THREE: NE LOUISIANA 4, EMU 6
Riding a perfect 2-0 record in the NAIA National Tournament, the Hurons faced perhaps their toughest onslaught of adversity in the event when they played against Northeast Louisiana in game three of the six-game spectacular.
High-caliber pitching was the tale of the game early as both teams were held scoreless through the first four innings of action. EMU's Jerry Kramer blanked the competition through his first five innings on the mound, allowing just five hits in that span. He gave way to reliever Woody Mills, who allowed just two hits and struck out four in the final 3.2 innings of the game, and picked up the win.
Offensively, it was the duo of Terry Trott and Jeff Peck who stole the show, as each collected three hits in the ballgame. Trott's run production proved critical, as EMU needed every one of his five RBIs in order to erase a sixth-inning, 4-3, deficit.
GAME FOUR: LIVINGSTON 2, EMU 3
High-caliber pitching was the tale of the game early as both teams were held scoreless through the first four innings of action. EMU's Jerry Kramer blanked the competition through his first five innings on the mound, allowing just five hits in that span. He gave way to reliever Woody Mills, who allowed just two hits and struck out four in the final 3.2 innings of the game, and picked up the win.
Offensively, it was the duo of Terry Trott and Jeff Peck who stole the show, as each collected three hits in the ballgame. Trott's run production proved critical, as EMU needed every one of his five RBIs in order to erase a sixth-inning, 4-3, deficit.
GAME FOUR: LIVINGSTON 2, EMU 3
Riding a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Northeast Louisiana in game three of the NAIA National Tournament, the EMU baseball team faced a strong Livingston team in game number four.
After jumping in front, 1-0, EMU again faced a deficit when Livingston scored two runs of its own in the top half of the eighth inning. Calm and collected, the Hurons did not let yet another late-game run shortage deter them.
With Dave Yeager and Jeff Peck on base, it was Rocky Roe who rose to the occasion for the Green and White. He knocked a walk-off single to give Eastern a 3-2 victory and perfect 4-0 record in the national tournament. Jay Kuhnie picked up the win on the mound after a flawless 1.1 innings of work, pushing his record to 11-1 on the season.
GAME FIVE: EMU 6, NE LOUISIANA 7
After jumping in front, 1-0, EMU again faced a deficit when Livingston scored two runs of its own in the top half of the eighth inning. Calm and collected, the Hurons did not let yet another late-game run shortage deter them.
With Dave Yeager and Jeff Peck on base, it was Rocky Roe who rose to the occasion for the Green and White. He knocked a walk-off single to give Eastern a 3-2 victory and perfect 4-0 record in the national tournament. Jay Kuhnie picked up the win on the mound after a flawless 1.1 innings of work, pushing his record to 11-1 on the season.
GAME FIVE: EMU 6, NE LOUISIANA 7
After a fantastic four-game start to the 1970 NAIA National Tournament, the Eastern Michigan Hurons were again knotted in a late-game battle during its fifth-game matchup with Northeast Louisiana.
After jumping out in front, 5-0, Eastern faced a furious comeback at the hands of its southern competition. The game's momentum changed in an unfavorable manner for the Green and White in back-to-back frames in the sixth and seventh. NE Louisiana hit a three-run home run in the sixth before tacking on two unearned runs in the seventh to take the lead, 7-5.
Although EMU added a run in the eighth inning, its comeback fell short and the team dropped its first game of the tournament, 7-6. The result set up a winner-take-all game six, which will be covered during the Tuesday, June 23 release.
GAME SIX – THE CHAMPIONSHIP: NE LOUISIANA 0, EMU 1
With one of the nation's best records in hand (40-11) the Eastern Michigan Baseball team took to the diamond one last time in hopes of securing its first-ever National Championship, June 8, 1970. Standing in the way, however, was a tough Northeast Louisiana team, who had arisen as perhaps the best non-Eastern competitor in the tournament's field. The Hurons' newest rival, the matchup was the third between the two teams in less than one week, with each squad claiming one victory over the other.
After a combined 23 runs were exchanged between the schools in the first two games of the series, it was defense and pitching that shined in the winner-take-all title game. In fact, the first 8.5 frames of baseball saw the plate go untouched by either team.
Future EMU coaching legend Roger Coryell got the start on the bump for the Green and White and tossed seven innings of nearly perfect baseball. He gave up just four hits while striking out five opposing hitters. Woody Mills, the eventual winning pitcher, took care of NE Louisiana in its final two at-bats, as he struck out two while allowing no hits.
Still scoreless heading into the bottom of the ninth, Eastern faced one of the most heart-pounding and exhilarating moments in all of sport- A runner on, with two outs. With Rocky Roe on base and itching to run for home, it was Dave Smigielski that stepped to the plate. Like the shot heard round the world, time seemed to stop for just a split second as Smigielski's bat made contact with a pitch. As everyone, on both teams, held their collective breaths, Roe sprinted home. Smigielski had just hit a National Championship-winning, RBI single.
As quickly as Roe hit home so too did the celebrations begin. EMU had claimed its first-ever National Championship – A moment in the school's history that will never be forgotten.
Four Hurons were named to the all-tournament team (Rocky Roe, Jeff Peck, Terry Trott, Jay Kuhnie), while numerous players collected individual honors. Terry Collins was named the Defensive MVP of the event, while Ron Oestrike earned his first National Coach of the Year honors.
Jeff Peck set a new tournament mark by collecting 13 hits in 23 appearances, good for a .565 batting average in the tournament. Both the number of hits and batting average were all-time NAIA records at the time. Pecks .565 average is still the best amongst outfielders in the event to this day. For his efforts, he was named the NAIA National Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 1970.
Although game six closed what was a magical run for the 1970 Hurons, it was just the beginning of an incredible era for EMU baseball.
In the years since first being crowned champions, Eastern has elevated to the NCAA Division I level, become an eight-time Mid-American Conference champion, and has made two appearances in the College World Series, finishing as the event's runner up in 1976. In fact, just once since 1976 has a team from the Northern Midwest advanced to the College World Series Finals (Michigan, 2019). Individually, nine All-Americans have been groomed by the legacy and standard-of-excellence that was first displayed by the 1970 team. Better than 100 players have become professionals, and a strong handful have become household names in the world of Major League Baseball. From Cy Young Award winner Bob Welch, to current Toronto Blue Jays star Matt Shoemaker, the program built by the 1970 team has grown, evolved, and provided opportunities for countless individuals in the years since that historic run.
As the world continues to change, one thing will always remain consistent; Eastern Michigan Baseball has, and will continue to display a tradition of excellence. A tradition that was started in 1970.
After jumping out in front, 5-0, Eastern faced a furious comeback at the hands of its southern competition. The game's momentum changed in an unfavorable manner for the Green and White in back-to-back frames in the sixth and seventh. NE Louisiana hit a three-run home run in the sixth before tacking on two unearned runs in the seventh to take the lead, 7-5.
Although EMU added a run in the eighth inning, its comeback fell short and the team dropped its first game of the tournament, 7-6. The result set up a winner-take-all game six, which will be covered during the Tuesday, June 23 release.
GAME SIX – THE CHAMPIONSHIP: NE LOUISIANA 0, EMU 1
With one of the nation's best records in hand (40-11) the Eastern Michigan Baseball team took to the diamond one last time in hopes of securing its first-ever National Championship, June 8, 1970. Standing in the way, however, was a tough Northeast Louisiana team, who had arisen as perhaps the best non-Eastern competitor in the tournament's field. The Hurons' newest rival, the matchup was the third between the two teams in less than one week, with each squad claiming one victory over the other.
After a combined 23 runs were exchanged between the schools in the first two games of the series, it was defense and pitching that shined in the winner-take-all title game. In fact, the first 8.5 frames of baseball saw the plate go untouched by either team.
Future EMU coaching legend Roger Coryell got the start on the bump for the Green and White and tossed seven innings of nearly perfect baseball. He gave up just four hits while striking out five opposing hitters. Woody Mills, the eventual winning pitcher, took care of NE Louisiana in its final two at-bats, as he struck out two while allowing no hits.
Still scoreless heading into the bottom of the ninth, Eastern faced one of the most heart-pounding and exhilarating moments in all of sport- A runner on, with two outs. With Rocky Roe on base and itching to run for home, it was Dave Smigielski that stepped to the plate. Like the shot heard round the world, time seemed to stop for just a split second as Smigielski's bat made contact with a pitch. As everyone, on both teams, held their collective breaths, Roe sprinted home. Smigielski had just hit a National Championship-winning, RBI single.
As quickly as Roe hit home so too did the celebrations begin. EMU had claimed its first-ever National Championship – A moment in the school's history that will never be forgotten.
Four Hurons were named to the all-tournament team (Rocky Roe, Jeff Peck, Terry Trott, Jay Kuhnie), while numerous players collected individual honors. Terry Collins was named the Defensive MVP of the event, while Ron Oestrike earned his first National Coach of the Year honors.
Jeff Peck set a new tournament mark by collecting 13 hits in 23 appearances, good for a .565 batting average in the tournament. Both the number of hits and batting average were all-time NAIA records at the time. Pecks .565 average is still the best amongst outfielders in the event to this day. For his efforts, he was named the NAIA National Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 1970.
Although game six closed what was a magical run for the 1970 Hurons, it was just the beginning of an incredible era for EMU baseball.
In the years since first being crowned champions, Eastern has elevated to the NCAA Division I level, become an eight-time Mid-American Conference champion, and has made two appearances in the College World Series, finishing as the event's runner up in 1976. In fact, just once since 1976 has a team from the Northern Midwest advanced to the College World Series Finals (Michigan, 2019). Individually, nine All-Americans have been groomed by the legacy and standard-of-excellence that was first displayed by the 1970 team. Better than 100 players have become professionals, and a strong handful have become household names in the world of Major League Baseball. From Cy Young Award winner Bob Welch, to current Toronto Blue Jays star Matt Shoemaker, the program built by the 1970 team has grown, evolved, and provided opportunities for countless individuals in the years since that historic run.
As the world continues to change, one thing will always remain consistent; Eastern Michigan Baseball has, and will continue to display a tradition of excellence. A tradition that was started in 1970.
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