Playoff Run ends in Moncton

A season for the ages ended with heartbreak for the Stingers baseball team as they lost to the University of New Brunswick Cougars in the national championship game. Peter Shaw pitched a no-hitter to shut down the Stingers and gain a 2-0 victory.
The loss puts an end to a season that saw the Stingers struggle through a 1-5 start only to make the playoffs and capture the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association Northern Conference championship for the first time in their history. Despite the slow start to the season Stingers head coach Howard Schwartz had stayed optimistic, blaming the initial losses were due to the absence of a number of players who were wrapping up their summer leagues. The Stingers would validate Schwartz’s faith in them by winning seven of their last ten games to qualify for the postseason. After winning the three game series 2-1 ConU went into the national championships, where the team came first in the round robin and made it to the championship game against the Cougars in Moncton, N.B.
“By the end of the season we had hit our peak an I was incredibly confident that we were going to get to the nationals and once I saw the competition at the nationals, the that’s when I realized that we could take the championship,” Schwartz said.
The Cinderella story ended badly though, with UNB ace Shaw silencing the Concordia bats and earning his second no hitter of the tournament along with Most Outstanding Player honours. “Give credit to their pitcher,” said Schwartz. “He kept us off balance, not pitching too fast but with incredible control.”
Schwartz defined the game as “old school” baseball, with plenty of solid pitching and few runs scored. His own pitcher Julien Tucker only allowed two hits throughout the entire game, though one happened with two men on base and allowed the Cougars to score the game’s only points.
Despite the loss Schwartz is encouraged by the progress of the Concordia baseball program through his 13 years as skipper, calling the 2007 edition the “best team I’ve ever been involved with.” With a large number of players returning for next year it appears the first conference championship in Concordia’s history won’t be its last.