FROM PRESS RELEASE
HILLSBORO, OR—May 22, 2008— Building off of a 2007 season that saw DeMarini and Wilson sponsored teams winning the Division I, II and III championships, the “Uprising” is again poised for a trifecta. Five out of the eight Division II teams and one of the eight Division III teams remaining are equipped with DeMarini and Wilson products.
The Division II playoffs began on May 15th, boasting an impressive lineup of 16 teams equipped with DeMarini and Wilson gear out of the 48 teams selected into the postseason. After the first weekend of play the 48 teams have now been cut to eight, with five DeMarini and Wilson teams still alive. These teams include the current back-to-back Division II champion Tampa, top ranked Mount Olive, Central Missouri, Ashland and Shippensburg.
DeMarini and Wilson sponsored teams competing in the Division II playoffs include:
Regional Winners
· Mount Olive (Ranked #1)
· Tampa (Ranked #6)
· Central Missouri (Ranked #21)
· Ashland (Ranked #30)
· Shippensburg
Eliminated
· Grand Valley St. (Ranked #4)
· West Chester (Ranked #7)
· Erskine (Ranked #15)
· Saint Joseph- Indiana (Ranked #17)
· Catawaba (Ranked #28)
· Concordia- St. Paul
· Kutztown
· Tusculum
· South Carolina- Aiken
· Western Oregon
· Nebraska- Kearney
*All Rankings by College Baseball Newspaper
Winners of the eight Regions will now meet at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois for the double-elimination championship tournament taking place May 24-31st
In the Division III playoffs, six of the 54 initial playoff teams were guided by the power and performance of DeMarini and Wilson when play began on May 14th. As the 54 teams have been cut to eight, the 2007 Division III champion Kean University still remains, keeping alive the Cougars hopes of becoming back-to-back champions.
DeMarini and Wilson sponsored teams competing in the Division III playoffs include:
Regional Winner:
· Kean (Ranked #9)
Eliminated:
· Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Ranked #7)
· St. Thomas- Minnesota (Ranked #16)
· Rowan
· Eastern Connecticut State
· Trinity- Texas
*All Rankings by NCBWA-D3baseball.com
The Division III Championship round will take place May 23rd-27th at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin.
All DeMarini sponsored teams step to the plate knowing that they are swinging the highest performing bat on the market. The latest collegiate approved bats used by sponsored teams are the DeMarini CF3 Black and VooDoo Black.
While in the field, players have their choice of Wilson A2000 and A2K gloves depending on their position and preference. Highlighting the array of fielding gloves offered by Wilson is the newly revamped David Wright signature infielder’s glove, The DW5.
Wilson is the Official Protective Gear of the Major League Baseball, so it is only fitting that they outfit their collegiate teams with the best protective gear on the market. When behind the plate, Wilson offers catchers the cutting edge technology in masks, chest protectors and shin guards. The Wilson Shock FX mask is equipped with the Quad-Axial™, four piston cage design to lessen the force of impacts to the face of athletes. While the dual hinge technology found in Wilson chest protectors and shin guards makes for the best fitting gear without compromising performance and protection.
Established in 1989, DeMarini Sports took the bat industry by storm with the world’s first high-tech softball bat. Acquired by Wilson Sporting Goods Co. in 2000, DeMarini continues to research, design and build high-performance softball and baseball bats in its state-of-the-art Hillsboro, Oregon facility.
Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a division of Amer Sports, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sports equipment. The company designs, manufactures and distributes advanced equipment that helps players improve their performance. Wilson’s core categories include Baseball, Football, Basketball, Softball, Bats, Volleyball, Soccer, Youth Sports, Uniforms/Apparel, Golf, Footwear, and Racquet Sports (Tennis, Racquetball, Squash, Badminton and Platform Tennis).
