Hilliard Darby grads Chumita, Gbur lead Wooster to Super Regionals
Shortstop Tyler Chumita and outfielder/pitcher Ben Gbur, both Hilliard Darby graduates, have set records for Wooster this season with their offense prowess, and they have played significant roles in helping the Fighting Scots reach the super regional round of the Division III tournament.
But etched into the memory of manager Barry Craddock are Chimita's and Gbur's defensive gems, which Wooster used to fuel a must-win, four-game winning streak after the Fighting Scots dropped their opening game in the Alton regional, 12-7 to Bethel.
Chumita took part in two of three double plays and made a crucial diving stop in a 4-3 victory over Webster University. .
During a championship-series rematch against Bethel on Monday, Gbur made an over-the-shoulder catch in deep center in what became a 10-run rally and an 11-8 victory.
Chumita leads the team with 141 assisted putouts, has participated in 23 double plays and has a 96.4 fielding percentage. Gbur has made just one error this season, boasts a 99.4 fielding percentage and is third on the team with 147 putouts.
“Every 90 feet is precious when you’re trying to close out a game," Craddock said. "To eliminate a base runner (the opponent) thought they were going to get, those plays change the tone of the game.”
And those plays allowed Wooster to shake off a few sluggish starts until the offense could carry the team to victory.
“At this stage in the tournament every team has great hitters and great pitchers,” Chumita said. “(But) when our offense gets going, it's hard for a pitching staff to shut us down.”
Chumita, the North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, has 80 RBIs this season, breaking the program's 36-year old record of 77.. He also has a Division III leading 10 sacrifice flyouts.
“It's been special to go out and break that record. But the guys in front of me have done a great job getting on base, and it’s comforting knowing when they're on second or third, if I put the ball in play, they're going to score,” Chumita said.
Gbur's 79 runs is tied for the school record, and he reached that mark in memorable fashion: It came on a three-run homer in the 11-6 winner-take-all victory over Bethel in the regional's final game.
“I’ve been seeing the ball well recently, seeing what pitchers are trying to do with me throughout the season and just learning a lot," Gbur said. "Good things happen when you find barrels.”
Gbur also has four saves this postseason, three in the NCAC tournament and one in the Alton regional.
“They’re absolutely crucial in everything we do," Craddock said of Chumita and Gbur. "They're both extremely clutch on both sides of the ball.”
Wooster (34-15), which led the NCAC in hits, runs, RBIs, home runs and triples, will now face defending Division III champion Salisbury (34-9), which advanced by ousting Denison in the Granville regional.
The best-of-three series begins Friday at noon. Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) will be played Saturday, with the winner advancing to the Division III College World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“It's a formidable challenge to go to their ballpark and beat them twice,” Craddock said. “If anyone left in the tournament can do it, it will be our guys.”
Wooster last made the World Series in 2018 and has finished runner-up twice (1997 and 2009).
Miller joins Minnesota as an assistant
Marwan Miller, a Northland grad who spent the last six seasons as an assistant at Ohio University, has been hired by Minnesota women’s basketball coach Lindsay Whalen. The Bobcats had a record of 121-64 during Miller’s tenure, including 30 wins in 2018-19 and 26 victories in the 2015-16 season.
Miller was also an assistant at St. Francis, the head coach at South High School and an assistant with Africentric.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hilliard Darby grads Chumita, Gbur lead Wooster to super regionals
