Little Falls, NJ – There was no celebratory dousing of coach Norm Schoenig after Montclair State won the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional.

"He wouldn't like that," MSU designated hitter/pitcher GEORGE GALLAGHER said. "Coach is pretty serious."

Besides, the last thing the Red Hawks needed after this weekend was another shower.

Montclair State waited out a two-day rain delay and overcame a 10-run deficit to win its opener against Allentown, and then won two games Monday to capture the regional title. The Red Hawks beat The College of New Jersey, 5-3, in the championship game. The Red Hawks (37-6-1) will place Cortland State on Friday at 2:15 p.m. in the opening round of the eight-team Division III College World Series.

"This is the best feeling in the world," junior third baseman CRAIG CONWAY said. He should know. He walso on the MSU team that reached the final of the World Series in 1998 before losing to Eastern Connecticut.

In that year, the Red Hawks swept four games to win the Mid-Atlantic Regional. Their route this season was a lot more circuitous.

They trailed Allentown, 10-0 Thursday before rallying to take a 13-11 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Then the rain came. And seemingly, never left. The tournament – and that game – didn't resume until Sunday, when MSU held on for a 14-11 win. But the double-elimination tournament was so far behind schedule that it was turned into a single-elimination event.

In a game that began at 11 a.m. Monday, DAVE WURST hit a three-run homer to cap a seven-run fifth inning, and Gallagher, CHRIS BARAN, and FRANK FRANCIA each had two RBI as the Red Hawks beat Rowan, 12-6. That win earned second-seeded MSU a spot in the title game against top-seeded The College of New Jersey, which had also gone 2-0 in the tournament.

Trailing 3-2 in the top of the seventh, TCNJ (32-7-1) drew even on MSU pitcher SCOTT ALLAN's wild pitch off the backstop which scored J.J. Singer. But after all they had been through, it wasn't that much adversity for the Red Hawks.

"We just kept playing our game," said Francia.

JEFF SCHRIBER walked to lead off the Bottom of the seventh against TCNJ ace Chris Buglovsky (0-3), and moved to second on Wurst's sacrifice bunt. Baran then delivered a run-scoring single up the middle on a 2-1 count to give MSU a 4-3 lead.

"I was just trying to hit the ball where it was pitched," Baran said. "I was right on it."

Baran took second on the throw home, and scored on Gallagher's two-out single to right. Starting pitcher SCOTT ALLAN faced the minimum six batters over the last two innings, and started a game-ending 1-6-3 double play off the bat of Brian Lemke.

"I was looking for (Allan) to pitch his best game of the year," Schoenig said, "and it probably was, when you talk about what this game meant." Allan scattered eight hits and benefited from three double plays.

"I wasn't being careful," Allan said. "I was just rearing back and firing."

 "It's very tough right now," Buglovsky said. "At least we lost it on the field this year."

And Montclair State won it. But hold the water.