Happy Valentine’s Day: Marietta’s Trent Valentine throws 4-hit shutout to open NCAA Division III Baseball World Series

CEDAR RAPIDS — Marietta College Coach Brian Brewer said a team is only as good as the guy on the mound.

Pioneers starter Trent Valentine was good. Really good.

Valentine pitched eight shutout innings, helping top-seeded Marietta to a 7-0 victory over Catholic University in the opening game of the NCAA Division III Baseball World Series on Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The D-III national leader in wins improved his record to 13-1 this season.

“I’ve just been sticking to what I’ve been doing,” Valentine said. “Throwing the fastballs where I need to, change-ups when I need to, letting defense work, pitching to contact and getting outs.”

Valentine limited the Cardinals to four hits and two walks, striking out eight. In the multiple-day, multiple game format, getting a deep performance from your starter is crucial. Valentine knew what the Pioneers needed from him.

“It’s always in the back of my mind,” Valentine said. “It was working well because I was pitching to contact and they were getting bad swings early. Defense was fielding the balls, throwing the balls and working well.”

Brewer said assistant coach Mike Mulvey talked him out of removing Valentine in the middle innings when his pitch count began to climb. Valentine responded with a 1-2-3 seventh, getting a a flyout, strikeout and groundout.

“The ball was popping out of his hand great today,” Marietta’s Drew Holderbach said of Valentine. “He’s working fast, throwing a lot of strikes and that’s what keeps the defense in it. It was huge to have him throwing strikes and commanding the zone how he did.”

Valentine said he felt flashes of getting stronger as the game progressed but focused on each pitch.

“I try to put that in the back of my mind and just control what I can control,” Valentine said. “If I’m doing good, I’m doing good. If I’m not, find a way to get back to where I was. I think I was on both sides of that at one point, but I try to stay locked in the next pitch. Get the outs I need to.”

Sam Mathews, the Ohio Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year the last two seasons, came in to close the game. He shut Catholic down with a strikeout and two groundouts to end it.

“It’s been a race to Mathews all year for us,” Brewer said. “The sooner we can get the ball in his hands, the happier we are and typically the better the situation is.”

The Pioneers (44-5) provided more than enough support in the middle innings, putting up three in the third, another in the fourth and three in the fifth.

Holderbach, Trent Castle and Zach Boyd had two hits apiece to lead Marietta. Castle had a team-high two RBIs.

Marietta will face the winner between Salisbury and Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

Catholic (34-15) will play an elimination game against the loser between the Sea Gulls and Pointers Saturday at 10 a.m.