A 10th anniversary celebration of the Chico State baseball team’s improbable 1997 national championship took place at halftime of the men’s basketball game Saturday night. More than 1,000 showed their appreciation to 1997 pitching coach and current head coach Dave Taylor, team manager Tommy “Ballgame” Wigton, and the 13 1997 players who were in attendance – Brian Baisch, Bryan Burchitt, Brian Carlson, Duane Dinnocente, Doug Goff, Steve Gotowala, Rich Gregory, John Eric-Hernandez, Dave Mallas, Josh Osborn, Ryan Sasser, John Soldate, and Craig Tacla.

Following is the script read at halftime:

Despite playing in the nation’s only conference without scholarships at the time, the Wildcats made a miraculous run to the national title game and then beat Central Oklahoma 13-12 in thrilling fashion with two runs in the bottom of the ninth. That win, which many of us still remember watching on television and listening as Mike Baca gave us goosebumps with his broadcast, propelled the Chico State baseball program into national prominence, where it has remained ever since. Please direct your attention to center court where head baseball coach Dave Taylor will be presenting each player in attendance with a team photo of that memorable 1997 team. Taylor, who led the Wildcats to 47 wins in his first season as Chico State’s head coach last season, was the pitching coach on that team.

We’ll start with Brian Baisch. A left-handed relief pitcher, Baisch finished third on the team with 23 appearances, second only to closer John Soldate among relievers. He made two appearances in the College World Series and finished the season 3-2 overall. The team’s setup man, Baisch almost always set the Wildcats up for success. Thanks for the memories Brian!

Bryan Burchitt was an invaluable hitter off the bench for the Wildcats during the 1997 season. That was also the case in the College World Series. He drew a walk in the ninth inning of the national championship game and was on first base when Bryan Carlson’s line drive glanced off the Central Oklahoma’s shortstop’s glove, allowing the winning run to score. Thanks for the memories Bryan.

Brian Carlson’s line drive that deflected off the glove of Central Oklahoma’s shortstop and into left field plated Ryan Sasser with the winning run in the national championship game and created perhaps the most memorable moment in the history of Chico State baseball. Carlson came through all season long for the Wildcats, hitting .364 with a team-high 14 stolen bases. And he batted .409 during the College World Series and led the team with nine hits. Thanks Brian!

Duane Dinnocente was another reliever on the 1997 squad. The junior right-hander was a transfer from El Camino Community College who started two games and came on in relief in six others over the course of the season. Coach Taylor remembers him as a difference maker for the team both on the field and in the dugout. Thanks for the memories Duane!

Starting pitcher Doug Goff compiled a 4-1 record and 3.65 earned run average to help anchor a dominating Wildcats pitching staff in 1997. In the College World Series National Championship game against Central Oklahoma, Goff allowed only one earned run in the biggest three-plus innings of relief in his career and was undoubtedly one of the unsung heroes of the game. Thanks for the memories Doug!

Steve Gotowala was 1997s Division II National Player of the Year. He set Chico State records in batting average, home runs, hits, doubles, and runs batted in that season that still stand today. He also earned NCAA Championship Tournament West Region MVP honors to propel the Wildcats into their first ever College World Series. He batted .375 in the College World Series and scored three runs in the national championship game. Thanks for the memories Steve!

Had Gotowala not won the National Player of the Year award in 1997, Rich Gregory may have. Gregory earned First Team All-American honors, hitting .396 with 16 home runs and 87 RBI. He batted .439 in the World Series while leading the team with a homer and nine runs batted in. Thanks for the memories Rich!

John-Eric Hernandez was the team’s freshman phenom in 1997, finishing tied for first in the nation with 13 wins. He went 2-0 in the College World Series with a 2.57 earned run average. He started against SIU-Edwardsville in the series opener, going seven innings to earn the win, and then led the Wildcats into the championship game by allowing only two runs in seven innings against Kennesaw State in the national semifinal. Thanks for the memories John-Eric!

Dave Mallas was the spark for the Chico State offense during the 1997 season. The second baseman and No. 2 hitter batted .398 and scored 94 runs that season, which is still 17 more than any other Wildcat has ever scored. His 90 hits are still the third most in Chico State history, and his .513 on-base percentage that season is still the highest ever posted by a Wildcat. Thanks for the memories Dave!

Josh Osborn, the only two-time All-American in the history of Chico State baseball, earned his first All-American honor in 1997. He finished the season 13-1, tied with teammate John-Eric Hernandez for the most wins in the nation, while leading all Wildcat starters with 79 strikeouts and a 3.41 ERA. He pitched Chico State’s second game of the College World Series, beating Tampa 5-3 with a complete-game six-hitter, and was the starting pitcher in the Wildcats victory in the National Championship game. Thanks for the memories Josh!

When Ryan Sasser sild head first across home plate with the winning run in the national championship game, it completed one of the most amazing moments in the history of Chico State athletics. It looked as if Sasser may have made the final out just moments earler, but his two-out slicing fly ball was dropped, allowing the tying run to score and setting the stage for Sasser to score the winning run. What an amazing memory Ryan! Thank you.

John Soldate set the still-standing Chico State record for saves in 1997 with 15, while putting together one of the program’s finest seasons ever by a reliever. He collected a win in the Western Regional and a save in the national semifinal game. And then in the national championship game, Soldate worked around two errors to allow only one earned run in the top of the ninth inning and earned the win when the Wildcats rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth. For the season, Soldate was 7-0 with 15 saves. Thanks for the memories John!

Craig Tacla hit .353 for the Wildcats in 1997 and drove in a run with a walk in his only College World Series plate appearance. Coach Dave Taylor remembers Tacla as the ultimate team guy. A senior outfielder who had transferred to Chico State from the College of Marin, Tacla went on to get his doctorate and is now a professor at Sacramento State College. Congratulations Craig and thanks for the memories.

Tommy “Ballgame” Wigton was just as big a part of that 1997 team as he has been of Chico State’s baseball and basketball teams for many, many years. His encouraging words, hustle, and determination are what the 1997 team was about, and what Chico State athletics is all about. Thanks for the memories Tommy!

Ladies and gentleman, lets take one more opportunity to thank these players for the excitement they brought to us and for helping to lay the foundation for one of the finest college baseball programs in the nation. Thanks guys!

It was a memorable night that will not soon be forgotten. It also got people talking about two years from now when we’ll celebrate the anniversary of the 1999 national championship team.