Cortland has captured more than 100 team and individual national titles throughout the years. While all of these championships have been documented, the time has come to dig deeper into some of these Red Dragon accomplishments with "Title Recall." This feature goes beyond the numbers by gaining insight into the competition itself from the student-athletes and their coaches. We'll gain perspectives into what it takes, both physically and mentally, to be a Cortland champion. Our third installment of "Title Recall" takes a look back at baseball's 2015 NCAA Division III national championship.

Coming off a World Series appearance in 2014 and with an experienced roster in place, were you confident this team could make a legitimate run at a national title?
 
Head coach Joe Brown: We feel every year we have a chance to play for a national championship, but having come off of 2014, yes, we were confident we had all of the pieces in place.
 
Pitcher Brandon McClain: Absolutely. Throughout my entire career at Cortland I was confident that every team we had could make a legitimate run at a national title. In 2015 we had lost a lot of valuable seniors. Coach Brown did a great job with the recruiting class for 2015, which made us even stronger of a team. I remember going into the 2014-15 school year, we had no catchers on the roster, and Coach Brown told me that he's only bringing in three freshman catchers. I told him there's no way, that he needed a more experienced catcher to go along with our experienced pitching staff. Little did I know the three catchers he brought in (Justin Teague, Matthew Personius and Connor Manderson) were unbelievable.
 
Infielder Matthew Michalski: We were very confident. There was a different type of swagger we had going into the 2015 season – a closer team altogether. For me, 2014 was my first collegiate season so I had some growing up to do early on. We had great players in 2014 and I was fortunate enough to learn from experienced players such as Anthony Iacomini, Mike DeCarr, Mark DeMilio and Anthony Simon – while also learning from younger guys like Keith Andrews and Connor Griffin on how to put in the work and hustle every day. With a taste of success in 2014, we all entered the 2015 season with a common goal in place – to win it all. We talked about it, but we also believed in it greatly. This was a serious goal from top to bottom.
 
First baseman Austin Clock: During my recruiting visit, I vividly recall sitting in Coach Brown's office and he said, "This is a place where you can compete for a national championship every year." Every time I put on a Cortland baseball uniform I felt like we were going to win -- all four years as a player and my one season as an assistant coach. 
 
The team had an excellent season prior to the NCAA playoffs – started 11-0, went to 18-1, then 17 straight wins after a loss to Brockport to move to 35-2. You had 10 wins by one or two runs and plenty of big wins. Can you briefly touch on the reason for the success?
 
Brown: I think winning close games is a direct correlation to the players you have: their mindset (tough, unrelenting), flat-line demeanors and the team leadership was off the charts in 2015.
 
McClain: This team just never gave up. I'm not sure if this is even possible to look up, but we might have set the record for most come-from-behind victories in Cortland history. When the bats were off one day, the pitching was on, and when the pitching was off, the bats were on. We always picked each other up.
 
Michalski: We were doing everything right. We had the right guys in terms of character, team chemistry and abilities to be a great team - and it showed. We had a good mix of leaders and followers. For me, I was following the veterans of the team and doing my best to contribute whenever I could. Guys found roles early on and did their best to be the best at those roles. It was a total team effort. The leaders on the team set this example for us. Adam Smith and Cody Petre are two guys that come to mind. They may not have been every day players, but they stayed in every game and were great leaders – not because what they said, but what they did and how they carried themselves from day one.

Pitcher Seth Lamando: I am a firm believer that having a strong team is what dictated our success. Yes, the physical aspect was obvious because we basically dominated as shown by statistics throughout or lineup. I think that the most important part of why we succeeded is because our team was close. We did just about everything together throughout the season. We always had each other's back. When I think of a true team, I think of the 2015 Cortland national championship TEAM.

Clock: In the most respectful manner, our 2015 team was full of savages. We didn't care how many times we had to eat Golden Corral, take 10-plus hour bus rides, play in the snow. We all did our jobs and collectively clicked better than any team I've ever been a part of.

Joe, heading into postseason play, you had the luxury that almost every other Div. III program did not – four legitimate starters, which is a rarity. Knowing you could hand the ball to any one of these four players – Brandon Serio, Brandon McClain, Alex Weingarten and Seth Lamando – must have instilled confidence, especially when competing in an extended series of games.
 
Brown: Four starters gives you confidence for sure, but at the same time, it makes you think a little in regards to "who" to pitch certain games. Meaning switching the rotation up to put us in best position to succeed. We don't ever identify a person as a number one. We have a pitching staff, now go compete and then the cream rises, right?
 
At the Regional, you went 4-0 to advance to the team's 13th World Series. But three of those games required late comebacks. First came three runs in the eighth for a 6-4 win over Oberlin. Recollections on that game?
 
Brown: The first Regional game was a tremendous challenge for two reasons. First, we hadn't played in a week. Second, seeding never matters because the teams that made it are there for a reason. Oberlin was good. They have a good, tough, mostly senior-laden team. We prevailed simply because our players made big plays when needed.

Clock: I genuinely feel Coach Bob Wallace was looking down on our team in 2015. With his initials on our hats, we found a way to squeak back into any game we lost a lead.

Bob "Sparky" Wallace '53, M '57 was a long-time Cortland coach who passed away in December of 2014. To honor his memory, the players and coaches wore the initials BW on the back of their caps.
 
McClain: "This can't be happening" went through my head. My senior year, my last chance to win a national championship and we're losing the first game of the Regional. I knew how important it was for the pitching staff to stay out of the loser's bracket.
 
Next, the team fell behind Amherst, 5-0, heading into the seventh inning. Seth had pitched well, not giving up an earned run, but the offense had not produced. Until Vinny Bomasuto started the comeback with a two-run shot in the seventh. Then came a five-run ninth on just three hits as the team kept grinding out at bats for a 7-5 win. Thoughts?
 
Brown: Amherst was in charge of the game for sure. They played very well. Their pitcher was dominating us, but as it happened all year with or team, we hung around, never really panicked. I probably was the most concerned. The players just kept playing.Twenty-seven outs are tough to get. We prevailed at the end because we simply had great at bats down the stretch and our bullpen kept us in the game.
 
Lamando: The entire season was full of close games and full of moments where we had to look at the big picture. It wasn't about who was going to do it. It was about how WE were going to get it done. In this case Vinny, who was a great player, lit the fire. Once he got it going the team followed and in essence that was who we were as a team.
 
Michalski: It was never the same guy who was the hero. Vinny had a great tournament and that home run to left field over the towering fence gave us a tremendous boost. We were used to pressure situations and performing under pressure. One of the great attributes Coach Brown has carried and taught each player.
 
McClain: Our offense battled in the last inning. I recall some great at bats and a couple of walks that helped us with the comeback. This was just the story of this team, you could never count us out.

Clock: Seth Lamando is the best baseball player I've ever played with. Any game he had the ball, myself and everyone on the team had a boost of confidence in the box and on the field.

In the winner's bracket game, you fell behind 5-2 heading into the seventh. Another late rally and 7-5 victory over RPI sent you to the championship round. What were the thoughts after three straight come-from-behind wins?
 
Brown: Honestly, after being down again and then winning, I believe our "team" felt like no one could beat them.No situation was too big. Coaches are always fighting against complacency, overconfidence, but again this team just silenced all noise and competed.
 
Michalski: We never felt out of a game. I talked about our leadership. We had the leaders that wouldn't let us feel out of a game. There was never any panic. We knew the other team wasn't going to score any more runs against our pitchers. We just needed do our job at the plate and produce runs.

Lamando: In this situation we kind of knew that it was meant to be. We did it twice. Why not a third time? All I can remember from that game is that it almost seemed quiet in the dugout. Everyone was going about their business as if it were a normal game. We had a job to do and that was to win at all cost. Who was going to be the next guy in line to start our rally? That was always Coach Brown's motto. "Who wants to be the next guy?" I can still see him telling us.

Having secured three pressure-packed wins, the team coasted to a 7-0 victory over RPI to claim the Regional title. Brandon was dominant in a 10-strikeout, four-hit shutout. What sticks out about that performance?
 
Brown: Nothing ever surprises me when Brandon McClain is on the mound. His confidence and competitiveness are off the chart. Brandon was physically challenged all year. Never complained. He just competes. That was an incredible "shining moment." He did it in 2014 as well. He is made for those situations, and to have him in game four was a luxury.
 
Michalski: McClain was lights out every time he stepped on the mound. So, I didn't really expect anything else than what I got to witness during my two years playing with him. Batters wore out the left side of the infield when he was pitching, so Simon and I would always be communicating on positioning each hitter. McClain would get hitters to roll-over to our side multiple times a game, so Simon taught me how to position certain hitters and shade areas to have good angles on the baseball. Simon was a great mentor for me and kept me under control during big situations.

Lamando: Brandon was dominant in this outing or I should say pretty much all of his outings. In this game he was lights out. His pace was phenomenal and all I can remember was the swagger that he took to the mound. Once Brandon got on the mound during this game, it was a big relief to just watch him slice and dice through the RPI lineup. A great game to watch and be a part of.

Clock: The thought of winning a national championship never crossed my mind until our Regional win against Amherst. That comeback solidified our confidence as a team and we carried that mindset to finish off RPI with McClain on the mound.  McClain is the definition of a gamer. One of my best friends to this day and I idolized the way he carried himself as a Cortland baseball player.
 
You sweep the Regional and you have your four-man rotation set up heading into the World Series. That had to bode very well and offer plenty of optimism.
 
Brown: The idea of having a solid four-man rotation was great, but I turn to our bullpen of Tyler Brien, Travis Laitar, Adam Brant, stepping up huge. Also, we weren't really sure if Brandon would pitch in the World Series due to an injury. We were planning on having to possibly use a different starter.
 
In 2015, the team took a different means of transportation out to Wisconsin as you traveled by bus as opposed to flying out. What was different about the mindset of this mode of travel?
 
Brown: This was a long time coming. For years the flights the NCAA provided could be very challenging. Different flights. Different arrival times, and limited number of guys could travel. So, why not a bus? We could take all players. I mapped out the trip to stop in Buffalo. We practiced at Bisons Stadium where we were hosted by Cortland baseball alum Anthony Sprague. Then onto Notre Dame for an overnight stay followed by practice on the Irish baseball field hosted by another Cortland alum, assistant AD Katherine Coney. After practice, she secured an opportunity for us to go onto the Notre Dame football field. This is when I got nervous. We began to run kickoff returns, pass plays. We thankfully avoided any injuries.
 
McClain: The NCAA was only paying for 27 players to come out to the World Series. Coach Brown wanted to take as many as possible. It didn't take 27 players to get to that point, it took the entire team. The players who weren't on the World Series roster were still able to be with the team for the first national title and that was special.
 
Clock: The bus ride out to Appleton in 2015 was awesome. We made some great stops in Buffalo, Notre Dame and Golden Corral before getting to Appleton. We're used to long bus rides so this was no different than a weekend trip to North Carolina or our annual spring break trip to Florida. The mindset the whole ride was to handle our unfinished business. We knew we had the talent and experience.
 
Joe, for the most part, the team dominated the World Series, winning five straight games, posting a 2.20 ERA with 51 strikeouts and batting .391. Generally, the Series has tended to skew toward high-scoring games as deep pitching is difficult to come by. For you, both pitching and hitting came together. What are your thoughts on that?
 
Brown: I am often asked what is the real reason we won in 2015 and not other years. We led in pitching, hitting and fielding. Other years we hit, but didn't pitch great, or we pitched and didn't hit great.In 2015 we did everything very good for five games.
 
Game one against Webster. Seth fans 11 in 7.1 innings, and the team records 19 hits in 12-4 win. A great start. What did this do for the confidence of the team?
 
Brown: You need to win game one, but honestly it wasn't "rah rah" for our guys. They really didn't think anyone could beat them, and it wasn't an arrogance thing but mostly an extreme confidence. It was always someone different each game, which truly defines a team. You can't ride just one horse.
 
Michalski: I remember the first couple innings were pretty tight. A few things happened that allowed us to settle in, relax and gain that confidence we had. For me personally, it started by having a good first at bat and finding a barrel into right-center. I settled into the new field and the way it played, which helped me field balls in good positioning.
 
McClain: After all of the nail-biting games in the Regional this first game was a relief. Putting up 19 hits against a very good pitching staff in the first game of the World Series just helped boost our confidence even more.

Lamando: This was just the start for us. We knew once we got there that it was going to be show time. We stayed within each other and we did what had to be done. We didn't "just show up" as Coach Brown reminded us of a few times over the course of the season. Let's keep it rolling now.

Clock: Honestly, Lamando's performance in game one was exactly what we all knew he'd do. I think his performances correlate to our team's mindset: expect to dominate.
 
Game two against Frostburg St. Serio registers 10 strikeouts in a complete-game 4-1 win after the team took a 3-0 lead after two innings. Thoughts on that win?
 
Brown: Game two was pivotal for me as a coach. We were facing the second-ranked team in the country against a very tough pitcher. And we just competed.
 
Clock: Serio's performance versus Frostburg St. was one of the most dominate starts of the World Series. I remember our assistant coaches Nick Anderson and Kyle Putnam put together a flawless scouting report and Serio executed his two-seam perfectly that day.
 
McClain: In the tournament's format, any time a pitcher goes a complete game is huge. Serio was locked in and gave that to us. Keeping our bullpen fresh for when we needed them.
 
Michalski: The starting rotation we had in '15 was unbelievable. McClain, Weingarten, Serio and Lamando could throw complete games any outing because they pounded the zone and rarely walked anyone. Serio was an experienced guy on the mound who was in Appleton in 2014.

Lamando: Serio was a great guy to have on the mound. He always battled and gave us great games. He was a seasoned veteran and knew what his job was. Keep us in the game and the offense will help us out. That is exactly what he did.

Game three is another match up with Frostburg St. Weingarten tosses a complete game with nine strikeouts, the team records an 11-run fifth inning and finishes with 18 total hits in 17-4 win that sent you to the final best-of-three series against Wisconsin-La Crosse. What were your thoughts and knowledge of the opponent?
 
Brown: Our pitchers' performances were off the charts. Getting two complete games prior to the championship series was huge. I felt confident in the team but also my staff with the work that went into scouting, many hours watching games, many hours discussing game plans with each other and our players. We had a routine. It was an all-in effort. Our preparation for the World Series was better than our prep for the Regional actually. The Regional was a bit of a wake-up call to me and the staff that we needed to work harder.
 
Clock: One of my favorite games in a Cortland baseball uniform was our second game versus Frostburg St. Our lineup had zero let up. From one through nine, and all of our bench players, I had confidence that the job would get done regardless of the player.
 
McClain: Another complete game victory, and we were going into the final series with only using one bullpen arm. That put us in a great position. That was a statement win. We put up 11 runs in one inning against the second-ranked team in the nation. Everything was going well for us, our pitching staff and our lineup were locked in.

Lamando: We always knew what kind of game we were going to get out of Weingarten. This was a great feeling for us. La Crosse was a very good team. We knew we had to play our "A" game against them. Hit, pitch, play defense. It was going to be a fun series.

In the first game of the championship series, Brandon (McClain) goes a solid 5.1 innings, the offense earns an early 5-0 lead and added three in the seventh and the eighth to put the game away in 11-3 win. You were one win away from the title with Seth on the mound. What was the mindset of the team at that point?
 
Brown: Amazing effort by Brandon once again. When we didn't think he would pitch he shines. Tyler Brien comes in, does his job, then Adam Brant finished it up. Surely knowing we had Seth the next day provided confidence, but again, you have to get 27 outs.
 
Michalski: McClain was experiencing some arm problems towards the end of the season. For him to give us what he did was unbelievable. He gave us a great outing and set us up for a win. Brien and Brant came in and pitched well. Everything was falling into place and we obviously felt very confident to have Seth starting for us the next day. But we were still focused on the next game and were not celebrating yet.

Lamando: This was a no brainer for me. After my first outing at the World Series, I told myself that if we make it to the final that I am going to be throwing again. With a lot of help from our awesome trainer, I was able to fully recover from the first outing quickly. With only a couple days of working out and getting some good long toss in, I was ready to go.

McClain: One win away with Lamando on the mound and we've only used three bullpen arms, that's almost a guaranteed victory. We were so close to doing what we worked hard for our entire careers, and we knew we were in a prime position to do it.

Clock: After we won game one of the national championship series, we went back to the hotel around midnight and crushed pizza in the lobby in our uniforms. That was symbolic of our group. It didn't matter what we were up against, we had a collective goal and nothing stopped us from being crowned national champs.

Joe, in game two, Wisconsin-La Crosse manages to hold a 2-1 lead heading into the top of the ninth inning. Seth had struck out nine in his seven-plus innings. Throughout the game, you were putting runners in scoring position, utilizing the sacrifice bunt but it didn't pay off three times through seven innings. With the success the team had hitting through the first four games, what led you to this strategy?
 
Brown: We felt if we could just get guys in scoring position our hitting would score them. I was wrong, but we stayed with it. We felt if we got guys on base, we could run against them. We did have six stolen bases in the two games. So, it was about pressuring their defense, forcing their pitcher to hold us. Distract them. La Crosse executed 32 pickoff moves in two games against us. Again, I go back to our scouting on them. As a coach it does enter your mind every time you do something and it's not successful. Do I change strategy? Luckily the team picked me up.
 
The game moves to the top of the ninth inning. Before Matthew steps in the batter's box to lead off the inning, a certain song plays in the Stadium – John Fogerty's "Centerfield." Did you catch the possible foreshadowing, and, if so, did you share your thoughts?
 
Brown: As I was running out to third base, I did hear it but didn't comment on it to anyone. Honestly just stood in the third base box and smiled a little.  I do recall guys asking about taking a pitch. I told them he isn't throwing balls, be aggressive! Michalski first pitch base hit.
 
Lamando: Throughout the season this was our so-called theme song. After suffering the loss of a Cortland baseball legend, this was the song that our team as well as Coach Brown went to when we needed a little help from above. This was the perfect time for Coach Wallace to be shining down on us. After all, he had been the entire season. It was foreshadowing to say the least. It felt like it was something out of a movie.
 
McClain: I unfortunately did not hear the song playing. I think I was just too nervous, and I had too many thoughts going through my head. We were so close, I didn't want to play another game, I wanted to celebrate right away. All we had to do was win THAT game. I didn't want to give La Crosse another chance.
 
Michalski: There still seemed to be no pressure from the guys. Even for me, heading up to the plate in the ninth down a run. I was hitting well all tournament and had confidence up there. I knew the pitcher was one of their top arms, but I also knew he would challenge me because I was batting lower in the order. He came with a fastball and I found myself on first. I did my job. I wasn't looking to do too much. Just get on base and give the top of the order a chance to come up with me in scoring position.
 
The team then grinds out five runs on four hits with two successful sacrifice bunts in the mix. Travis Laitar comes in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and closes it out with a double-play groundout, perhaps a fitting way to wrap up the title on a well-executed 1-4-6-3. As the team "dog piles", what are your thoughts?
 
Brown: My thoughts on the game ending double play were, "Finally for this team. Awesome. But for all the teams that had come before, this is for you!  Beat the drum, hold the phone, the sun came out today!"
 
McClain: When Laitar was on the mound there was only one out, so I wasn't expecting the double play to end it and it caught me by surprise. All I can remember was jumping into that dogpile, and getting up, seeing Adam Smith and just grabbed him and said "we did it." Adam and I came in as the same freshman class and as captains our senior year this was our last chance to do what we strived to do for the past couple of years.
 
Michalski: I was still not thinking about the championship. I went out there with the focus of fielding my position. It was not until Clock caught the baseball after the double play where I then realized what happened. At the bottom of the dog pile, I remember screaming, "We did it." It finally registered that we had finished the job. We brought a championship to the Cortland baseball program. We were fortunate enough to be the ones who did it. But we knew it was for every Cortland player that came through the program. The 12 other World Series teams and the guys who paved the way for the Cortland baseball program.

Lamando: That was probably one of the most enjoyable seasons of baseball I'd ever had. I wanted to keep playing and at the time it hadn't really set in that we were the national champions. We were just a bunch of guys who loved the game of baseball and loved to be with each other on the playing field. I believe that because of everything we had gone through as a team as well as a program it was such satisfying feeling. It was almost as if everyone took a deep breath…with a national championship ring on our hands!

Clock: Nick Hart's single up the middle in the top of the ninth was when it finally hit me that we were about to win a national championship. I still get chills to this day when I think back to this moment. There's no team in the country that could handle Laitar and his hammer curve ball in the bottom of the ninth. The dog pile was pure chaos. We're lucky McClain came out alive from the bottom! 

Is there anything else you would like to add about this "Title Recall?"
 
Brown: The unselfishness of the 2015 team was incredible. In a time when everyone thinks about me, me, me.  This team only thought about "us."  How do we win today?  It didn't matter who did it.  Every day it was a different Red Dragon just doing the job asked.  Our players will tell you the mantra of Cortland baseball.  Game knows.  Also, every decision ever made is made for the best interest of the team, not the individual.
 
McClain: I was lucky enough to be the one holding the trophy when I noticed Coach Brown walking over to us, so I got to hand him the trophy he's been fighting for his entire coaching career. Thirteen World Series appearances and this was his first national championship, and I was excited to be the one that got to do it.
 
Clock: That national championship was years in the making. For all the players who built the foundation, led by example and performed at the highest stage, it's as much theirs as it is ours. Cortland baseball is one big family -- we all respect each other because we know the sacrifices it takes to be a national powerhouse every season.  Best decision I ever made was committing to Cortland. Excellent sport management department that's set me up for success in the industry and being part of the baseball legacy is something I'll cherish forever. Some of my best friends are my former teammates.
 
Michalski: I am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to attend Cortland and play baseball with some of the best people I have ever met. There are tremendous memories from each of my five seasons playing next to my brothers in a Cortland uniform. But, there is nothing as sweet as winning, and we did a lot of it in 2015 – and we had a blast along the way.

Lamando: It's so hard to look back and remember every single thing from 2015. It was such a roller coaster of a year that all of the memories just compile so high that you don't know which one to talk about. In all, it is my most memorable year of baseball hands down. Cortland baseball deserved this title and it can never be taken away. All of the friendships that were made throughout the season and the ups and downs physically and emotionally makes for one heck of a road trip of thoughts while looking back at it.

Clock: Funny story. Next to the hotel in Appleton, there's a Jimmy John's that we crushed every single day. We'd roll into that place and order 30+ sandwiches and every time I see a Jimmy John's now I have to send pictures to my former teammates. 

#GameKnows

Full replay of game (NCAA.com)

Game highlights

Box score

2015 story recapping the title