Jack Wallace Plays Key Role in ECSU’s National Championship Season

Jack Wallace couldn’t have written a better script for the final season of his collegiate baseball career. Not only was his Eastern Connecticut State Connecticut baseball team going to compete in the College World Series, but the former Winthrop ace righthander was going to play a major role for the No.-1 ranked Warriors in their quest for the title. Wallace made two appearances in the NCAA Division 3 World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He retired nine batters in a row and earned the win over LaGrange College (Georgia) and pitched two hitless innings in a win over Salisbury University (Maryland). That’s an ERA of 0.00 on the biggest stage in college baseball. ECSU won all five CWS games in Iowa to claim the national championship. The team finished with a 49-3 record, capped by a school record-tying 21-game winning streak. “It was the greatest week in my life – I can’t describe it, there’s nothing better,” said Wallace. “It was the best experience ever.” The 2022 season proceeded just as Wallace hoped it would when he committed to ECSU last July. “I told my dad [Mark Wallace] that we were going to contend for a national championship and I’m glad it came true.” The tournament was played in the High-A League baseball stadium of the Minnesota Twins organization. “We had a lot of families there supporting us,” said Jack. “My dad drove and my sister [Danielle] drove to Iowa. My mother and her husband and her kids were there.” Wallace received a replica of the team’s national championship trophy and an NCAA World Series watch. The national championship trophy will remain in the university’s athletic trophy showcase forever. The players will receive their national championship rings in the fall. Following its title-clinching 49th victory and the ensuing celebration, the team boarded a plane in Chicago for the triumphant journey to Hartford. The powerhouse ECSU program has won five national titles, but this was the school’s first since 2002. “Our national championship trophy was on the plane,” related Wallace. “I’m so proud of our team and our pitching staff. We led the country in ERA. I’m glad the school is back on top.” Jack Wallace is grateful to his family who has supported his athletic career at every step, from golf to baseball, from Winthrop to New Hampshire, to Connecticut, and finally, Iowa, where a dream became reality. “It meant everything to have my family be a part of this, from my start in Winthrop Little League to now finishing in college,” said Wallace.