Case Western Reserve Spartans

Mascots

Case, originally known as Case School of Applied Science, carried the name Scientists from 1918 to 1939. In 1940, the mascot was changed to the Rough Riders, in honor of their head coach Ray A. Ride. Case formally updated their school name in 1947 to Case Institute of Technology.^[3] Western Reserve originally used the mascot Pioneers from 1921 to 1927, until being forced to change by Marietta College, who claimed earlier usage of the namesake.^[4] The famous Red Cats mascot was then used beginning in 1928. Upon the merger of the two schools, the Spartans name was adopted in 1970, as the team is now known.

Conferences

In 1902, Case Tech and Western Reserve University were both founding members of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Western Reserve left the OAC in 1931 to compete as an independent, while Case Tech stayed in until 1948. Breaking away from independence looking to compete with larger schools, Western Reserve became a charter member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 1946. After less than a decade, Western Reserve withdrew from the MAC in 1954, citing the need for the school to focus more energy on academics and less money and resources on athletics spearheaded by President John S. Millis.^[5]

Returning to their roots of competing in the same conference, Case Tech and Western Reserve became founding members of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) in 1955. When the athletic departments of the two universities merged in 1971 they dominated the PAC for several years. The university remained a member of the PAC until 1983. In the fall of 1984 the university joined the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), a pioneer in gender equality in sports, as a charter member. In conjunction with other top research universities in the country, Case Western Reserve became a charter member of University Athletic Association (UAA) in 1986, while maintaining joint conference membership affiliation with the NCAC until the 1998-1999 school year. In 2014 the football team, while maintaining membership in the UAA, began competing as an associate member of the PAC.

Founding charter members of five conferences:

• Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), 1902 (Case Tech and Western Reserve)
• Mid-American Conference (MAC), 1946 (Western Reserve)
• Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), 1955 (Case Tech and Western Reserve)
• North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), 1984 (Case Western Reserve)
• University Athletic Association (UAA), 1986 (Case Western Reserve)

Football

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Men's cross country

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Women's cross country

The women's cross country team earned five consecutive team qualifying years to the NCAA Championship Meet from 2006-2010. In 2006 the team was undefeated up until Nationals, this included beating several DI schools during the season. During this stretch, the Spartan women finished in the top 10 twice, including 2007, when the team finished sixth in the nation.^[7] individually during these five years, team members earned 8 All-American Titles, including multiple by future professional marathoner Esther Erb.

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Men's basketball

Western Reserve's first varsity team was in 1897, only six years after the game was invented by Dr. James Naismith. Case Tech played its first varsity season in 1912.^[8]

The first college sporting event televised in Cleveland aired on December 18, 1947, where Western Reserve's basketball team defeated Fenn College, now Cleveland State Vikings, at Adelbert Gym, 63-26.^[9]

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Baseball

Varsity baseball teams for Western Reserve College date back to the 1870s.^[10] During this era, Clarence Emir Allen is famously credited as the first college baseball player to throw and perfect the curve ball, and notably never lost a game once mastering the "curve."^[11] Other notable players in school history include Bob Kelly, Paul O'Dea, and Ed Andrews.

Western Reserve won the PAC in 1967 and 1968.

In recent years, the Case Western Reserve baseball team has competed in the NCAA playoffs, earning spots in 2011, 2013, and 2014.

In 2011, Spartan third baseman Chad Mullins was named the D3Baseball.com Player of the Year after hitting .437 with eight home runs and 71 RBIs. Mullins also ranked in the Division III national top ten in hits, runs scored, and total bases. The 2013 team won two NCAA playoff games and the UAA title. The 2014 team set a school record for victories with 34, won the UAA title, and won four playoff games advancing to the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship.^[12]

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Softball

During the 2018 season, Case Western Reserve softball team earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Division III tournament, making a deep run in the playoffs to nationals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, finishing the season ranked 6th nationally.^[13] The team won the first regional in school history, defeating Mt. Aloysius, St. Mary's, and Ohio Northern twice.^[14] The Spartans won the super regional against Hope, and achieved a win at nationals against Rowan, before being defeated by University of Texas at Tyler and Luther. The softball team previously had made the NCAA Division III tournament in 2001.

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Men's soccer

The Case Western Reserve Men's Soccer team finished their 2006 season with a 17–2–2 record and a UAA championship. The team reached the Sweet 16 in their first-ever NCAA Division III tournament appearance and concluded the season ranked 12th in the nation.

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Men's outdoor track and field

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Men's indoor track and field

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Men's tennis

In 2014, the Spartan men's tennis team was ranked in the Division III Top 10 for most of the season, and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight before falling to Middlebury College. That same year, two CWRU tennis players, Eric Klawitter and Christopher Krimbill, won the NCAA men's doubles title.

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Women's Tennis

In 2018, doubles pair Nithya Kanagasegar and Madeleine Paolucci were named the first All-Americans in program history. Nationally ranked, they advanced to the quarterfinals of NCAA Women's Division III Doubles Championships in Claremont, California.^[15]

Women's Soccer

The women's soccer team played their first season in 1984.^[16]

Wrestling

Case Western Reserve wrestling has won four individual NCAA Division III national titles and produced Olympic wrestler, William Kerslake.

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DiSanto Field

DiSanto Field is a 2,400-seat multi-purpose stadium home to the football, men's soccer, women's soccer, and track and field teams.

The press box includes the Coach Bill Edwards president's suite, named after the College Football Hall of Fame inductee coach.^[19] In 2008, the eight-lane track surrounding the field was named Coach Bill Sudeck Track. In 2014, the Wyant Field House opened, which included the 4500-square foot Steve Belichick Varsity Weight Room, gifted by Bill Belichick in honor of his father.^[20]

Nobby's Ballpark

Home to the Case Western Reserve Spartans baseball team, Nobby's Ballpark, seats 500 fans and sit between the streets of East 115th and East 118 along Wade Park Ave and Finnegan's Way. The ballpark opened in 2006 thanks to the contribution of alumnus Nobby Lewandowski. In 2009, the new public address system and naming of the press box was provided by Tom and Cynthia Friedberg. In 2013, Nobby Lewandowski gifted a state-of-the-art scoreboard. An Astroturf infield was installed prior to the 2018 season, increasing playability in poor weather, while the outfield consists of natural grass.^[21]

Mather Park

Mather Park is home to the Spartan softball team and seats 250 fans. The park sits along Mistletoe Drive near its intersection with Wade Park Ave. In April 2008, the facility was officially renamed after the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association, after its endowment was transferred to Case Western Reserve University. In 2009, Vice President for Student Affairs, Glenn Nicholls, made a donation in honor of his late wife, Peggy, for a new press box. The field was dedicated on April 15, 2009. A state-of-the-art scoreboard was added during the 2012 season by the Mather Alumnae Association.^[22]

Horsburgh Gymnasium

Home to the Spartan basketball, wrestling and volleyball, Horsburgh Gymnasium, holds a capacity of 1,600 fans. Named after alumnus Robert G. Horsburgh (1914), the gymnasium opened May 24, 1957, being refurbished and physically incorporated into the Veale Center complex rededicated on April 22, 1998.^[23]

Adelbert Gymnasium

The original Adelbert Gymnasium was constructed in 1888, followed by the much larger armory expansion being erected between 1918 and 1919, dedicated on June 1, 1919. Originally built for use in World War I, the war ended before construction was finished, so it was used only for athletics. Basketball played there for over 50 years, ending during the 1969-1970 season. In 2013, the facility was upgraded with a refurbished playing court. Adelbert Gym is most commonly used for varsity athletic practice as well as intramural, club sport, and campus recreational functions. For variety athletics official contests, it is still used for heritage-type basketball games and wrestling matches.^[24]