Schuckman: Voth helps Timberwolves continue dream season and earn trip to Cary

INDIANAPOLIS — A traffic jam created by the influx of Indianapolis 500 fans made things more difficult for the Northwood baseball team to exit Circle City late last Saturday afternoon.

“It made our trip a little longer, but it was well worth it,” Logan Voth said.

It gave the Timberwolves a little more time to celebrate.

A 17-4 victory over the University of Indianapolis in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Midwest Super-Regional earned Northwood a spot in the NCAA Division II World Series in Cary, N.C., and led to a boisterous five-hour trip back to Midland, Mich.

“It was an eventful bus ride,” said Voth, the Mendon Unity graduate who is the Timberwolves starting first baseman. “We were listening to music, the coaches were dancing. It was a good time to say the least.”

It was a carryover from what took place on the field.

Josh Getz’s two-run single highlighted a three-run top of the first inning that catapulted the Timberwolves to their first D-II national championship appearance.

“We got the big hit,” Voth said. “After that, our energy was way higher than theirs was. It just felt like we weren’t going to lose from the moment we showed up today.”

Now, the small-town kid gets to play on one of college baseball’s biggest stages.

Voth was the only member of the Timberwolves to previously have played in a super-regional, experiencing it with Quincy University in both 2022 and 2023. Both times the Hawks were eliminated, the second time by Indianapolis.

He transferred to Northwood following the 2023 season with the goal of helping the Timberwolves experience a super-regional.

“Being the only guy on the team who had been a part of super-regional games, it helped me and helped my influence on some of the other guys to just stay calm and stay present in the moment,” Voth said. “(Northwood coach Brad Baldwin) does a very good job of making sure we stay where our feet are.”

That was critical after an 11-8 loss to the Greyhounds in Friday’s Game 2.

“Once we lost Friday, no one hit the panic button,” Voth said. “We talked amongst ourselves and we were like, ‘We know what we have to do tomorrow.’ It was a quick meeting. We showed up ready to go.”

It showed. Voth went 3 for 5 with three runs scored as part of a 25-hit attack. He went 8 for 14 with seven runs scored and four RBIs in the three-game series.

“My goal for this group was for these guys to experience a super-regional,” Voth said. “I thought if we could get there we were definitely capable of getting to the World Series. It’s one of those things where we’ve gotten hot at the right time and our pitching has been fantastic. And everyone has bought into what the coaches are preaching.”

Now, it’s off to Cary, N.C., where the Timberwolves will face the University of Central Missouri at 5 p.m. Friday in the eight-team, double-elimination national championship.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Voth said. “It’s a dream come true.”

Not bad for a small-town kid who dared to dream.

“Not bad at all,” Voth said.