KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan Athletics welcomes back members of the 1958 and 1959 baseball teams for a reunion during Homecoming weekend, Oct. 23-24, 2009. Both teams advanced to the College World Series and won Mid-American Conference Championships.

The 1958 team posted an overall record of 23-8-1 and went an undefeated 10-0 during the MAC season. The Broncos swept through NCAA District Four, going 3-0, to advance to the College World Series, where the team finished third. It stands as the second best CWS finish in Western Michigan history, only behind WMU's NCAA Runner-Up run in 1955.

As a team, the Broncos batted .259 and had an earned run average of 2.0, outscoring conference opponents 57-18. Jack Rumohr led WMU on the mound, posting a 9-1 record with a 1.71 ERA in 92.3 innings pitched. First baseman Bob Mason had the big bat at the plate pounding out 42 hits, 17 for extra bases, for a .333 average, while left fielder Larry Buchanan paced the squad with 30 RBIs.

Both Rumohr and Mason earned First Team All-MAC honors, as did pitcher Dick Sosnowski (5-3, 1.44 ERA) and center fielder Marv Winegar (.301 BA). Both Rumohr and Winegar earned all-district honors and Rumohr went on to be named First Team All-American and Academic All-American that year. Winegar was chosen to the CWS All-Tournament Team.

Western Michigan shared the MAC championship with Ohio in 1959, and repeated with an NCAA District Four title to advance to the College World Series for the second consecutive season. The 1959 season marked the fourth trip to Omaha for Western Michigan in the decade, with only Northern Colorado making more trips to the CWS in the 1950's with five.

The Broncos took fifth in the series, losing out to eventual champion Oklahoma State, and ended the season with a record of 25-9, having gone 8-2 in MAC play. As a team, Western Michigan batted .273 and had a 2.61 ERA. They outscored MAC opponents, 87-44.

Buchanan, pitcher Bill Topp and catcher Larry Belanger were named First Team All-MAC, all three adding all-district honors. Outfielder Len Grabrowski was selected Second Team All-Conference while third baseman Jim Hook was named Third Team.

Topp led the pitching corps with a 9-3 record with a 2.07 ERA in 105.2 innings pitched. Buchanan batted .364 with 48 hits and Belanger banged out a team-high seven home runs.

The Homecoming reunion for the '58 and '59 teams starts Friday with a luncheon in the W-Club room at 11:45 a.m. Following the luncheon is a tour of the Seelye Center and an social gathering is planned at Old Burdick's Bar & Grill in the Radisson Plaza Hotel later that evening. Festivities continue Saturday with a pre-game tailgate prior to the WMU vs. Buffalo football game. Members of the '58 & '59 baseball teams will be honored during the game.

For more information regarding the reunion, contact David Zolp at (269) 387-3343 or athl-corprelations@wmich.edu.