Jim Wood strolled down the third base line and right into the Trinity College history books.

The Windham native scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk to help Trinity College’s baseball team to its first-ever Division III National Championship, capping a 45-1 year.

“It was incredible. Seeing that on third base, it was almost too perfect,” said Wood. “It was an unbelievable feeling to cross the plate and have the whole team jump on me.”

The championship capped off Wood’s sophomore year with the Bantams, and Trinity’s head coach, Bill Decker, said the outfielder came ready to play after graduating from Bishop Guertin High School.

“I think he’s got a blue-collar attitude and a blue-collar approach. He has a will to learn and a will to get better,” said Decker. “I’d play nine Jimmy Woods on the field if I had them. If you’re looking for dirt on him, I don’t have it.”

Wood’s coach only has one regret when it comes to having Jim Wood on his team.

“We wish we had his brother, too,” said Decker about Taylor Wood, who just completed his freshman year as a pitcher for Cornell. “They’re both tremendous athletes, and they’re good people.”

Wood came to the Trinity team during his freshman year and wanted to keep a low profile and let his play do the talking.

“When I got there I kept to myself and was quiet. It’s tough coming in as a freshman,” said Wood. “I came out of my shell. That’s the best thing about sports. It was a great spot for me to let my intensity come flying out. Sports is a way for me to open up.”

According to Decker, when the Bantams reached the tournament in 2007, he saw the normally subdued Wood blossom.

“Last year in the regionals, those freshmen grew up,” said Decker. “I saw a different side of him. This quiet, reserved kid became a monster in the dugout – in a good way.”

And it continued this year. Wood batted .356, fifth on the team, while starting all 46 games. He led the squad with 12 home runs and was second in runs batted in.

Wood said he learned a great deal from the upperclassmen on the team who embraced him, and he looks forward to being more of a role model as a junior.

“We had some great upperclassmen that taught me a lot. They were great mentors for me – the way they treated younger kids – and it helped a lot,” said Wood. “That’s what I look forward to doing.” Wood has learned to juggle his athletic pursuits with his studies at the demanding Hartford, Conn., college.

“It’s a challenging school, but I feel it’s benefited me a lot,” said Wood, an economics major. “I had opportunities for other schools where I maybe could have played Division I, but I made the perfect decision for me. It’s a challenging education, and I’m glad to have the balance that Trinity forces you to have.”