Showing posts with label Appreciation Article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appreciation Article. Show all posts

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Appreciation Article: LSU Baseball's Dominance in the 1990's

In the 1990's, the college baseball world saw one of the greatest dynasties emerge out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Led by legendary head coach Skip Bertman, the Tigers of Louisiana State University captured four national championships in a seven-year span.

As an homage to their dominance in Omaha, join me now as I take you through LSU's title runs in 1991, 1993, 1996, and 1997.

Bringing a Baseball Title to the Bayou (1991)
Coming off two straight trips to the College World Series, Skip Bertman and his LSU team were looking to finally break through in the 1991 season and actually make it to the national championship game.

Getting to the Postseason
The Tigers climbed to No. 1 in the polls and posted a record of 44-16 (19-7 SEC) to claim their eighth SEC Regular Season championship. They played host to the 1991 SEC Tournament at Alex Box Stadium as the No. 1 seed, but they ran into trouble against the rival and No. 2 seeded Florida Gators.

Despite beating Florida four times in the regular season, the Tigers struggled against the Orange and Blue in the SEC Tournament as they lost to them twice. The latter of the two losses came in the SEC Championship and put a small damper on what had been a successful year of SEC play.

South Regional in Baton Rouge
In the South Regional at the Box, LSU did not run into too much trouble with the teams in their bracket. They opened up the 1991 NCAA Tournament with a crushing 13-2 victory over Northwestern State. Next was Oklahoma, who would give them a run for the money but would fail to pull the upset as the Tigers downed the Sooners 4-3 in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, LSU hooked up with future SEC opponent Texas A&M and soundly beat the Aggies 8-1 to advance to the regional finals for the third straight season. With Omaha on the line, the Tigers would run into the Ragin' Cajuns of SW Louisiana (aka UL-Lafayette). LSU's in-state opponent would not deter them, as they beat the Ragin' Cajuns 8-5 to clinch a third consecutive College World Series appearance!

College World Series
In Omaha (dubbed Baton Rouge North by the Tiger fanbase), LSU had their shot at revenge as their first opponent was Florida. Forgetting all about that loss in the SEC championship game, the Tigers thumped the Gators 8-1 to move on to the second round.

Next up was Fresno State. Though Fresno State would get their moment in 2008, they would have to remain in the shadows as LSU routed them 15-3 to cruise into the semifinals. Out of the loser's bracket and ready for another round came the Gators. Again, the Bayou Bengals whipped their SEC rival as they smoked Florida 19-8 to make it to their first College World Series National Championship Game in school history!

Facing the Tigers would be the Wichita State Shockers, who had won it all just two years ago in 1989. This would not rattle LSU, however, as they beat the Shockers 6-3 to claim their first-ever baseball national championship in school history! They also finished the postseason a perfect 8-0!

True pioneers on the diamond. The '91 squad celebrates their title.

Campus Legends
Here is the roster that ended LSU's title drought on the diamond:


Of course, what is a team without its coaching staff? Here are the coaches who helped the Tigers finally cap off a successful postseason run:

  • Head Coach
    • Skip Bertman - 8th season at LSU


Back on Top (1993)
After losing to eventual runner-up Cal State Fullerton in the 1992 postseason, LSU was out for blood in the 1993 season.

Getting to the Postseason
The Tigers were again the No. 1 team in America and won their fourth consecutive SEC Championship as they went 41-14-1 (18-8 SEC) in the regular season. In the first year of the separate SEC East/West Tournaments, the Tigers were tourney champions as they battled out of the loser's bracket to defeat Mississippi State in the final. Doubling down on both SEC titles guaranteed that LSU would once again be hosting in the NCAA Tournament.

South Regional in Baton Rouge
The Tigers kicked off their quest for a second title in three years with a 7-2 victory over Western Carolina. In the quarterfinals, however, trouble struck as Kent State upset the Tigers in a 15-12 slugfest to send them to the loser's bracket.

Needing to dig deep, LSU took care of Baylor 13-6 in their elimination game to set up a date with 2-0 South Alabama. In their first meeting, the Tigers clobbered the Jaguars 11-4 to set up a winner-take-all game. Again with Omaha at stake, LSU did not fold to the pressure and defeated South Alabama 9-4 to return to Baton Rouge North.

College World Series
In the College World Series, the Tigers were rolling on all cylinders as they beat Long Beach State 7-1 in first round and then out-slugged Texas A&M 13-8 in second round. In the rematch with Long Beach State, the Tigers dropped a tight one 10-8 before edging out a 6-5 win to head back to the National Championship.

Waiting for them yet again in the final game of the year was the Wichita State Shockers. Like before, the result was a Tiger victory as an 8-0 shutout gave LSU their second national championship in school history! They finished 8-2 in the tournament and had won four elimination games on route to another title!

Talks of dynasty may have been looming as LSU hoisted their second title in three years.

Campus Legends
Featuring some of the guys from the first championship team, here is the roster of the two-time champion LSU Tigers:
  • Pitchers
    • Matt Chamberlain (Junior) (Drafted 318th overall in the 11th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates)
    • Rick Greene (Sophomore)
    • Will Hunt (Senior) (Drafted 865th overall in the 31st round by the Detroit Tigers)
    • Brett Laxton (Freshman) (CWS All-Tournament Team)
    • Antonio Leonardi-Cattolica (Freshman)
    • Matt Malejko (Junior)
    • Bhrett McCabe (Sophomore)
    • Jeff Naquin (Sophomore)
    • Ronnie Rantz (Junior)
    • Trey Rutledge (Junior) (Drafted 540th overall in the 19th round by the Cincinnati Reds)
    • Henri Saunders (Senior)
    • Scott Schultz (Sophomore)
    • Mike Sirotka (Senior) (CWS All-Tournament Team) (Drafted 425th overall in the 15th round by the Chicago White Sox)
    • Sean Teague (Sophomore)
    • Brian Winders (Freshman)
  • Outfield
    • Kevin Ainsworth (Freshman)
    • Harry Berrios (Junior) (Drafted 231st overall in the eighth round by the Baltimore Orioles)
    • Jim Greely (Senior) (CWS All-Tournament Team)
    • Ryan Huffman (Freshman)
    • Armando Rios (Senior) (CWS All-Tournament Team)
    • Mark Stocco (Junior)

Minus a couple assistant coaching changes, Skip Bertman again had another solid coaching staff assembled as they helped guide this team to a second title:

  • Head Coach
    • Skip Bertman - 10th season at LSU
  • Assistant Coaches
    • Beetle Bailey 6th season at LSU
    • Smoke Laval - 10th season at LSU
    • Mike Bianco - 1st season at LSU
    • Rick Smith - 1st season at LSU
    • Dan Canevari - 3rd season at LSU

Walking Off into a Dynasty (1996)
A College World Series exit at the hands of Fullerton in 1994 and a regional loss to Rice in 1995 would pave the way for arguably LSU's most memorable of championship runs.

Getting to the Postseason
Sharing their 11th SEC Conference Championship due to a three-way tie with Florida and Alabama, the Tigers went 43-13 (20-10 SEC) in the regular season and continued to stay at No. 1 in the polls. In the SEC Tournament, LSU won their opening game over Tennessee before consecutive losses to Florida and Kentucky knocked them out of the tournament. Holding a share of the regular season title, however, would again guarantee that the Tigers would host a regional.

South II Regional in Baton Rouge
LSU began their postseason with an 8-5 win over Austin Peay and a narrow 7-6 victory over UNLV. In their final two games of the regional, the Tiger offense was on another level of production. They shellacked New Orleans 17-4 in the semifinals and, despite giving up 13 runs, beat the ever-loving daylights out of Georgia Tech by a score of 29-13.

College World Series
What good would an LSU title run be without another meeting with Wichita State in Omaha? Taking on the Shockers at the beginning of the College World Series this time, the Tigers edged out a 9-8 victory. Next would be their old rival Florida, who had beaten LSU in all four meetings this season. However, three of those wins came in Gainesville.

In Baton Rouge North, the tables were turned as the Tigers finally broke through and beat the Gators 9-4. In the semifinals, LSU got a rematch with Florida and again bested their rival by a score of 2-1 to reach their third national championship game in six years.

Their opponent would be another Florida-based school in the Miami Hurricanes. With two titles of their own in the early-to-mid 80's, the 'Canes were no pushover opponent. In what became known as one of the greatest games in college baseball history, LSU found themselves trailing 8-7 entering the bottom of the ninth inning.

With two outs and the tying run on third base, junior Warren Morris was due up to bat in the nine-hole. The left-hander wasted no time and jumped on a first-pitch breaking ball. The ball jumped off the bat of Morris and took off towards right field. It kept going and going and going and... it was gone!!! 

LSU had just won their third national championship in program history on a miraculous walk-off home run from their nine-hole hitter! Rosenblatt Stadium erupted as Morris ran around the bases and his exuberant teammates mobbed him when he touched home. It was his first home run of the season and had just barely cleared the wall to give the Tigers the improbable come-from-behind victory.

The LSU baseball dynasty was alive and well and for the second time the Tigers had gone a perfect 8-0 in the NCAA Tournament.

Morris celebrates the biggest home run of his baseball career.


Campus Legends
With a few of the players from the '93 team sprinkled in, here are the Tigers who made the school's third national championship dream a reality:
  • Catchers
    • Brad Cresse (Freshman)
    • Conan Horton (Junior)
    • Tim Lanier (Senior) (CWS All-Tournament Team) (Drafted 290th overall in the 10th round by the San Diego Padres)
    • Kevin Ward (Senior)

Again with different assistants at his side, Skip Bertman and his staff did what they needed to orchestrate another championship:

  • Head Coach
    • Skip Bertman - 13th season at LSU
  • Assistant Coaches
    • Mike Bianco - 4th season at LSU
    • Dan Canevari - 6th season at LSU
    • Jim Schwanke - 1st season at LSU
    • Daniel Tomlin - 1st season at LSU

Back-To-Back (1997)
Fresh off a historic championship, LSU had eyes on a repeat with many players from the '96 team returning.

Getting to the Postseason
The Tigers were the top team in the land and secured back-to-back SEC Championships with a 45-11 (22-7) mark in the regular season. As had been the case in two of their three title runs, the top-seeded Tigers lost the SEC Tournament as they fell to the No. 2 seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in the final. This had been the fifth meeting between these two schools during the year, and the Tide held a 3-2 advantage.

Regardless of another SEC Tournament loss, LSU was again a host for regional action.

South I Regional in Baton Rouge
LSU got off to a hot start on their title defense as they smacked both UNC Greensboro and Oklahoma 14-0 and 14-3, respectively. Like the 1993 squad, the Tigers hit a road block as South Alabama handed them an 11-5 defeat in the semifinals.

Needing to show the resiliency that won them the title in the previous season, the Tigers outlasted Long Beach State 14-7 in an 11-inning elimination game. The Tigers put up seven runs in the top of the 11th to keep their season alive.

In their rematch with South Alabama in the regional finals, neither game was close as the Tigers smoked the Jaguars 14-4 and 15-4 in both contests.

College World Series
In their return to Omaha, LSU inched past Rice with a 5-4 win in the first round. Next was Stanford, who LSU easily dispatched with a 10-5 victory. When the Cardinal came back around after getting out of the loser's bracket, the Tigers were again victorious as they won 13-9 to play in their second straight national championship game.

Fittingly, the title game would be a rematch of the SEC Championship as arch rival Alabama reached their second ever national championship. In their sixth contest of the season, LSU won the game that mattered as they smacked the Tide by a score of 13-6 to both repeat and claim their fourth national championship in seven years! LSU also set a new school mark for postseason wins as they went 9-1 in the NCAA Tournament.

Twice is nice as the Tigers celebrate their repeat.


Campus Legends
For many on the '97 squad, this would be their second national championship. Here is the final LSU roster that helped cement one incredible dynasty:
  • Pitchers
    • Kurt Ainsworth (Freshman)
    • Jason Albritton (Sophomore)
    • Eric Berthelot (Senior)
    • Matt Colvin (Freshman)
    • Patrick Coogan (Junior) (Drafted 104th overall in the third round by the St. Louis Cardinals)
    • Chris Demouy (Junior)
    • Jake Esteves (Junior)
    • Dan Guillory (Sophomore)
    • Jeff Harris (Junior)
    • Cody Hartshorn (Freshman)
    • David Hughes (Freshman)
    • Sonny Knoll (Freshman)
    • Antonio Leonardi-Cattolica (Senior)
    • Joey Painich (Senior)
    • Kevin Shipp (Senior) (Drafted 836th overall in the 33rd round by the Philadelphia Phillies)
    • Doug Thompson (Junior)
    • Jeremy Tyson (Senior)
  • Infield
    • Blair Barbier (Freshman)
    • John Blancher (Freshman)
    • Christian Bourgeois (Freshman)
    • Casey Cuntz (Junior) (Drafted 323rd overall in the 10th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks)
    • Mike Daley (Freshman)
    • Brian Daugherty (Senior)
    • Eddy Furniss (Junior) (CWS All-Tournament Team)
    • Danny Higgins (Junior)
    • Brandon Larson (Junior) (Most Outstanding Player/CWS All-Tournament Team) (Drafted 14th overall in the first round by the Cincinnati Reds)
    • Jeff Lipari (Freshman)
    • Trey McClure (Sophomore)
    • Keith Polozola (Senior)
    • Johnnie Thibodeaux (Freshman)
    • Drew Topham (Freshman)
  • Outfield
    • Bryon Bennett (Sophomore)
    • Tom Bernhardt (Senior) (CWS All-Tournament Team) (Drafted 1,348th overall in the 46th round by the Chicago Cubs)
    • Wes Davis (Junior)
    • Cedrick Harris (Junior)
    • Mike Koerner (Junior) (CWS All-Tournament Team) (Drafted 335th overall in the 11th round by the St. Louis Cardinals)
    • Antoine Simon (Freshman)
    • Jeremy Witten (Freshman)

Keeping the exact same staff as last year, it is no wonder that Skip Bertman and company were able to repeat:

  • Head Coach
    • Skip Bertman - 14th season at LSU
  • Assistant Coaches
    • Mike Bianco - 5th season at LSU
    • Dan Canevari - 7th season at LSU
    • Jim Schwanke - 2nd season at LSU
    • Daniel Tomlin - 2nd season at LSU

Lasting Legacy
Four titles in seven College World Series trips during the 1990's is mind-blowing. What LSU accomplished help set the high standards that the program holds its players to day-in and day-out. Here are some other interesting notes about the Tigers' success in Omaha:

  • LSU is one of 13 schools to go undefeated in the College World Series. They did it thrice in the 1991, 1996, and 1997 championship runs.
  • LSU became just the fourth school (Texas, USC, Stanford) to win back-to-back titles.
  • LSU represented the SEC well as they were the second team from the conference (Georgia) to ever win a title.

The Aftermath
LSU's winning ways would not vanish after their title in 1997. The Tigers would make their final College World Series trip of the decade in 1998, where they would fall apart in the semifinals despite winning their first two games.

This would not stymie the program, however, as LSU would win a fifth title under Skip Bertman in 2000 (against Stanford) and then a sixth under Paul Mainieri in 2009 (against Texas). Their bid at a seventh came short when they lost in two games to the Florida Gators in the 2017 College World Series Finals.

Since the conclusion of the 90's, LSU has made it to Omaha eight times and remains a perennial favorite to reach Baton Rouge North nearly every year.

Final Takeaway
It is now the year 2018 and there has still yet to be any replication of what these LSU teams pulled off in the 90's. Some teams (Oregon State and South Carolina) have come close, but no one has been able to maintain the championship consistency that was present in this era of LSU baseball. Skip Bertman and his 90's teams put LSU on the map for college baseball. For Tiger fans, all they had to do was sit back and enjoy the ride.


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Friday, June 8, 2018

Appreciation Article: 2016 Coastal Carolina Baseball

Coastal Carolina University is a small university located in Conway, South Carolina, with an enrollment of a little under 11,000 students. The nickname for their athletic teams are the "Chanticleers", which is basically another term for a rooster.

In the 2016 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, Coastal shocked the country as they brought home the first national championship in school history. This is the story of their journey.

Getting to the Postseason
Coastal Carolina entered the 2016 regular season ranked No. 23 in the preseason polls. Having gone 39-21 (17-7 Big South) the previous year with a season-ending loss in the College Station Regional, Coastal was hoping to get on track by winning their first Big South Championship since 2012.

The Chanticleers did just that as they went 21-3 in conference play to claim their 15th and final Big South regular season championship. Despite an impressive 40-15 regular season record, Coastal would need to win the Big South Tournament to have a viable shot at making the NCAA Tournament.

Even as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, Coastal did not get a bye. That meant they would have to win four straight games to earn their automatic bid to the tourney. Fortunately, the first three rounds were double elimination, so the Chanticleers had some room for error. In the opening round, Coastal defeated No. 8 seeded Radford 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Their next opponent would be No. 4 seeded Gardner-Webb, who Coastal narrowly defeated 4-3 to advance to the semifinals. They would down No. 3 seeded Longwood 5-1 to advance to their 15th Big South title game. There, the Chanticleers would win a pitcher's duel over No. 7 seeded Liberty by a slim margin of 1-0. With both the Big South regular season and tournament titles, Coastal was all but guaranteed a spot in the tournament.

Regionals
Now up to No. 15 in the polls, Coastal would be sent to the Raleigh Regional as a No. 2 seed in the region. They would open up the tournament with a 5-3 win over No. 3 seeded Saint Mary's and then shutout No. 1 seeded North Carolina State 4-0 to advance to the regional final.

The Wolfpack responded in the rematch and pounded the Chanticleers 8-1 to set up a winner-take-all finale. In their first elimination game of the NCAA postseason, Coastal upset North Carolina State 7-5 to advance to just the third super regional in school history.

Super Regionals
Coastal would have a tough task ahead of them as they would head out to Baton Rouge to take on the No. 8 national seeded LSU Tigers at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers had dropped a game in regional play, but had to feel like they were gifted a free ticket to Omaha with Coastal (who was 0-4 all-time in super regionals) coming out of the Raleigh Regional.  With the "Rally Possum" phenomena in full swing, LSU's overconfidence put them right where Coastal wanted.

In a stunner to everyone except their fans, Coastal won the first game by a score of 11-8. Now one win away from Omaha, the Chanticleers needed to overcome the chaos of the Box just one more time.

In Game 2, LSU rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the ninth inning, but failed to take the lead after loading the bases with only one out. In the bottom of the frame, senior left fielder Anthony Marks worked a walk on a full count to lead off the inning. He then proceeded to steal second base on the very next pitch to get into scoring position.

Up 1-0 in the count now, junior shortstop Michael Paez settled back in the box for the biggest at-bat of his collegiate career. On the next pitch he saw, Paez chopped a ball over the third baseman's head and down the left field line. As soon as the ball cleared the third baseman's mitt, Marks came dashing around third and beat the throw to the plate as he slid into home to score the game-winning run! It was over! The Chanticleers had just upset No. 8 LSU and were going to the College World Series for the first time ever!

College World Series
Florida
In their first College World Series game, the Chanticleers did not get a break as they matched up against another SEC school in the No. 1 overall seeded Florida Gators. Riding the momentum from super regionals, the Chanticleers kept the Gator bats silent and won the opening round 2-1 to advance to the winner's bracket.

TCU & Texas Tech
Coastal came back down to Earth when they took on TCU. Mirroring the Chanticleers' largest loss of the postseason back in regionals, the Horned Frogs smacked Coastal 8-1 to send them to the loser's bracket.

Coastal would now need three wins if they wanted to continue this dream season and reach the Finals. Facing another team from Texas, the Chanticleers took down their third national seed of the tournament as they eliminated No. 5 Texas Tech 7-5.

In the rematch against TCU, not once in either game did Coastal trail as they would win both games by scores of 4-1 and 7-5. Somehow, this little school from the Big South had survived the loser's bracket and would be playing for a national championship!

Arizona
The last obstacle in Cinderella's way were the four-time champion Arizona Wildcats. Having won the title back in 2012 and rallying off three straights wins from the loser's bracket themselves, Zona came into the CWS Finals with just as much confidence as Coastal.

This showed as the Wildcats blanked the Chanticleers in Game 1 by a score of 3-0. Yet again, Coastal had their backs against the wall. In Game 2, Arizona took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning before Coastal responded with two runs in the third inning. Zona would get one back in the fifth inning to knot things up and it remained that way until the eighth.

In the top of the eighth inning, Coastal put up a three-spot to take a 5-2 lead and would stave off a Wildcat comeback attempt to win the game 5-4. It would now be a winner-take-all game for the national championship.

In Game 3, it remained scoreless until Coastal exploded for four runs with two outs in the top of the sixth. Arizona would not lay down though, as they put up two in the bottom of the frame to make it 4-2.

Coastal junior Alex Cunningham would enter for relief in the seventh, and used a double play to work past his two walks to keep Zona off the board. After tossing a perfect eighth, Cunningham and his teammate's would get their money's worth in the ninth.

A fly out would start the inning, but the next Arizona batter would reach on a four-pitch walk. A single would then put runners on the corners before a sacrifice fly cut the lead to 4-3. Though their lead was trimmed, Coastal was now one out away from the title.

On a 1-1 pitch, Cunningham gave up a double that landed in the left field corner. Luckily for Coastal, the baseball gods were on their side as the ball ricocheted against the wall and went directly to left fielder Anthony Marks.

The senior would quickly pick up the ball and fire it into the infield to hold Arizona's runner at third. It was now runners on second and third with two outs, a one-run lead, and the national championship on the line.

Facing Arizona's cleanup hitter, Alex Cunningham found himself in a 3-2 count with first base open. On the 48th pitch of his outing, Cunningham reared back and notched a strikeout swinging to win the first national championship in Coastal Carolina history!

Coastal Carolina celebrating as they cap off their title run.

Campus Legends
Here is the complete 2016 roster for Coastal Carolina that made this national championship possible:


Also, here is the experienced coaching staff who helped guide Coastal to such an incredible postseason run:


As of the conclusion of the 2018 season, all of the Coastal Carolina coaching staff remains intact.

Lasting Legacy
What Coastal Carolina accomplished in the 2016 postseason and how they did it is something that will never be forgotten in the annuls of college baseball. Here are some interesting notes from the Chanticleer's national championship run:

  • In their final year in the Big South Conference, Coastal Carolina finally gave the conference its first national champion in any sport.
  • The Chanticleers had to defeat three national seeds once they got out of regional play.
  • Playing with their season on the line was no big deal to Coastal as they won six elimination games in the tournament. Five of them came in the College World Series.
  • This was Coastal Carolina's first national championship in ANY sport.
  • Coastal finished with an 11-3 record in the 2016 postseason.

The Aftermath
Since winning it all two years ago, Coastal Carolina missed the 2017 postseason entirely and was just eliminated in their own regional last weekend in the 2018 tournament. Nevertheless, the future is bright for Coastal and their baseball program will continue to thrive as long as head coach Gary Gilmore sticks around.

Final Takeaway
Regardless of who you root for, to see a school like Coastal Carolina win a national championship was very special and historical. I, as a Gator fan, could not help but pull for the Chanticleers even after they upset Florida in the opening round.

Coastal embraced their underdog role and constantly overcame adversity every single time it struck their team. They showed resiliency and relied on one another when their backs were against the wall. Though perhaps not the most talented squad in America, teams like Coastal Carolina are the reason why games are played on the field and not on paper.

For coach Gary Gilmore, this national championship brought him to tears. Given his two decades with the program and more importantly the loss of his father just two years prior, Coach Gilmore had every reason to shed some tears as he celebrated the biggest win in Coastal's history.


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Sunday, June 18, 2017

Appreciation Article: 2008 Fresno State Baseball

In my final free summer before I take on the hardships of law school, I have decided to start another article series entitled "Appreciation Articles". Within this series, I will be highlighting teams who's accomplishments may have been lost in the annuls of history. My first subject will be the 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team! Here is their story:

Getting to the Postseason
Entering 2008, Fresno State was ranked No. 21 in the preseason polls. They were coming off back-to-back WAC championships in both the regular season and the conference tournament. This season would yield similar results as the Bulldogs went 21-11 in conference play to secure a third straight regular season title.

At 33-27 though, Fresno State would need to win the WAC Tournament to even get into the NCAA Tournament. In the opener, they narrowly defeated Sacramento State 3-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. There they met San Jose State and had some breathing room as they won 7-3.

In the semifinals, they crushed Hawaii 11-4 to set up a date with Nevada in the championship. The Wolfpack had finished three games behind Fresno State in the regular season standings, so this would be a matchup of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the WAC. In their fifth meeting of the year, Fresno State prevailed by a score of 6-4 to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament!

Regionals
The Bulldogs had made it as far as the regional final in their past two tournament appearances, but got no further as Cal State Fullerton sent them home both years. This time around, Fresno State again was in the regional of a Big West team, but it would be the Long Beach State Dirtbags.

As a No. 4 seed (the lowest possible seed) in their region, Fresno State upset Long Beach State 7-3 to move on to the regional semifinals. Their opponent would be No. 2 seeded San Diego, who defeated them 5-2 in late February. In the rematch, the Bulldogs would blank the Toreros 6-0 to advance to their third straight regional final.

San Diego would survive their elimination game and crush Fresno State 15-1 to force a winner-take-all game in the regional final. The Bulldogs would regain their offense and win 5-1 to advance to their first ever super regional!

Super Regionals
In super regionals, Fresno State headed out to Tempe to take on the No. 3 national seeded Arizona State Sun Devils. ASU was coming off two dominating wins over Oklahoma (15-3 and 12-0) and unleashed their offensive fury on the Bulldogs with a 12-4 rout.

It looked like Cinderella's season was over. Fresno State would need a miracle just to keep the Sun Devils out of double digits. With their season on the line for the second time this postseason, the Bulldogs forced a Game 3 with an 8-6 victory.

Taking ASU the distance, Fresno State capped off the upset with a 12-9 win. For the fourth time in program history (and first time since 1991), Fresno State was going to the College World Series!

College World Series
With the No. 3 national seed dispatched, Fresno State would face the No. 6 national seeded Rice Owls in the opening round of the CWS. The Bulldogs' offensive outburst carried over as they crushed the Owls 17-5.

In the second round, Fresno State downed their third consecutive national seed as they defeated No. 2 North Carolina 5-3. Meeting again in the semifinals, the Tarheels stormed back and beat Fresno State 4-3 to bring up the third elimination game of the postseason for the Bulldogs.

With a spot in the finals on the line, Fresno State beat North Carolina 6-1 to advance to their first ever National Championship. Their opponent would fittingly be another national seed in the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs.

Fresno State dropped the first game 7-6, putting them in a position they had gotten comfortable with over the course of the postseason. In Game 2, the Bulldogs made the other Bulldogs keep their champagne on ice as Fresno State won a slugfest 19-10.

It was only fitting that Fresno State's season and shot at a national championship would come down to a winner-take-all finale. In that final game, Fresno State won 6-1 to bring home their first ever baseball national championship in school history.

Fresno State celebrating as they complete their miracle title run.

Campus Legends
Here is the complete Fresno State roster that attained immortality in the 2008 postseason:


Also, here is the coaching staff who helped engineer such an improbable run:

  • Head Coach
    • Mike Batesole - Fifth season at Fresno State (2008 NCBWA National Coach of the Year)

As of 2017, Mike Batesole remains the only one from his coaching staff who is still at Fresno State.

Lasting Legacy
What Fresno State's baseball team accomplished in the 2008 postseason is nothing short of remarkable. Here are some interesting notes regarding the Bulldogs' national championship run:

  • As the No. 4 seed in their region, Fresno State became the lowest seeded team to EVER win a national championship in baseball.
  • Fresno State had to win six elimination games en route to their national championship.
  • The Bulldogs had to defeat four national seeds in row once they got out of regional play.
  • Fresno State made a total of seven errors in the final two CWS Finals games, but still won both by convincing margins.
  • Fresno State finished the season with an overall record of 47-31 and finished 10-4 in the NCAA Tournament. Their 31 losses are the most by any team to win a national championship.
  • In the title game, Fresno State's Steve Detwiler single-handedly provided the offense. He went a perfect 4-4 with two home runs and six RBI's!

The Aftermath
After winning it all, Fresno State would appear in three more NCAA Tournaments in 2009, 2011, and 2012. They would go two-and-out in in 2009 and 2011 while winning just one elimination game before going 1-2 in 2012. Since then, the Bulldogs have never been back to the postseason.

 Final Takeaway
I was just a young middle schooler when Fresno State won their first and only baseball title, and little did I know then just how significant it will be. Unlike March Madness, it does not matter how lowly a team is ranked when it comes to baseball. That is personally why I love the sport so much.

A team like Fresno State -who really had no significant shot of winning against the juggernauts of the college baseball world- won a national championship. With a roster of 26 players all hailing from California, head coach Mike Batesole found a way to win.

Baseball can never be predicted 100% accurately, but it can be said that Fresno State was on the upswing after making it to two straight regional finals before their title run. They had no easy route in the postseason whatsoever as they went through half of the national seeds with their backs against the wall.

Fresno State's postseason draught of late only makes me happier that they capitalized on their opportunity in 2008. The Bulldogs showed underdogs everywhere that there is always a chance. Of course, it did not hurt Fresno State to have a few MLB draftees in addition to eight juniors and eight seniors in the mix.

I hope you enjoyed this article! Stay tuned for my upcoming recap on the Florida/TCU baseball game on Sunday night! Afterwards, I'll be putting another appreciation article out on another college baseball Cinderella: 2016 Coastal Carolina.


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