Posted by
With the decade winding down in just a matter of weeks, we’ve done
our part in bringing you the best of the decade for several categories
in college baseball. It doesn’t stop now, though. In our latest best of
the decade feature, we take an inside look at the best games to remember this decade.
10. Chad Flack carries North Carolina over Alabama (2006)
North Carolina had all sorts of trouble reaching the College World Series before this game. But Chad Flack changed the program’s fortunes for good. North Carolina won the Tuscaloosa Super Regional opener against Alabama and found itself down 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 2. Flack, though, provided one of the decade’s most memorable moments with a two-run walk-off homer to give the Tar Heels an 8-7 victory and a trip to Omaha. UNC since has made four-consecutive CWS berths.
9. Arkansas uses grand slam to advance to super regional (2004)
The Razorbacks have had much more confidence as a program since this contest. The Hogs won the Fayetteville Regional opener with a 4-1 triumph over LeMoyne, but dropped a 4-3 contest to Wichita State in second-round action. That put the Hogs in position to have to beat the Shockers twice to advance to a super regional. In the first title game, the Hogs were down 9-7 with two outs in the ninth inning before Brady Toops hit a grand slam over the left-field wall to give the Hogs an 11-9 lead. They won that game. Arkansas then defeated Wichita State 4-3 in the third meeting to advance to the next round.
8. Baylor fights back to beat Tulane in CWS elimination game (2005)
What a crazy game this was to cover. The Green Wave entered the CWS as the top national seed and appeared to be well on their way to a win with a 7-0 advantage after six innings. Baylor, though, awoke and scored three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to cut the lead down to 7-5. The Bears then scored three runs in the ninth to win the game 8-7. Zach Dillon had an RBI double in the inning and the game ended with the Bears scoring two runs on a throwing error. It was an electric moment in Omaha.
7. Texas gets back-to-back homers to beat Arizona State in Omaha (2009)
After defeating Arizona State in Omaha just a couple nights before, Texas was in fantastic shape to advance to the CWS Championship Series. All it had to do was beat Arizona State once in two tries. Well, the Longhorns took care of business in one try. The Sun Devils got a gutsy pitching performance from starting pitcher Mike Leake and carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. Freshman pitcher Mitchell Lambson, though, gave up homers to Cameron Rupp and Connor Rowe to lose the game 4-3. UT hadn’t shown much power until it reached the CWS.
6. LSU makes late comeback to beat Stanford, win national title (2000)
This comeback always will be one of the best. Stanford was four outs away from winning a national title as LSU came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning down 5-2. Stanford had Justin Wayne on the mound and he had struck out seven batters and not allowed a hit in 3 1/3 innings of relief work. To say the least, few expected LSU to rally, except the Tigers of course. LSU got a three-run homer from Jeremy Witten to tie the game at 5-5. Then, in the ninth inning, Brad Cresse singled to left field to bring in the winning run. LSU beat the Cardinal 6-5 and captured its fifth national title.
5. UC Irvine’s magical run continues with wild win over Arizona State (2007)
Just coming off an emotional win over Cal State Fullerton, former Irvine coach Dave Serrano and the Anteaters hoped to continue their magical ways. The Anteaters didn’t disappoint. Arizona State had a 7-3 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning before the ‘Eaters rallied for four runs to tie the game at 7-7 entering the ninth inning. The teams went scoreless in the ninth to setup extra innings. That’s when fiery outfielder Ollie Linton singled the winning run home for the Anteaters. It was a magical game for a program that accomplished so much that season.
4. Irvine inches past Cal State Fullerton in historic CWS game (2007)
Here’s another fantastic, though exhausting, game for the Anteaters. The ‘Eaters and Titans were tied 4-4 after seven innings and that’s where the score stayed until UCI came to bat in the 13th inning. That’s when Bryan Petersen laced a single to center field to bring in the winning run in a 5-4 triumph over the Titans. This game lasted 5 hours, 40 minutes and still is the longest game duration-wise in CWS history.
3. Michigan shocks the nation by beating Vanderbilt, winning regional (2007)
This always will go down as one of the most exciting games I’ve covered. The Commodores were the top national seed and a heavy favorite over the Wolverines. Still, the ‘Dores had to beat UM twice to advance to a super regional. That didn’t happen. Vandy won the second meeting between the teams and that set up a huge third meeting. Vandy and Michigan were tied 3-3 heading to the top of the tenth inning. Vandy had National Pitcher of the Year David Price on the mound, hence very few thought UM actually would win this game. Price, though, gave up a towering home run to little-used Alan Oaks to surrender a 4-3 lead. That’s how the game ended. It was a surreal moment.
2. Arizona State beats Nebraska in Omaha with wild atmosphere (2005)
This is by far the wildest I’ve ever seen an atmosphere at Rosenblatt Stadium. Of course, 99.9 percent of it had to do with the fact Nebraska was in the CWS and Lincoln, Neb., is only 60 miles from the stadium. Still, the atmosphere was just incredible. Nebraska was down 5-3 to the Sun Devils entering the top of the ninth inning. The Huskers scored a run before Andy Gerch hit a three-run homer down the left-field line to give the Big Red a 7-5 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Arizona State scored a run before Jeff Larrish hit a homer to straight-away center field to tie the game at 7-7. ASU won the game in the 11th inning with a J.J. Sferra RBI single. This game is the only time I’ve ever seen the press box shake from the noise and stomping below.
1. Texas beats Boston College in longest game in NCAA history (2009)
This game lasted 7 hours, 3 minutes and I’m not sure there was a person in the stands or press box that ever wanted it to finish. What a fantastic game this was to cover. The heavily favored Longhorns and the Eagles were tied 1-1 for much of the game. The ‘Horns eventually called on closer Austin Wood to relieve. Wood had a herculean effort for the ‘Horns, throwing 169 pitches and recording 12-plus innings of no-hit baseball. Still, he didn’t even get the win. The ‘Horns finally won the game in the top of the 25th inning when Travis Tucker singled in a run to make it 2-1 in UT’s favor. UT reliever Austin Dicharry then mowed down the Eagles in the bottom of the inning to end the game. The 25-inning affair is the longest game in NCAA history.