SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a good day for the home teams in 14 of the 20 regional finals of the NCAA Division I National College Baseball Tournament on Tuesday.
The ones that crashed the home sweet home parties were Texas, Oregon, Oral Roberts, Texas Christian, and Southern Mississippi.
The Longhorns were successful where the Miami Hurricanes are usually, and that’s at Alex Rodriquez Field Park at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables, Fla. There, they defeated Louisiana, 4-2, host Miami, 4-1, and the Canes again 10-6.
At Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tn., Oregon edged Xavier, 5-4, host Vanderbilt, 8-7, and Xavier again, 11-2.
At O’Broate Stadium in Stillwater, Oka., Oral Roberts initially knocked off the host Cowboys, 6-4, then Washington, 13-12, and the clincher over Dallas Baptist, 6-5, in what was the most competed regional.
At Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., TCU turned back Arizona, 12-4, had the game against host Arkansas postponed due to the weather, then turned on the Hogs, 20-7, while Arkansas downed Santa Clara, 6-4, then the Horned Frogs rolled past the home side again, 12-4.
Southern Miss won its regional at Auburn’s Planesman Park in Alabama, first losing to Stanford, 4-2, in 10 innings, then getting past host Auburn, 7-2, then Stanford, 9-4, and scoring back-to-back wins over Penn, 11-2 and 11-7.
No. 1 Wake Forest handily claimed the region at home at Dave F Couch Ballpark in Winston Salem, N.C. by winning twice over George Mason and Maryland by a decided margin of 47-7.
