Game 1: Oklahoma State 1, UC Santa Barbara 0.
Oklahoma State’s Thomas Hatch and UC Santa Barbara’s Shane Bieber weren’t in a charitable mood on Saturday afternoon as they opened up the 2016 College World Series with an old fashioned pitcher’s duel. After both were named 2nd Team All-Americans earlier in the day by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Hatch went on to throw a full nine innings, striking out seven hitters, and scattering five hits and a walk; Bieber went eight complete, struck out six, and gave up six hits — all singles.
“I think it’s pretty clear that both the young men that took the mound today were dialed in,” Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday said. “Two excellent pitchers squaring off, pounding the strike zone, and a high level baseball game to start the College World Series off.”
The only run allowed by either right-hander came in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Cowboys (42-20) got three straight base hits off Bieber to begin the inning. After the first two hits, sophomore third baseman Garrett Benge found a hole back up the middle with runners on first and second to drive in the game’s only run.
“Their pitcher was dotting up pretty much the whole game, just hitting his spots,” Benge said. “Right before that at-bat the coaches told me just get a good pitch and stay convicted on it. I trusted that plan and went through it, and it turned out going in our favor.”
Bieber settled down after Benge’s hit in the fourth, allowing only one base runner the rest of the game. Unfortunately for the Gauchos (42-19-1), Hatch was just as successful in stifling hitters on his end. UC Santa Barbara did bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning in the form of slugger Austin Bush and his team-leading 11 home runs, but Hatch was able to get a big swing and a miss on an off-speed pitch to end the game.
“Throughout the game we went to change-ups a lot,” Hatch said of how he attacked Bush with the tying run on base in the ninth. “Other than that you just have to execute your pitches. [Pitching coach Rob Walton] has the scouting report and he’s really good at it, so I’m going to trust him and just focus on executing and keeping the runner close so he doesn’t steal.
“[Bush] has had an incredible last two weeks, I believe. You really can’t think about that, though. You’ve just got to execute.”
The win was Oklahoma State first in the College World Series since 1993, snapping a five-game losing streak at the event. They will play in the winner’s bracket game on Monday night at 6:00 p.m.
Game 1 Highlights
Bottom of the 4th | Oklahoma State 1, UC Santa Barbara 0 |: Gauchos starting pitcher Shane Bieber had retired eight of the last nine hitters he faced entering his fourth inning of work. That changed in a hurry his second time through the Oklahoma State lineup as he allowed three straight hits before recording his first out of the frame. Seniors Corey Hassel and Donnie Walton each worked three-ball counts on Bieber before finding holes in the UCSB defense, then sophomore third baseman Garrett Benge provided the third hit when he drove a pitch back up the middle for an RBI single to put the Cowboys in front.
Game 2: Arizona 5, No. 3 Miami 1.
Big hits in timely situations combined with dominant performance on the mound helped the Arizona Wildcats upset No. 3 national seed Miami on Saturday night in Game 2 of the 2016 College World Series.
The Wildcats (45-21) put up three runs in their first trip to the plate despite getting only one hit before their senior hurler Nathan Bannister even delivered his first pitch of the game. A two-run single by sophomore center fielder Jared Oliva helped Arizona put a crooked number on the board after Miami left-hander Michael Mediavilla had already given up a run thanks to a pair of walks and a pair of hit batters.
“I just had trouble finding command,” Mediavilla said. “I was trying to do too much. I just deviated from everything I set to do and told myself to do, which was not try to do too much, and I did. I let them break it open in the first inning.”
The Hurricanes (50-13) got a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Bannister recovered to get Edgar Michelangeli looking at strike three before inducing an inning-ending ground ball against Hurricanes lead off hitter Carl Chester to strand the bases loaded.
Arizona senior Zach Gibbons came through with an immediate response when he drove a 2-2 offering from Mediavilla down the right field line for a two-run double that not only got Miami’s fourth inning back, but also extended the lead to 5-1. Gibbons finished 2-for-3 on the day with two runs batted in and a run scored, raising his batting average to a team-best .384 in the process.
Working with the early cushion provided by his offense, Bannister was free to go after the Hurricanes as aggressively as possible throughout the game.
“That comes with the 3-0 lead. I could attack hitters,” Bannister said. “Even with the bases-loaded situation, I didn’t want to fall behind. To get that strikeout, [pitching coach Dave Lawn] called it perfectly — a couple of breaking balls and a good fastball outside. I think that was the right pitch, and that was a big second out.”
Arizona’s senior workhorse threw 118 pitches on the night, and tied his career-high with 11 strikeouts — seven of which were looking — during his seven innings on the mound to send the Wildcats to the winner’s bracket where they will meet Oklahoma State at 6:00 p.m. on Monday night.
The Hurricanes will face UC Santa Barbara prior to that game with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. The loser will be sent home, while the winner move on to face the loser of Arizona/Oklahoma State.
Game 2 Highlights
Top of the 1st | Arizona 3, Miami 0 |: The Wildcats patiently cashed in on a wild inning by Hurricanes left-hander Michael Mediavilla. The Hurricanes sophomore walk the lead off man, then hit two batters before bringing home the first run of the game on four straight pitches out of the zone with two outs. Sophomore center fielder Jared Olivia followed that up by delivering the first hit of the game on a two-run single down line in right field. Kyle Lewis, who drew the bases-loaded walk in the previous plate appearance, was thrown out at home trying to score from first base, but that damage was already done.
Bottom of the 4th | Arizona 3, Miami 1 |: The Hurricanes threatened against right-hander Nathan Bannister in their half of the fourth. Brandon Lopez worked the count full before leading off the frame with a double down the left field line. Johnny Ruiz then drew a walk after also forcing Bannister into a full count. Jacob Heyward loaded the bases with a perfect bunt that died on the infield grass along the third base line, and Christopher Barr brought Lopez home for Miami’s first run of the game with an RBI single into right field. Bannister recovered to get his eighth strikeout of the evening and a ground out to limit the Hurricanes to just the one run and keep his team in front.
Top of the 5th | Arizona 5, Miami 1 |: The Wildcats got back to work offensively after watching the Hurricanes trim down their early lead to two runs in the bottom of the fourth. No. 9 hitter Louis Boyd started things with a double down the left field line. Second baseman Cody Ramer followed it up with a single, and right fielder Zach Gibbons drove both runners home with a double into the right field corner to get the run back and extend the lead.