Teams make history after Game 3
SB first from A-East in CWS; LSU super loss first at Alex Box
Stony Brook made history Sunday night in Alex Box Stadium by qualifying for its first College World Series and becoming the first team from the America East Conference to make it to Omaha, Neb. The Seawolves also joined eventual 2008 CWS champion Fresno State as the only No. 4 seeds to win a regional and a super regional.
LSU, on the other hand, made history in some negative ways. The Tigers lost a super regional at home for the time after winning its first five super regionals at the old Alex Box and the new one.
The victories had come against UCLA, Baylor, Texas A&M, UC Irvine and Rice. LSU is 0-3 when it has played super regionals on the road, having lost to Alabama, Tulane and Rice.
The Tigers, who were seeking their third College Word Series appearance in the last five seasons and dropped to 12-10 in super regional games and 127-49 in NCAA tournament games.
Last game for six Tigers
At least six LSU players knew Sunday’s game would be their final one at Alex Box Stadium, and the loss to Stony Brook turned it into the final games of their careers as Tigers.
Senior Grant Dozar got his first start of the super regional after pinch hitting in Game 1 and staying in the game in right field.
He didn’t get into Game 2 and was the designated hitter Sunday.
Four other seniors — shortstop Austin Nola, third baseman Tyler Hanover, catcher Jordy Snikeris and infielder Beau Didier — also played their final games. Presumably, it was also the final game for sophomore right-hander Kevin Gausman, who likely will sign with the Baltimore Orioles, who made him the fourth pick in the Major League Baseball draft last week.
Eades has shortest outing
Ryan Eades’ 2.2-inning stint was his shortest start of the season. He gave up four runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking one. Eades’ previous shortest outing was 3 innings at Florida on April 7.
Against the Gators, Eades gave up seven hits and seven runs, five earned, in a game in which LSU came back from a 7-2 deficit to win 8-7.
Start pushed back
With the forecast calling for a wet afternoon in the Baton Rouge area, the finale of the LSU-Stony Brook super regional Sunday was push back to a 7 p.m. start.
NCAA representatives at the super regional and in IndIanapolis, the head coaches from both teams and game management officials came out of a meeting Sunday morning with the decision, according to LSU spokesman Kent Lowe.
Originally, the game was scheduled to start at noon and be shown on ESPN2. ESPNews showed the game instead.
The change Sunday continued Mother Nature’s impact on the super regional sChedule. The Tigers and Seawolves waited out a rain delay in the 12th inning of Friday’s opener before a decision was made to finish the game Sunday morning prior to Game 2.
The move of the finale looked like it may help LSU, which entered Sunday at 32-4 in night games and 15-13 during the day.
Crowd breaks mark
The crowd Sunday night of 10,620 was the largest in school history, eclipsing the mark of 10,367 for LSU’s 5-1 victory over Oregon State last weekend in regional play.
Also, the paid crowd Sunday of 11,535 was the largest for LSU in a postseason game.
SB leads early — again
Stony Brook took an early lead against LSU for the third time in as many games, this time going ahead 1-0 on William Carmona’s RBI single in the top of the first. Mason Katz answered with a tying homer to left in the bottom of the inning, but the Seawolves came alive with three runs in the third and two in the fourth.
In Game 1 on Friday, Stony Brook led 2-0 before LSU rallied to win in 12 innings.
In Game 2 on Saturday, the Seawolves went ahead 2-0 in the third and held on for a 3-1 win.