It’s best player was on the bench with a pulled groin. A freshman was on the mound. And powerhouse Miami was in the opposing dugout, looking to eliminate Columbia from the NCAA Tournament.
The third-seeded Lions didn’t blink, stunning the No. 1-seed Hurricanes, 3-0, at Alex Rodriguez Park Sunday night in the Coral Gables Regional final, forcing another showdown against host Miami Monday night with a berth in the Super Regionals at stake.
“It’s the great game of baseball,” Columbia coach Brett Boretti said in a phone interview. “Anything can happen on any given day. It’s a special sport that way.”
Freshman Bryce Barr pitched like a senior, allowing two hits over five scoreless innings, and relievers Zach Bahm and Adam Cline combined for four hitless frames as Miami, the fifth overall seed in the tournament, was shutout for the first time this year.
“I didn’t feel any nerves,” Barr said. “I knew I just had to go out there, take deep breaths and focus every pitch.”
Despite the absence of outfielder Gus Craig, the co-Ivy League Player of the Year, the Lions (33-16) pounded out eight hits, three from first baseman Nick Maguire, as Columbia became the first Ivy League team to win three NCAA Tournament games since Harvard in 1974. No Ivy League team has ever reached the Super Regionals since the 64-team format was introduced in 1999.
“These guys have paid the price and now they’re reaping the benefits,” Boretti said. “They’re continuing to believe. They believed they could put themselves in this position and here we are.”
The stunner over Miami, 24 hours after the Hurricanes hammered Columbia 8-3, came hours after the Lions stayed alive with a 4-3 win over No. 4 Florida International, sparked by right fielder Robb Paller, who had two hits and three RBIs.
After rallying for a dramatic 2-1 win over No. 1-seed Oklahoma State, St. John’s was eliminated by second-seeded Arkansas, 4-3, in the Stillwater Regional final Sunday night.
The third-seeded Johnnies trailed 3-0 before storming back to pull even on third baseman Robbie Knightes RBI single in the seventh. But reliever Thomas Hackimer allowed a run in the ninth, as fourth-seeded St. John’s (41-16) dropped its second one-run game of the weekend.
Stony Brook’s season came to a close with an 8-3 loss to top seed TCU in the Fort Worth Regional loser’s bracket. The third-seeded Seawolves never led against the Horned Frogs, the seventh overall seed in the tournament. Catcher Evan Skoug’s three-run, fifth-inning homer was the big blow, opening up a 5-1 lead for TCU.
Center fielder Toby Handler had two hits and two RBIs and third baseman Bobby Honeyman scored twice for the Seawolves (35-16-1), who managed just three hits.