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| College World Series Central (NCAA.com)Bringing to life the motto that has been flying around Twitter all weekend, the Stony Brook baseball team has shocked the world.
Behind a complete-game, three-hit performance from sophomore starting pitcher Frankie Vanderka (Levittown, N.Y.) and a 15-hit offensive attack, the Seawolves defeated LSU, 7-2, in a decisive game three to eliminate the Tigers and advance to their first-ever College World Series.
Vanderka scattered three hits while walking four and striking out five in the biggest performance of his young career. Junior Travis Jankowski (Lancaster, Pa.) had four hits and scored two runs. Junior Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ontario) had two hits and three RBI. Junior Willie Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.) had three hits and two runs scored, and freshman Kevin Krause (Staten Island, N.Y.) added a pair of hits and RBI.
Stony Brook is just the second No. 4 seed to reach the College World Series since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1999. The Seawolves are also the first America East team to reach the College World Series.
The College World Series takes place June 14-26 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. Ticket information will be forthcoming Monday.
For the third straight game, the Seawolves jumped to an early lead, getting a run in the first on a Carmona RBI single to center. LSU answered right back in the bottom of the first on a two-out solo home run from Mason Katz.
But Stony Brook vaulted back ahead in the fourth, striking for three runs to take a 4-1 lead. Tissenbaum along with freshmen Kevin Krause and Steven Goldstein each had two-out, run-scoring hits.
Vanderka worked in and out of trouble in the bottom of the third as LSU put runners on first and second with one out. But Vanderka struck out Katz and then got Raph Rhymes to pop to first to end the inning.
SBU tacked on two more runs in the fourth on a two-run double from Tissenbaum. Vanderka then stranded two more runners in the bottom of the inning, getting Tyler Hanover to line out to left with runners on first and second and two out.
LSU got a run back in the seventh on an Austin Nola sacrifice fly. But Stony Brook answered right back in the eighth as Carmona doubled to lead off and then scored on a bloop single from Krause.
Vanderka retired the side in the eighth and again in the ninth as he struck out Alex Edward for the final out that sends the Seawolves to Omaha.
Notes: Stony Brook is the second No. 4 seed to advance to the College World Series since NCAA went to Regional format in 1999...that team was Fresno State in 2008, and the Bulldogs went on to win the College World Series...Stony Brook is the first Northeast Region school to advance to College World Series since the NCAA went away from geographic regionals in 1987...the attendance of 10,620 was the largest in history of LSU baseball...Willie Carmona is 18-for-34 (.529) in the NCAA Tournament with 12 RBI.
