NCAA Baseball Regionals : CS Long Beach Takes West I Title

On the first chance it had, Cal State Long Beach clinched a berth in the College World Series, defeating Arizona, 10-3, Monday for the West I Regional baseball championship at Tucson, Ariz.

Long Beach (50-13) won all four of its games in the tournament, including two over the regional host Wildcats. If the 49ers had lost Monday’s first game, they would have played Arizona one more time to determine the champion. The College World Series begins Friday in Omaha, Neb.

Freshman right-hander Andy Croghan (12-0) scattered eight hits and allowed just one run through eight innings as Long Beach built a 10-1 lead.

Deryk Hudson drove in four runs with a two-run double, a sacrifice fly and a grounder, and Perry Sanchez went four for four with two RBIs to lead Long Beach’s 16-hit attack.

Scott Erickson (18-3) was the loser for Arizona, which finishes the season 45-18-1.

Wichita State 3-9, Michigan 2-5--The Shockers had to win twice and did to take the West II Regional title at Fresno.

In the second game, Wichita State (63-15) hung on after taking a 6-0 lead in the fourth inning. P.J. Forbes belted his 13th triple of the year, and Bryant Winslow, who hit his 11th double.

Michigan, which finished 49-16, had pitching problems as starter Kirt Ojala (3-2) threw four wild pitches, gave up seven hits and five runs. Jason Pfaff relieved Ojala in the fourth and also threw a wild pitch to allow a Wichita run.

Charlie Giaudrone (5-1) gave up all five runs on four hits and pitched into the sixth to earned the victory for Wichita.

Michigan (49-16) scored four in the sixth inning to make it 8-5.

Texas 9, New Orleans 3--The Longhorns scored four runs in the first inning and that was enough for starter Kirk Dressendorfer, who struck out 11, en route to the victory at Austin, Tex.

By winning the Midwest Regional title, Texas (51-17) earned its 25th trip to the College World Series. Dressendorfer, a sophomore whose record improve to 16-2, took a perfect game into the fifth inning.

Arkansas 6, LeMoyne 5--Troy Eklund hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to give the Razorbacks their second victory of the day, clinching Northeast Regional title at Waterbury, Conn.

Eklund also had a run-scoring single before his home run gave Arkansas a 6-2 lead.

LeMoyne battled back with three runs in the eighth and had the tying run on second base, but Arkansas reliever Phil Stidham ended the inning. LeMoyne also had the potential tying run on second base in the ninth with two outs, but Stidham got Pete Stoyan to bounce out. The save was Stidham’s 13th of the season.

In Arkansas’ first game, Stidham gained his 12th save when the Razorbacks eliminated Arizona State, 1-0.

Arizona State finished 42-19. Arkansas is 50-14.