Cresse’s Hit Delivers Title to LSU

The College World Series had not exactly been a personal showcase for Louisiana State’s Brad Cresse before he came to the plate with two runners on in the bottom of the ninth inning of Saturday’s championship game against Stanford.

Cresse, a senior catcher from Seal Beach, led the nation with 30 home runs and 104 runs batted in before the series but was an admittedly embarrassing one for 12 with eight strikeouts in the series when he stepped in against Stanford ace Justin Wayne.

All of Cresse’s frustration was forgotten, though, when he singled to left field and drove in the winning run in LSU’s dramatic, come-from-behind 6-5 victory before 24,282 in Rosenblatt Stadium.

“If I had to go to two for 100 to get that kind of hit, I’d do it,” said Cresse, son of former Dodger bullpen coach Mark Cresse.

Cresse’s single capped LSU’s comeback from a three-run deficit in the final two innings and gave the Tigers their fifth national title in 10 years. LSU is tied with Arizona State for second place on the all-time list, seven behind USC.

LSU (52-17) won 13 consecutive games in the postseason, sweeping through the Southeastern Conference tournament, a regional and super-regional at Baton Rouge, La., and the World Series.

The Tigers erased a 5-2 deficit against Stanford to keep their perfect record in College World Series championship games.

“This team was as close and courageous as any I have had in 42 years of coaching,” said Skip Bertman, who has been at LSU for 17 seasons and also won titles in 1991, ‘93, ’96 and ’97.

Stanford (50-16) lost in its first appearance in the championship game since 1988, when it won the second of its consecutive titles.

The Cardinal had a three-run lead in the sixth, but could not hold off the charge of a team buoyed by thousands of cheering LSU fans.

“We didn’t give it to them, they took it,” Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said. “We had some opportunities to add to our lead and didn’t take advantage of them.”

Stanford had 13 hits but stranded 11 runners, 10 in the first six innings.

Still, with three juniors who were among the first 50 players selected in this month’s major league draft and five senior position players, the Cardinal was in control for most of the game after overcoming an early 2-0 deficit.

LSU scored twice in the second inning against Cardinal right-hander Jason Young, the Colorado Rockies’ second-round draft pick.

Wally Pontiff hit a double to start the inning and scored on Cedrick Harris’ single to right. Jeremy Witten followed with a single and Ray Wright advanced the runners with a sacrifice before Ryan Theriot’s groundout scored Harris.

LSU starter Brian Tallet, however, gave up a grand slam to Craig Thompson in the fourth, and the Cardinal added another run in the sixth when John Gall singled against Trey Hodges (5-2) to score Damien Alvarado.

The 5-2 lead looked secure, especially after Wayne replaced Young to start the fifth and demonstrated the ability that made the junior right-hander the fifth overall pick in the draft by the Montreal Expos.

Wayne (15-4) struck out two in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh.

“We were in a bad spot, with the No. 5 pick in the draft on the mound with his stuff,” LSU third baseman Blair Barbier said.

Barbier, though, solved Wayne with one out in the eighth, hitting a change-up into the left-field bleachers as the Tigers--and their fans--came alive.

Wayne walked Pontiff, then got Harris to fly out to right before surrendering a two-run homer to left by Witten that tied the score at 5-5.

Stanford could not answer in the top of the ninth as Hodges struck out Joe Borchard--the Chicago White Sox’ first-round draft pick--and retired Chris O’Riordan and Andy Topham on fly outs.

LSU’s Ryan Theriot did not give Wayne time to reestablish himself in the bottom half of the inning, hitting Wayne’s first pitch to left for a single. Mike Fontenot drew a walk, bringing up Cresse, who had struck out twice against Wayne on six consecutive sliders.

Wayne, not surprisingly, started Cresse with a slider for a strike.

“I just couldn’t read it out of his hand,” Cresse said. “I knew what I was going to get. I knew it was coming again. I thought, ‘I’m not going to miss this one.’ ”

He didn’t.

Cresse hit a shot through the left side of the infield, and Theriot easily beat Topham’s throw to the plate, setting off a wild celebration.

Of the barrage of sliders, Wayne said: “He didn’t seem to have a good idea of what was going on with it. All of a sudden he does. He did a great job.”

Cresse, a fifth-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, will soon start his pro career.

But he will never forget his final college at-bat:

“It was a dream come true.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Multiple Winners

Most College World Series titles:

USC 12 (1948, ‘58, ‘61,

‘63, ‘68, ‘70-’74, ‘78, ‘98)

Arizona St. 5 (1965, ‘67, ‘69, ‘77, ‘81)

LSU 5 (1991, ‘93, ‘96, ‘97, ‘00)

Texas 4 (1949, ‘50, ‘75, ‘83)

Arizona 3 (1976, ‘80, ‘86)

Cal State Fullerton 3 (1979, ‘84, ‘95)

Miami 3 (1982, ‘85, ‘99)

Minnesota 3 (1956, ‘60, ‘64)

California 2 (1947, ‘57)

Michigan 2 (1953, ‘62)

Oklahoma 2 (1951, ‘94)

Stanford 2 (1987, ‘88)

Tiger Triumphs

LSU’s College World Series titles:

1991 defeated Wichita State, 6-3

1993 defeated Wichita State, 8-0

1996 defeated Miami, 9-8

1997 defeated Alabama, 13-6

2000 defeated Stanford, 6-5