Georgia Grabs Last Spot in World Series

Brandon Moorhead and Bill Sharpton combined on a four-hitter Monday to lead Georgia to an 8-3 victory over Florida State at Athens, Ga., and the final berth in the College World Series.

Georgia (47-20) won the best-of-three super regional, 2-1, rebounding from an 11-6 loss earlier Monday in the completion of a game suspended Sunday because of thunderstorms.

Florida State (47-19) was denied its fourth consecutive trip to the World Series.

The Bulldogs earned their first appearance to Omaha since 1990, when they captured their only national title.

In the deciding game, Georgia led, 4-2, in the fifth inning when Jody Pollock, the No. 9 hitter, drove in three runs with a bases loaded double. Pollock homered in Game 2 and drove in six runs in the series.

Florida baseball coach Andy Lopez was fired after a 35-27 season, his seventh year with the Gators.

Lopez led the Gators to the College World Series in 1996 and 1998, capturing the Southeastern Conference championship those years. He had a 278-159-1 record at Florida

He was named Collegiate Baseball Coach of the Year in 1996 and led the Gators to the NCAA regionals five times, including this season.

“After evaluating the team’s performance, I honestly felt a change in leadership was necessary,” Athletic Director Jeremy Foley said.

Lopez came to Florida from Pepperdine, where he won the College World Series in 1992. He also coached Cal State Dominguez Hills for six years and has a career record of of 687-418-6.