UC Irvine beats Oklahoma State, 1-0, to reach College World Series

Andrew Morales pitched a five-hit shutout to lead UC Irvine to a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday night that clinched the super regional series and sent the Anteaters to the College World Series.

UC Irvine (40-23) advanced to Omaha for first time since 2007 and just the second time overall since becoming a Division I program in 2002.

The two-game sweep continues an unlikely run for the Anteaters, who entered the Corvallis, Ore., regional last week as the No. 3 seed on a six-game losing streak. But they upset national No. 1 seed Oregon State to advance.

The Anteaters scored the game’s only run in the first inning on Jonathan Munoz’s RBI double.

It was a disappointing ending for Oklahoma State (48-18), which was hosting a super regional for the first time and seeking its first trip to the College World Series since 1999.