June 28, 2010

Championship Series Game 2 Recap: South Carolina 2, UCLA 1 (11)

Box Score

Bradley Shines in Omaha

Roth, Price Dig Deep for Gamecocks

USC Looks Like Champion Now

CWS Scores and Game Stories

College World Series Capsules

Espy Forced to Exit Early after Punching Bench

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

(Photos by Craig Jackson)

UCLA first baseman Dean Espy committed an error in the bottom of the eighth which allowed South Carolina to tie the game at 1-1. He was so angry that at the end of the inning, he fired his glove down and he punched the bench. He injured his hand and was forced to leave the game.

“Espy got upset and hit his hand,” UCLA head coach John Savage said. “The doctor was in the dugout, and we had to take him out, a very unfortunate thing.”

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2010 College World Series All-Tournament Team

C – Bryan Holaday, TCU

1B – Christian Walker, South Carolina

2B – Cody Regis, UCLA

3B – John Hinson, Clemson

SS – Taylor Featherston, TCU

OF – Jackie Bradley Jr., South Carolina

OF – Beau Amaral, UCLA

OF – Evan Marzilli, South Carolina

DH – Brady Thomas, South Carolina

P – Matt Purke, TCU

P – Trevor Bauer, UCLA

Most Outstanding Player – Jackie Bradley Jr., South Carolina

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The crowd of 24,390 was the largest of this year’s College World Series. The total attendance of 330,922 ranks second all-time, trailing the 336,076 in 2009.

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South Carolina gave the SEC its second consecutive national title and eighth overall. LSU took the crown a year ago against Texas. The Tigers also won in 1991, 93, 96, 97 and 2000. South Carolina is the third SEC program to win the championship. Along with LSU, Georgia won the title in 1990.

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South Carolina is the third team in CWS history to win six games in a single College World Series, joining Holy Cross in 1952 and Oregon State in 2006.

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The Gamecocks are the 24th different team to win at least one baseball title and are the fourth first-time winner since 2003 (Rice, 2003; Oregon State, 2006, Fresno State, 2008).

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Before the second game of the CWS Championship Series, UCLA was 44-0 when leading after seven innings.

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Prior to the game, Reese’s Candy Company made a donation of $10,000 to Boys Town for home runs hit during the College World Series. Their mascot for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups was in attendance as well. Following the presentation, the South Carolina players called him over to their dugout. Christian Walker greeted him with a huge hug.

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South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner heard from many coaches prior to the championship series.

“I had so many colleagues,” Tanner said, “coaches in our conference and coaches I played against, sending texts and emails wishing us well. It’s very sincere and genuine.”

Some former assistants said Sunday were there in spirit with the Gamecocks.

Stuart Lake, former USC assistant under Tanner and current head coach at Charleston Southern, said he would not come out to the College World Series unless he was bringing his team to compete.

Liberty head coach Jim Toman, another Tanner disciple, said he was not coming to Omaha because he did not want to jinx the Gamecocks.

by Sean Ryan