Stony Brook Beats LSU to Advance to the College World Series

The little school — only playing Division I baseball since 2000 — from Long Island traveling to meet the six-time national champion program from the SEC. An easy prediction, right? Not this time, as the slipper fit perfectly for the Stony Brook Seawolves in topping powerhouse LSU. Matt Senk’s club took out the heavily-favored Tigers in the super regionals and will now advance to the College World Series in Omaha. Stony Brook’s attendance was 5,800 for the year, while LSU averages over 10,000 per game. However, the Seawolves were unaffected by the massive crowd in Baton Rouge and took two of three from the Tigers.

The signs have been there all season that Stony Brook had a special team, but no one was expecting the America East champions to flourish against SEC and ACC foes. The Seawolves finished the regular season at 52-13, with all nine regulars batting above .296. The team average for the year was a staggering .335, while the pitching staff’s ERA was an impressive 2.99. Leadoff hitter Travis Jankowski was the 44th overall pick by the Padres in the MLB Draft after hitting .422 with 36 steals. Third baseman Willie Carmona, a Phillies draftee, supplied the power with 12 home runs and 72 RBIS. Ace Tyler Johnson, an Oakland A’s pick, led the squad with a 12-1 record and a 1.94 ERA.

After winning three straight elimination games in the Miami regional, Stony Brook lost a painful Game 1 to LSU after repeatedly giving up late leads. But the Seawolves pitching would stifle the Tigers bats in Games 2 and 3, and now Senk’s club will be the talk of the town in Omaha. Stony Brook may have the goods to win the College World Series in what would be one of the better underdog stories that collegiate sports has ever seen.