Cal State Fullerton, Arizona State, Fresno State, California and Wichita State Monday advanced to the College World Series with victories in their NCAA Regional finals.
Mike Ross hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Cal State Fullerton to a 6-3 victory over Texas A&M in the championship game of the NCAA South Regional.
The triumph, at Starkville, Miss., improves Cal State Fullerton to 41-16 and gives the Titans a berth in the World Series that begins June 3 at Omaha, Neb. Texas A&M wound up its season 52-15.
'Any time you have guys like Mike Ross or Keith Kaub up with men on base, you have a chance of scoring,' Titans Coach Larry Cochell said. 'We have a bunch of great kids who have done everything we've asked them to this year.'
At Tempe, Ariz., Tim Spehr hit his third home run of the night in the fourth inning to break a 3-3 tie and lead Arizona State to a 10-5 victory over Pepperdine.
The Sun Devils, 56-11, won the West 2 Regional by beating the Waves, 37-24-1, twice Monday night.
Spehr, the tournament's most valuable player, had two homers in the opening game as ASU forced a second contest with an 11-4 victory over Pepperdine.
At Fresno, Calif., Steve Pearse, Steve Vondran and Jeff Mott hit consecutive homers during a six-run sixth to help left Fresno State to a 14-3 rout of Southern California in the West I Regional to give the Bulldogs their first berth in the College World Series since 1959.
Fresno State, 56-10, qualified for the final by beating the previously unbeaten Trojans, 17-12, in the evening's first game behind Mike Burton's two homers and five RBI.
The night's first game produced 38 hits and nine homers.
At Austin, Texas, Brad DeJardin hit two doubles and scored California's final run as the Bears defeated Texas 6-5 Monday night in the Southwest Regional and advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1980.
California, 40-23, survived a furious ninth-inning Texas rally to knock off the Longhorns, who finished 58-11-1.
Earlier Monday, Craig Newkirk hit a solo homer in the eighth inning to power Texas to a 5-4 victory over Michigan, sending the host Longhorns into the final.
At Stillwater, Okla., Wichita State beat Oklahoma State 15-5 to capture the Midwest Regional.
At New Britain, Conn., national champion Stanford downed previously unbeaten Kentucky 6-5 to reached the finals of an NCAA regional baseball tournament for the eighth consecutive year.
The Cardinal, which won the College World Series last year, will meet the Wildcats again Tuesday for the East Regional title and a trip to Omaha.
The Cardinal's Frank Carey stole three bases, scored twice and knocked in the game-winner with a two-out single.
Kentucky had eliminated Clemson earlier in the day, 8-7. Division II At Montgomery, Ala., Florida Southern's Billy Miller and Dino Ebel knocked in two runs apiece and James Hurst pitched a five-hitter to beat Cal State-Sacramento 9-2 in the NCAA Division II World Series.
The Mocassins scored five runs in the fifth and two in the seventh while allowing only two late-game RBI by Cal State.
But Cal State rebounded in the loser's bracket game Monday night when Gary Brown hit a solo homer in the first inning and collected a pair of RBI singles to lead his team to an 8-2 win over Lewis, which was eliminated from the championships.
Brad Stoltenberg, now 11-2, went the distance for Cal State-Sacramento, which faces Florida Southern again in the championship series.
Mike Ripplinger hit a two-run homer to ignite a five-run seventh inning for Cal State. Lewis pitcher Roger Popplewell fell to 4-3. NAIA At Lewiston, Idaho, Grand Canyon College, posted a 10-4 second-round triumph over Central Washingon in the NAIA World Series.
Grand Canyon, 46-18, will play Oklahoma City University Tuesday afternoon. Oklahoma City beat Cumberland, Tenn., in the first round before receiving a second-round bye.
Central Washington, 29-21, will play Georgetown College, Ky., Tuesday.
Grand Canyon pitcher Brett Marriman, 11-1, gave up eight singles, struck out four and walked five in a complete game.
