Baseball Beats Bruins, Walsh Wins Award

When last we saw the Harvard baseball team, just as finals were commencing in May, it was on its way to Oklahoma to play in the six-team, double-elimination Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament. A victory in the regional tournament would have earned the Crimson one of eight sports in the College World Series.

Harvard (34-16, 18-2 Ivy) shocked the nation by upsetting No. 4-ranked UCLA in the first round of the Regional by a 7-2 margin. The Crimson rode the strong pitching of Frank Hogan'97, who scattered six hits over eight-plus innings for his eighth victory of the season.

The Crimson continued its dream run through the Regional the following afternoon when it topped Stetson 8-6. At 2-0, Harvard was just two victories away from a ticket to Omaha, but host Oklahoma state stood in its way.

The Cowboys jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, then put the game away with three in the eighth. A late Harvard rally made the score a deceptively close 10-7.

UCLA, which eventually won the region, avenged its earlier loss with a 14-9 win that night, bouncing Harvard from the tournament. The Crimson finished with its first Ivy title since 1985 and its first 30-win season since 1973.

The team's remarkable achievements were rewarded during the off-season as Joe Walsh, Harvard's second-year coach, was named the Northeast Region Division I Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.