Baseball Upsets UCLA in First Round

The date May 22, 1997 will almost certainly go down in Harvard baseball history. On that date, yesterday, the Harvard baseball team stunned No. 4-ranked UCLA in the opening round of the NCAA Mid-west Regional Tournament in Still-water, Oklahoma.

Although this is Harvard's first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1984, the Crimson did have history on its side, having won all but one of its previous nine first-round games.

Behind a phenomenal game by senior Frank Hogan, the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, the Crimson, seeded sixth in the six-team field, beat the top-seeded Bruins 7-2. Hogan gave up just six hits in eight plus innings of work, allowing only singles and striking out four Bruins.

The win earns Harvard a matchup with Stetson this afternoon. Stetson, the fourth seed, fell to host Oklahoma State to last night. The winner of the double-elimination tournament earns a trip to Omaha for the College World Series.

Although UCLA (40-19-1) staked out an early 2-0 lead in the third, Harvard (33-14) struck back in the fifth, stringing together five straight singles to put three runs on the board. The Crimson added four more in the sixth and Hogan and reliever Donald Jamieson--who pitched out of a jam in the ninth--held the Bruins scoreless the rest of the way.

"We came down here for the 'W' and we got it," said second-year head coach Joe Walsh. "We've been playing well all season and we knew if we played our style of baseball, we could win some games down here."

In just two years, Walsh--who was named the New England Divsion I Coach of the Year Wednesday--and his staff have taken the Crimson from the Ivy League cellar to an NCAA tournament victory.

This is not the first time Hogan has beaten a nationally ranked team. Earlier this season he defeated the Miami, currently No. 3, during the team's spring break tour of the south.

"I felt pretty good," Hogan said. "I felt pretty confident on the mound."

As has become the norm with Harvard baseball, the team spread the wealth on offense. The Crimson banged out 12 hits, as each of the starters reached base, and three players had multiple-RBI games.

The game started off well for both pitchers, as neither team could muster a run in the first two innings. But UCLA third baseman Brett Nista opened the bottom of the third with a single to left. After the next batter was walked, Hogan threw the ball away in a botched pick-off attempt.

The next batter, catcher Jason Green, knocked in both baserunners with a single to left for a 2-0 UCLA lead. After the single, Hogan settled down and got out of the inning with a ground out and a 5-4-3 double play.

The Crimson came roaring back in the fifth. Three straight singles by sophomore Peter Woodfork, junior David Forst and sophomore Todd Harris loaded the bases. Then junior left fielder Aaron Kessler stroked a line drive to right, scoring both Woodfork and Forst and sending Harris to second.

However, the seemingly endless barrage of singles was not over. Sophomore second baseman Hal Carey continued the hit parade with the fifth single of the inning to left field. The hit scored scored Harris and broke the 2-2 tie.

Three runs were all Harvard would get in the inning, but at that point the Crimson hitters knew they could hit the top-seeded team in the region.

Harvard pummelled UCLA for four more runs in the fifth. Team captain Peter Albers started off the inning with a single to left. He subsequently stole second and reached third on a passed ball.

After sophomore Andrew Huling walked to put runners at the corners, UCLA coach Gary Adams pulled starting pitcher Tom Jacquez for reliever pitcher Dan Keller.

Keller would fare no better. First Huling stole second. Then, with runners at second and third, sophomore Jason Keck lined a single to center field to score both Huling and Albers.

Increasing the damage, Peter Woodfork singled to left and Forst grounded out to third, advancing both Woodfork and Keck.

After pinch hitter Brett Vankoski walked to load the bases, Keller, noticeably shaky, hit Kessler with the pitch to score Keck. On the next play, Carey hit into a fielders choice, scoring Woodfork and capping a four-run inning for the Crimson.

With Harvard up 7-2, Hogan had all the cushin he needed to sail through the next three innings against UCLA's lefty-dominated lineup. Hogan allowed no runs from the fourth inning through the eighth.

"I was able to hit my spots, change speeds, and keep them off-balance pretty well [yesterday]," Hogan said. "We were thrilled to be here after a terrific season but we also felt that we were capable of even more."

In the bottom of the ninth, Hogan ran into a little trouble, but with two on and no outs, Jamieson forced all three batters he faced to fly-out.

"It was a perfect match-up." Hogan said.

If you are a Crimson fan, it certainly was.

HARVARD, 7-2 at Stillwater, OK          R  H  EUCLA  000  034  000  --  7  12  1Harvard  002  000  000  --  2  6  2UCLA  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOHeinrichs, Jon If  4  0  0  0  1  0Byrnes, Eric rf  3  0  0  0  0  0Glaus, Troy ss  2  0  1  0  2  0Valent, Eric cf  4  0  0  0  0  0Zamora, Peter 1b  4  0  0  0  0  1Theodorou, Nick 2b  4  0  1  0  0  2Nista, Brett 3b  4  1  2  0  0  1Matoian, Chad dh  3  1  1  0  1  0Green, Jason, c  2  0  1  2  0  0Santora, Jack ph  1  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  31  2  6  2  4  

The game started off well for both pitchers, as neither team could muster a run in the first two innings. But UCLA third baseman Brett Nista opened the bottom of the third with a single to left. After the next batter was walked, Hogan threw the ball away in a botched pick-off attempt.

The next batter, catcher Jason Green, knocked in both baserunners with a single to left for a 2-0 UCLA lead. After the single, Hogan settled down and got out of the inning with a ground out and a 5-4-3 double play.

The Crimson came roaring back in the fifth. Three straight singles by sophomore Peter Woodfork, junior David Forst and sophomore Todd Harris loaded the bases. Then junior left fielder Aaron Kessler stroked a line drive to right, scoring both Woodfork and Forst and sending Harris to second.

However, the seemingly endless barrage of singles was not over. Sophomore second baseman Hal Carey continued the hit parade with the fifth single of the inning to left field. The hit scored scored Harris and broke the 2-2 tie.

Three runs were all Harvard would get in the inning, but at that point the Crimson hitters knew they could hit the top-seeded team in the region.

Harvard pummelled UCLA for four more runs in the fifth. Team captain Peter Albers started off the inning with a single to left. He subsequently stole second and reached third on a passed ball.

After sophomore Andrew Huling walked to put runners at the corners, UCLA coach Gary Adams pulled starting pitcher Tom Jacquez for reliever pitcher Dan Keller.

Keller would fare no better. First Huling stole second. Then, with runners at second and third, sophomore Jason Keck lined a single to center field to score both Huling and Albers.

Increasing the damage, Peter Woodfork singled to left and Forst grounded out to third, advancing both Woodfork and Keck.

After pinch hitter Brett Vankoski walked to load the bases, Keller, noticeably shaky, hit Kessler with the pitch to score Keck. On the next play, Carey hit into a fielders choice, scoring Woodfork and capping a four-run inning for the Crimson.

With Harvard up 7-2, Hogan had all the cushin he needed to sail through the next three innings against UCLA's lefty-dominated lineup. Hogan allowed no runs from the fourth inning through the eighth.

"I was able to hit my spots, change speeds, and keep them off-balance pretty well [yesterday]," Hogan said. "We were thrilled to be here after a terrific season but we also felt that we were capable of even more."

In the bottom of the ninth, Hogan ran into a little trouble, but with two on and no outs, Jamieson forced all three batters he faced to fly-out.

"It was a perfect match-up." Hogan said.

If you are a Crimson fan, it certainly was.

HARVARD, 7-2 at Stillwater, OK          R  H  EUCLA  000  034  000  --  7  12  1Harvard  002  000  000  --  2  6  2UCLA  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOHeinrichs, Jon If  4  0  0  0  1  0Byrnes, Eric rf  3  0  0  0  0  0Glaus, Troy ss  2  0  1  0  2  0Valent, Eric cf  4  0  0  0  0  0Zamora, Peter 1b  4  0  0  0  0  1Theodorou, Nick 2b  4  0  1  0  0  2Nista, Brett 3b  4  1  2  0  0  1Matoian, Chad dh  3  1  1  0  1  0Green, Jason, c  2  0  1  2  0  0Santora, Jack ph  1  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  31  2  6  2  4