All Hail! Hail! Wichita U.

With a final, amazing record of 122-40, the 1982 Wichita Shockers have laid a convincing claim to the mantle of the greatest college baseball team in history.  They may have lost to Miami in the 1982 CWS final, but over the course of a long season, this simulation suggests the Shockers probably would have cleaned the Hurricanes' clock.  None of these other great college squads even came close to contending.  The 1989 Texas A&M Aggies, perhaps a dark horse entry because of their lack of a CWS pedigree, won 100 games against the best competition in college baseball, but even they finished 22 games back.

So in wrapping up the season, let's consider individual honors.

Most Valuable Player

League MVP has to go to Shocker 1b Phil Stephenson, among the league leaders in nearly every category, and leading the circuit in RBI in OBP and RBI.  Perhaps this is some small redemption for Stephenson, the victim of Miami's "Grand Illusion" play, as his performance and that of the squad he led was no illusion.  Also deserving mention for MVP votes was A&M 3B John Byington, who led the league in hitting, and OSU's Pete Incaviglia, the pacesetter in homers and slugging percentage who also was among the leaders in a number of other categories.

 

Cy Young Award

The league Cy Young award is a bit more difficult to determine, but Arizona State's Gary Gentry gets the nod.  Gentry's 28 wins topped the league and his 1.91 ERA was the best among frontline starters.   He was a workhorse for the Sun Devils with 399 innings and he led the league in complete games with 38.  Others deserve mention as well--Oelkers for WSU, Schiraldi and Clemens for Texas, and Jeff Brantley pitched very well for a struggling Mississippi State team.  But Gentry's consistent ability to win despite limited run support from an underpowered ASU offense makes one wonder what he might have done pitching for OSU or LSU.


 

Fireman of the Year

The Fireman of the Year award goes narrowly to Greg LaFever (3-2, 2.09) of the Shockers, whose 40 saves narrowly bested the 39 posted by Kirk Killingsworth of Texas, Miami's George Huguet, and Scott Centala of the Aggies.  In a league where pitching dominated and games were often low-scoring affairs, the closer played a particularly important role and LaFever's contributions to the Shockers run should not be overlooked.

So there you have it--one attempt to determine what team was the greatest in college baseball history.   And, unexpectedly (at least for this writer)...it wasn't even close.
 

College Greats League Final Standings
Year      Team                     W    L    PCT   GB   L10  STRK 
1982      Wichita State Shockers   122  40   .753  -    6-4  W4   
1989      Texas A&M Aggies         100  62   .617  22.0 4-6  W1   
1983      Texas Longhorns          87   75   .537  35.0 6-4  W1   
1967      Arizona State Sun Devils 79   83   .488  43.0 5-5  L5   
2001      Miami Hurricanes         76   86   .469  46.0 3-7  L3   
1997      LSU Tigers               75   87   .463  47.0 6-4  L2   
1995      Cal State Fullerton      73   89   .451  49.0 5-5  W1   
1971      USC Trojans              69   93   .426  53.0 7-3  L1   
1985      Miss State Bulldogs      67   95   .414  55.0 4-6  W1   
1985      Oklahoma State Cowboys   62   100  .383  60.0 3-7  W2   

College Greats League Leaders in Batting

**AVE**
Last           First     Team                     AVE  
Byington       John      Texas A&M Aggies         .321 
Thompson       Kirk      Texas A&M Aggies         .314 
Hibbs          Loren     Wichita State Shockers   .309 
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   .301 
Dascenzo       Doug      Oklahoma State Cowboys   .295 
Kotsay         Mark      Cal State Fullerton      .288 
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      .286 
Loyd           Brian     Cal State Fullerton      .280 
Morman         Russ      Wichita State Shockers   .277 
Miranda        Tony      Cal State Fullerton      .273 

**OBP**
Last           First     Team                     OBP  
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   .426 
Dascenzo       Doug      Oklahoma State Cowboys   .407 
Day            Mike      Oklahoma State Cowboys   .404 
Hibbs          Loren     Wichita State Shockers   .403 
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      .400 
Byington       John      Texas A&M Aggies         .398 
Thompson       Kirk      Texas A&M Aggies         .394 
Incaviglia     Pete      Oklahoma State Cowboys   .379 
Spring         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   .373 
Lucas          Dave      Wichita State Shockers   .368 

**SLG**
Last           First     Team                     SLG  
Incaviglia     Pete      Oklahoma State Cowboys   .567 
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      .540 
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   .508 
Byington       John      Texas A&M Aggies         .504 
Morman         Russ      Wichita State Shockers   .499 
O'Brien        Charlie   Wichita State Shockers   .447 
Taylor         Terry     Texas A&M Aggies         .427 
Kotsay         Mark      Cal State Fullerton      .426 
Hibbs          Loren     Wichita State Shockers   .422 
Thomas         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   .420 

**HR**
Last           First     Team                     HR  
Incaviglia     Pete      Oklahoma State Cowboys   49  
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      35  
Larson         Brandon   LSU Tigers               33  
Morman         Russ      Wichita State Shockers   33  
O'Brien        Charlie   Wichita State Shockers   27  
Brown          Kevin     Miami Hurricanes         25  
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   25  
Koerner        Mike      LSU Tigers               23  
Taylor         Terry     Texas A&M Aggies         22  
Albright       Eric      Texas A&M Aggies         22  

**RBI**
Last           First     Team                     RBI 
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   143 
Incaviglia     Pete      Oklahoma State Cowboys   142 
Byington       John      Texas A&M Aggies         140 
Morman         Russ      Wichita State Shockers   139 
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      124 
O'Brien        Charlie   Wichita State Shockers   122 
Thomas         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   113 
Albright       Eric      Texas A&M Aggies         101 
Hearron        Jeff      Texas Longhorns          98  
Smith          Billy     Oklahoma State Cowboys   96  

**BB**
Last           First     Team                     BB  
Day            Mike      Oklahoma State Cowboys   175 
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   133 
Dascenzo       Doug      Oklahoma State Cowboys   122 
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      115 
Incaviglia     Pete      Oklahoma State Cowboys   113 
Bates          Billy     Texas Longhorns          113 
Reid           Scott     Arizona State Sun Devils 113 
Brumley        Mike      Texas Longhorns          107 
Hibbs          Loren     Wichita State Shockers   107 
Brown          Kevin     Miami Hurricanes         104 

**H**
Last           First     Team                     H   
Thompson       Kirk      Texas A&M Aggies         215 
Hibbs          Loren     Wichita State Shockers   209 
Byington       John      Texas A&M Aggies         206 
Miranda        Tony      Cal State Fullerton      195 
Dascenzo       Doug      Oklahoma State Cowboys   191 
Thomas         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   191 
Kotsay         Mark      Cal State Fullerton      186 
Ambrow         George    USC Trojans              183 
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   183 
Morman         Russ      Wichita State Shockers   181 

**2B**
Last           First     Team                     2B  
Rodriguez      Mike      Miami Hurricanes         46  
Miranda        Tony      Cal State Fullerton      45  
Fraser         Joe       Cal State Fullerton      45  
Furniss        Eddy      LSU Tigers               45  
Byington       John      Texas A&M Aggies         45  
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   43  
O'Brien        Charlie   Wichita State Shockers   43  
Olsen          DC        Cal State Fullerton      42  
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      40  
Kotsay         Mark      Cal State Fullerton      40  

**3B**
Last           First     Team                     3B  
Thomas         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   27  
Nelson         Fred      Arizona State Sun Devils 14  
Thompson       Kirk      Texas A&M Aggies         14  
Morman         Russ      Wichita State Shockers   13  
Ankrum         CJ        Cal State Fullerton      12  
Hearron        Jeff      Texas Longhorns          12  
Labay          Steve     Texas Longhorns          12  
Neumann        Jim       Texas A&M Aggies         12  
Ambrow         George    USC Trojans              11  
Brumley        Mike      Texas Longhorns          11  

**R**
Last           First     Team                     R   
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   132 
Hibbs          Loren     Wichita State Shockers   130 
Morman         Russ      Wichita State Shockers   123 
Thomas         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   120 
Dascenzo       Doug      Oklahoma State Cowboys   116 
Thompson       Kirk      Texas A&M Aggies         110 
Taylor         Terry     Texas A&M Aggies         110 
Incaviglia     Pete      Oklahoma State Cowboys   109 
Miranda        Tony      Cal State Fullerton      108 
Knoblauch      Chuck     Texas A&M Aggies         105 

**SO**
Last           First     Team                     SO  
Jimerson       Charlton  Miami Hurricanes         325 
Brown          Kevin     Miami Hurricanes         301 
Grangaard      Dave      Arizona State Sun Devils 291 
Bernhardt      Tom       LSU Tigers               243 
Earnhart       Clint     LSU Tigers               232 
Taylor         Terry     Texas A&M Aggies         210 
Albright       Eric      Texas A&M Aggies         209 
Larson         Brandon   LSU Tigers               205 
Furniss        Eddy      LSU Tigers               200 
Higgins        Danny     LSU Tigers               200 

**SB**
Last           First     Team                     SB  
Hibbs          Loren     Wichita State Shockers   135 
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   130 
Rodriguez      Mike      Miami Hurricanes         110 
Thomas         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   99  
Dascenzo       Doug      Oklahoma State Cowboys   97  
Jimerson       Charlton  Miami Hurricanes         92  
Rodriguez      Javy      Miami Hurricanes         85  
Thompson       Kirk      Texas A&M Aggies         71  
Smith          Billy     Oklahoma State Cowboys   65  
Espinal        Sergio    Oklahoma State Cowboys   62  

**E**
Last           First     Team                     E   
Davis          Frank     Miss State Bulldogs      64  
Carpenter      Ralph     Arizona State Sun Devils 57  
Incaviglia     Pete      Oklahoma State Cowboys   54  
Fowler         Kevin     Oklahoma State Cowboys   54  
Scott          John      Miss State Bulldogs      51  
Espinal        Sergio    Oklahoma State Cowboys   49  
Denny          David     Texas Longhorns          49  
Lind           Jack      Arizona State Sun Devils 48  
Bernhardt      Tom       LSU Tigers               47  
Spring         Jim       Wichita State Shockers   46  

**Max Hit Streak**
Last           First     Team                     STRK
VanCleve       Dan       Miss State Bulldogs      21  
Thompson       Kirk      Texas A&M Aggies         21  
Knoblauch      Chuck     Texas A&M Aggies         17  
Ambrow         George    USC Trojans              16  
Hearron        Jeff      Texas Longhorns          16  
Whisler        Randy     Oklahoma State Cowboys   15  
Day            Mike      Oklahoma State Cowboys   15  
Tolentino      Jose      Texas Longhorns          15  
Clark          Will      Miss State Bulldogs      14  
Stephenson     Phil      Wichita State Shockers   14  

College Greats League Leaders in Pitching

**ERA**
Last           First     Team                     ERA  
Coffin         Tim       USC Trojans              1.35 
Sheffield      Chris     Miami Hurricanes         1.84 
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 1.91 
Busby          Steve     USC Trojans              2.03 
Raich          Eric      USC Trojans              2.03 
Brantley       Jeff      Miss State Bulldogs      2.06 
Pentland       Jeff      Arizona State Sun Devils 2.34 
Clemens        Roger     Texas Longhorns          2.35 
Sonberg        Erik      Wichita State Shockers   2.37 
Gura           Larry     Arizona State Sun Devils 2.38 

**SO/9**
Last           First     Team                     SO/9 
Coffin         Tim       USC Trojans              14.2 
Sheffield      Chris     Miami Hurricanes         12.8 
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 11.0 
Burgess        Tom       Arizona State Sun Devils 10.7 
Thompson       Doug      LSU Tigers               10.6 
Pentland       Jeff      Arizona State Sun Devils 10.3 
Oelkers        Bryan     Wichita State Shockers   9.6  
Sonberg        Erik      Wichita State Shockers   9.1  
Widman         Greg      USC Trojans              8.8  
Coogan         Patrick   LSU Tigers               8.7  

**BB/9**
Last           First     Team                     BB/9 
Clemens        Roger     Texas Longhorns          1.1  
Silva          Ted       Cal State Fullerton      1.4  
Sogge          Mark      USC Trojans              1.7  
Farmer         Tom       Miami Hurricanes         2.2  
Brantley       Jeff      Miss State Bulldogs      2.3  
Sweet          Pat       Texas A&M Aggies         2.4  
Pentland       Jeff      Arizona State Sun Devils 2.4  
McRaney        Will      Miss State Bulldogs      2.6  
Bengochea      Kiki      Miami Hurricanes         2.6  
Schiraldi      Calvin    Texas Longhorns          2.6  

**H/9**
Last           First     Team                     H/9  
Coffin         Tim       USC Trojans              4.5  
Oelkers        Bryan     Wichita State Shockers   5.6  
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 5.9  
Sheffield      Chris     Miami Hurricanes         6.1  
Capel          Mike      Texas Longhorns          6.5  
Sonberg        Erik      Wichita State Shockers   6.5  
Widman         Greg      USC Trojans              6.7  
Burgess        Tom       Arizona State Sun Devils 6.8  
Heinkel        Don       Wichita State Shockers   6.9  
Giordanella    Joe       Oklahoma State Cowboys   6.9  

**BB/SO**
Last           First     Team                     BB/SO
Clemens        Roger     Texas Longhorns          0.1  
Silva          Ted       Cal State Fullerton      0.2  
Pentland       Jeff      Arizona State Sun Devils 0.2  
Sheffield      Chris     Miami Hurricanes         0.3  
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 0.3  
Brantley       Jeff      Miss State Bulldogs      0.3  
Thompson       Doug      LSU Tigers               0.3  
Coffin         Tim       USC Trojans              0.3  
Coogan         Patrick   LSU Tigers               0.3  
Sogge          Mark      USC Trojans              0.3  

**W**
Last           First     Team                     W   
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 28  
Schiraldi      Calvin    Texas Longhorns          26  
Capel          Mike      Texas Longhorns          25  
Oelkers        Bryan     Wichita State Shockers   24  
Brown          Stan      Wichita State Shockers   24  
Clemens        Roger     Texas Longhorns          23  
Brantley       Jeff      Miss State Bulldogs      22  
Sonberg        Erik      Wichita State Shockers   22  
Langston       Keith     Texas A&M Aggies         20  
Morgan         Gene      Miss State Bulldogs      19  

**SV**
Last           First     Team                     SV  
LaFever        Greg      Wichita State Shockers   40  
Killingsworth  Kirk      Texas Longhorns          39  
Huguet         George    Miami Hurricanes         39  
Centala        Scott     Texas A&M Aggies         39  
Demouy         Chris     LSU Tigers               30  
George         Jim       USC Trojans              29  
Dillon         Tom       Cal State Fullerton      27  
Dillard        Gordie    Oklahoma State Cowboys   24  
Hild           Scott     Cal State Fullerton      11  
Freudenberg    Kerry     Texas A&M Aggies         11  

**IP**
Last           First     Team                     IP   
Schiraldi      Calvin    Texas Longhorns          429.1
Clemens        Roger     Texas Longhorns          425.2
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 399.2
Capel          Mike      Texas Longhorns          395.2
Brantley       Jeff      Miss State Bulldogs      380.2
Morgan         Gene      Miss State Bulldogs      359.1
Pentland       Jeff      Arizona State Sun Devils 335.0
Busby          Steve     USC Trojans              328.1
Heinkel        Don       Wichita State Shockers   313.2
Burgess        Tom       Arizona State Sun Devils 306.1

**SO**
Last           First     Team                     SO  
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 488 
Pentland       Jeff      Arizona State Sun Devils 383 
Burgess        Tom       Arizona State Sun Devils 364 
Clemens        Roger     Texas Longhorns          359 
Thompson       Doug      LSU Tigers               335 
Coffin         Tim       USC Trojans              335 
Schiraldi      Calvin    Texas Longhorns          335 
Brantley       Jeff      Miss State Bulldogs      327 
Sheffield      Chris     Miami Hurricanes         314 
Oelkers        Bryan     Wichita State Shockers   307 

**BB**
Last           First     Team                     BB  
Giordanella    Joe       Oklahoma State Cowboys   211 
Trapasso       Mike      Oklahoma State Cowboys   205 
Oelkers        Bryan     Wichita State Shockers   179 
Dixon          Tim       Cal State Fullerton      168 
Lambert        Reese     Oklahoma State Cowboys   167 
Burgess        Tom       Arizona State Sun Devils 164 
Mitchell       John      Cal State Fullerton      158 
Capel          Mike      Texas Longhorns          155 
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 139 
Widman         Greg      USC Trojans              127 

**CG**
Last           First     Team                     CG  
Gentry         Gary      Arizona State Sun Devils 38  
Pentland       Jeff      Arizona State Sun Devils 34  
Brantley       Jeff      Miss State Bulldogs      32  
Burgess        Tom       Arizona State Sun Devils 31  
Clemens        Roger     Texas Longhorns          30  
Schiraldi      Calvin    Texas Longhorns          26  
Capel          Mike      Texas Longhorns          26  
Morgan         Gene      Miss State Bulldogs      24  
Mullino        Ray       Miss State Bulldogs      17  
Busby          Steve     USC Trojans              15  

College Greats League Batting Statistics

Team                     Year AVE   AB   SO   BB   H    2B   3B   HR   R    RBI  SB   CS   SH   SF   E    
Arizona State Sun Devils 1967 .219  5601 1508 589  1225 239  63   51   541  500  206  57   37   49   204  
Cal State Fullerton      1995 .250  5663 1111 431  1416 276  47   62   607  569  189  85   43   54   101  
LSU Tigers               1997 .220  5571 1835 556  1228 245  15   159  602  565  134  50   0    27   150  
Miami Hurricanes         2001 .223  5527 1512 565  1234 232  24   88   579  525  410  110  0    49   149   
Miss State Bulldogs      1985 .211  5512 1232 619  1165 244  25   84   561  532  218  81   0    51   223    
Oklahoma State Cowboys   1985 .242  5534 1137 793  1338 234  45   126  748  698  376  77   0    74   233  
Texas A&M Aggies         1989 .262  5664 1328 686  1482 231  71   110  778  726  259  81   0    63   138   
Texas Longhorns          1983 .230  5531 1131 797  1271 229  66   34   596  553  172  64   30   53   140   
USC Trojans              1971 .221  5643 1023 517  1247 231  40   46   504  453  60   32   0    38   113   
Wichita State Shockers   1982 .272  5622 786  766  1528 260  86   110  927  861  598  127  0    80   167  -                        -    .235  55868126036319 131342421 482  870  6443 5982 2622 764  110  538  1618   

College Greats League Pitching Statistics

Team                     Year      ERA   SV   IP    CG   SO   BB   IBB  H    2B   3B   HR   R    ER   WP   HBP 
Arizona State Sun Devils 1967      3.03  5    1511.1124  1686 624  2    1311 210  53   78   626  509  25   8   
Cal State Fullerton      1995      3.88  43   1463.01    1204 717  8    1337 267  54   120  688  630  23   4   
LSU Tigers               1997      3.83  44   1473.14    1417 457  4    1479 263  50   152  725  627  21   2   
Miami Hurricanes         2001      3.28  44   1474.01    1291 514  2    1390 264  54   67   632  537  23   4   
Miss State Bulldogs      1985      3.25  9    1480.0108  1049 542  3    1425 284  47   64   657  534  22   9   
Oklahoma State Cowboys   1985      4.94  35   1432.20    1230 1048 6    1466 251  54   97   950  787  39   7   
Texas A&M Aggies         1989      3.29  56   1458.02    1064 643  6    1277 219  46   105  625  533  26   8   
Texas Longhorns          1983      2.76  48   1478.094   1060 433  0    1232 234  53   68   524  453  18   3   
USC Trojans              1971      2.61  32   1486.043   1346 630  2    1112 199  36   63   495  431  21   10  
Wichita State Shockers   1982      2.78  68   1471.06    1256 711  1    1105 230  35   56   521  454  25   6   
-                        -         3.36  384  14727.383  126036319 34   131342421 482  870  6443 5495 243  61  

Sept. 16: A League in for a Shock

There's one week left in a season that has been controlled, from start to finish, by the 1982 Wichita State Shockers.  With 116 wins, up 20+ games on the Aggies and 30+ on everyone else, the Shockers have dominated in a way that did not seem possible when assembling this season.  As The Who once asked--what makes them so good?

Who's Getting It Done:  With 116 wins, the answer has to be "just about everyone".  The WSU batters have the best team batting average, have scored the most runs, have stolen the most bases, are second in walks drawn and third in homers, and they've struck out far fewer times than any other team.  The Shockers pitching staff has allowed the fewest hits, fewest homers, second fewest runs, and has amassed more saves than the competition.  It is a team with several leaders, not just one.  Phil Stephenson is having a great year, but he doesn't lead his team in a single offensive category, aside from his 126 walks.  Loren Hibbs tops the squad in hitting (.311) and stolen bases (131); Russ Morman leads in homers (33) and RBI (138).  Charlie O'Brien has 27 homers and 120 RBI, and his 41 doubles aren't bad for a catcher; 2B Jim Thomas has shown his speed with 95 steals and 26 triples.  Along similar lines, the pitching staff has been strong across the board, with three 20-game winners.    Bryan Oelkers (23-3, 2.49) emerged as the anchor of the rotation, while Greg LaFever (3-2, 2.12, 39 SV) is perhaps the top closer in the league.

Okay, we'll build you a stadium!

Who's Not:  Seriously?  Well, let's see.  Reliever Jeff Brogan's 7.42 ERA is ugly, but with 10 saves in 13 innings it's hard to quibble too much about his performance.  WSU's #1 starter Don Heinkel (17-9, 2.58) may be feeling a bit left out as the only regular starter who probably won't win 20 games.  And the Wichita State administration is a little slow in building the Shockers a ballpark worthy of housing this team.  But it is hard to find holes on this team, and that seems to be the difference between the Shocks and the rest of these teams.  They are good--top to bottom.  They hit, they run, they shut down opposing offenses, they catch the ball--they do it all, and in most respects they do it better than the competition.  The '82 Shockers won more games than any other in college baseball history, and it's obvious to this writer that this wasn't just because they played a hell of a lot of games (although they did).  It was because, well, they were the best team in the history of college ball.  Yes, yes, they didn't win the CWS, they played in the Missouri Valley Conference, only a couple of Shockers made it to the majors, and they got derailed by the "Grand Illusion".   However, they also blasted all other teams in 1982 post-season play despite playing all games on the road as a top seed.  And, at least in this simulation, they had a magic that transcended any individual performance. 

College Greats League Standings

Year      Team                     W    L    PCT   GB   L10  STRK
1982      Wichita State Shockers   116  38   .753  -    6-4  L2  
1989      Texas A&M Aggies         96   59   .619  20.5 5-5  L3  
1983      Texas Longhorns          84   71   .542  32.5 7-3  W7  
1967      Arizona State Sun Devils 76   78   .494  40.0 5-5  W4  
2001      Miami Hurricanes         74   80   .481  42.0 3-7  L1  
1997      LSU Tigers               69   83   .454  46.0 5-5  L2  
1995      Cal State Fullerton Titan70   85   .452  46.5 6-4  W2  
1985      Miss State Bulldogs      64   90   .416  52.0 5-5  W1  
1971      USC Trojans              64   90   .416  52.0 5-5  W3  
1985      Oklahoma State Cowboys   59   98   .376  58.5 2-8  L5  

Wichita State Shockers **Team Batting Stats**
Last           First     AVE   G    AB   SO   BB   H    2B   3B   HR   R    RBI  SB   E   
Thomas         Jim       .272  154  666  99   48   181  24   26   8    115  108  95   12  
O'Brien        Charlie   .260  154  646  69   33   168  41   1    27   94   120  31   10  
Hibbs          Loren     .311  154  644  111  101  200  35   10   6    127  66   131  16  
Morman         Russ      .285  154  621  129  77   177  19   12   33   121  138  45   8   
Stephenson     Phil      .298  154  578  75   126  172  40   4    23   125  137  126  2   
Lucas          Dave      .261  154  551  44   89   144  30   10   0    66   69   34   28  
Gaskell        Tim       .263  154  528  53   52   139  17   7    2    61   55   14   18  
Spring         Jim       .252  154  508  62   93   128  14   5    5    81   66   44   45  
Penner         Kevin     .202  80   267  34   37   54   8    2    3    29   27   22   0   
Mann           Jeff      .235  64   204  63   20   48   16   5    0    28   20   4    0   
Grogan         Mark      .285  62   130  18   46   37   4    0    0    29   13   24   17  
Greishaber     Dan       .500  4    2    1    2    1    0    0    0    2    1    0    0   
-              -         .271  1870 5345 758  724  1449 248  82   107  878  820  570  159 

Wichita State Shockers **Team Pitching Stats**
Last           First     ERA   G    GS   CG   W    L    SV   IP    SO   BB   H    R    ER  
Heinkel        Don       2.58  40   40   2    17   9    0    297.0 208  110  231  94   85  
Oelkers        Bryan     2.49  37   37   3    23   3    0    270.2 295  167  173  95   75  
Sonberg        Erik      2.39  36   36   0    21   7    0    252.0 260  121  178  76   67  
Brown          Stan      3.00  80   19   0    23   9    8    216.1 140  88   185  80   72  
Howerton       Troy      4.19  102  3    0    13   5    3    129.0 123  54   121  66   60  
Schulte        Frank     2.50  12   12   0    8    1    0    82.2  70   46   58   28   23  
Greenwood      Ken       3.05  48   7    0    6    0    6    79.2  49   59   57   33   27  
LaFever        Greg      2.12  59   0    0    3    2    39   59.1  57   18   41   15   14  
Brogan         Jeff      7.42  14   0    0    2    2    10   13.1  10   15   16   11   11  
-              -         2.79  428  154  5    116  38   66   1400.01212 678  1060 498  434 

Sept. 10: Marooned in second

With two weeks left in the season, the Wichita State Shockers have clinched the title.  With 115 wins and counting, nobody has been able to mount a challenge to the Shockers for months.   Over the last week, the Texas A&M Aggies won five in a row in a desperate scramble to prevent WSU from locking away the title--but the Aggies gained no ground as the Shockers won four in a row of their own.  Even so, the Ags made an impressive run--many questioned whether this team, which is the only one of these 10 that didn't even make it to Omaha, let alone win the CWS, deserved a ticket to the dance. A&M answered that question convincingly, as they are likely to break 100 wins, a total that this writer thought would easily be sufficient to top this very talented league.   Why did this squad have so much success, when other legendary CWS winners did not?

Byington leads the league

Who's Getting It Done:  Unlike many teams in this season, the Aggie offense rose to the challenge of facing the best pitching in college history.   The Aggies had the second best team batting average at .263, scored the second most runs, drew the third most walks, and tied for third in homers.   These totals reflect the balanced attack of the Ags, who are solid top to bottom in their order, unlike many offenses among these teams that have been led by one or two stars.  3B John Byington is leading the league in hitting at .326 while CF Kirk Thompson is 3rd with a .307 average and has 62 steals to lead the team.   2B Terry Taylor tops the team with 20 homers, although five other Aggies are also in double figures in that category.   Although not spectacular, the starting rotation has also been solid top to bottom, with Keith Langston (18-7, 2.82) emerging as the staff ace, and a bullpen tandem with Brent Gilbert (19-4, 1.96) setting up and Scott Centala (8-2, 1.80, 37 SV) might be the league's best. 

Who's Not:  The Aggies were probably hoping for a bit more from SS Chuck Knoblauch (.267, 14 HR, 77 RBI), who has been slumping since the All-Star break.  C Eric Albright's .211 batting average is 115 points below his 1989 numbers.   Overall, the pitching staff has been middle-of-the-pack, and a more dominating performance from #1 starter Pat Sweet (14-11, 3.41) might have put the Aggies in a better position to overtake the Shockers.  And, at times the #5 slot in the starting rotation has proved to be an adventure.  Nonetheless, these are relatively small flaws in a remarkably successful season, a season that proves to this writer that the 1989 Texas A&M Aggies deserve to be included in any discussion of the best college baseball team of all time.

Texas A&M Aggies **Team Batting Stats**

Last           First     AVE   G    AB   SO   BB   H    2B   3B   HR   R    RBI  SB   E   

Thompson       Kirk      .307  149  632  97   82   194  18   11   0    100  37   62   6   

Taylor         Terry     .269  149  614  191  85   165  25   7    20   101  68   15   18  

Knoblauch      Chuck     .267  149  599  80   89   160  21   8    14   96   77   53   35  

Byington       John      .326  149  589  95   77   192  43   8    17   97   130  38   19  

Albright       Eric      .211  149  582  193  70   123  18   10   19   76   93   20   3   

Duke           Andy      .246  149  565  163  67   139  23   3    12   67   86   17   14  

Neumann        Jim       .223  149  552  88   46   123  16   12   16   64   93   0    17  

Easley         Mike      .256  149  539  99   77   138  22   4    6    68   56   22   6   

Witte          Trey      .276  113  421  173  28   116  20   1    0    47   31   12   0   

Williams       Travis    .194  36   129  39   6    25   8    0    0    9    8    1    0   

-              -         .263  1828 5222 1218 627  1375 214  64   104  725  679  240  123 

Texas A&M Aggies **Team Pitching Stats**

Last           First     ERA   G    GS   CG   W    L    SV   IP    SO   BB   H    R    ER  

Sweet          Pat       3.41  35   35   2    14   11   0    253.2 134  69   257  114  96  

Langston       Keith     2.82  33   33   0    18   7    0    233.0 152  97   181  80   73  

Allen          Ronnie    2.85  31   31   0    14   6    0    211.1 146  69   197  76   67  

Herrman        Tim       3.33  20   20   0    8    8    0    135.1 110  43   122  59   50  

Gilbert        Brent     1.96  77   10   0    19   4    1    128.1 69   97   70   30   28  

DeLaCruz       Anthony   3.93  120  0    0    1    1    2    107.2 104  63   84   48   47  

Hughes         Steve     2.95  71   0    0    6    4    3    79.1  53   20   72   33   26  

Centala        Scott     1.80  68   0    0    8    2    37   70.0  75   29   38   18   14  

Lawrence       Sean      1.80  10   10   0    6    2    0    70.0  77   32   51   18   14  

Pryor          Randy     10.43 8    8    0    1    6    0    33.2  40   59   50   55   39  

Freudenberg    Kerry     1.38  12   0    0    0    1    10   13.0  17   6    11   5    2   

Jones          Jeff      11.91 2    2    0    0    2    0    11.1  13   20   13   15   15  

-              -         3.15  487  149  2    95   54   53   1346.2990  604  1146 551  471 

College Greats League Standings

Year      Team                     W    L    PCT   GB   L10  STRK 

1982      Wichita State Shockers   115  35   .767  -    7-3  W4   

1989      Texas A&M Aggies         95   54   .638  19.5 7-3  W5   

1983      Texas Longhorns          78   71   .523  36.5 4-6  W1   

2001      Miami Hurricanes         73   76   .490  41.5 6-4  L2   

1967      Arizona State Sun Devils 72   77   .483  42.5 4-6  L4   

1997      LSU Tigers               67   81   .453  47.0 6-4  L1   

1995      Cal State Fullerton Titan67   84   .444  48.5 4-6  W1   

1985      Miss State Bulldogs      61   87   .412  53.0 6-4  L1   

1971      USC Trojans              60   88   .405  54.0 2-8  W1   

1985      Oklahoma State Cowboys   58   93   .384  57.5 3-7  L1   

     

Sept. 6: The Texas Three-Step Rotation

The season hasn't gone well for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, currently residing in the cellar with a 57-90 record, but this week brought a moral victory with a split of a four-game series with frontrunning Wichita State. The final game of the series was won by the Cowboys 8-6 in 10 innings, without the benefit of any homers from Incaviglia (although his 48 HR leads the league by a wide margin) courtesy of a rare bullpen collapse by the Shockers.  However, Texas A&M gained no ground, as they also split a hard fought series of pitching duels with Miami. Among the top three squads, only the Texas Longhorns won their most recent series, taking 2 of 3 from Fullerton, with both Longhorn wins coming as shutouts. Let's take a closer look at these '83 Horns:

Who's Getting It Done:  Looking at these results with most of the season in the books, it is arguable that the three-man Longhorn rotation of Schiraldi, Clemens, and Capel is the best that college baseball has seen.  Schiraldi (23-14, 2.34) has been a workhorse, leading the league in innings pitched and tied for second in wins.  Clemens (21-21, 2.29) is right behind Schiraldi in innings, and among the the league leaders with 322 strikeouts--with only 39 walks issued, an amazing ratio.  Capel (22-16, 2.77) is posting numbers that would make him the #1 starter on many teams, although his 142 walks allowed has gotten him into trouble on occasion. And in the bullpen, closer Kirk Killingsworth (4-3, 2.36, 34 SV) has reliably protected the slim leads that these starters often bring into the late innings.  On the offensive side, 1B Jose Tolentino has been the most potent weapon for the Horns (as he was in '83), hitting .263 with 13 homers and 32 doubles, with excellent defensive work at first base.

Clemens has room for growth

Who's Not:  The rest of the offense.  The team's .228 average is among the league's worst, and the 31 team homers is easily the lowest total of these ten teams.  The infield tandem of Mike Brumley and Billy Bates were supposed to set the table at the top of the order, and both have been successful in drawing walks, but the rest of the team haven't done much to get them home.  If there is a weak point on the pitching staff, it involves the lack of bullpen help, aside from Killingsworth;  somehow Bruce Ruffin has managed 8 saves despite a 10.34 ERA and a WHIP close to 3.   Even so, the pitching staff clearly places this Longhorn team as a contender for the best college team of all time; however, their lack of offensive punch makes 3rd place as high as these Horns are likely to go.

Texas Longhorns **Team Batting Stats**

Last           First     AVE   G    AB   SO   BB   H    2B   3B   HR   R    RBI  SB   E   

Brumley        Mike      .237  145  598  121  99   142  18   10   2    76   43   45   31  

Hearron        Jeff      .257  145  583  131  80   150  27   10   9    64   85   0    5   

Tolentino      Jose      .263  145  570  58   74   150  32   2    13   63   78   0    4   

Bates          Billy     .217  145  553  114  102  120  20   4    1    78   49   33   8   

Denny          David     .226  145  526  138  60   119  29   8    0    42   58   3    44  

Burrows        Bryan     .175  145  485  86   73   85   18   3    0    37   36   1    16  

Trent          Mike      .177  145  481  127  84   85   14   0    0    56   29   34   7   

Labay          Steve     .214  157  473  84   66   101  7    9    1    43   46   13   6   

Hodo           Doug      .290  86   300  82   17   87   22   8    0    26   34   7    0   

Loy            Darren    .252  71   234  46   32   59   13   2    3    21   24   2    0   

Killingsworth  Kirk      .222  58   63   13   7    14   1    2    1    8    4    0    0   

Gustafson      Deron     .150  59   40   9    18   6    2    1    0    8    5    0    0   

Doughty        Jamie     .273  25   11   2    3    3    1    0    1    2    3    0    4   

Simon          Mike      .333  8    6    2    2    2    1    0    0    2    1    1    0   

Sutton         Johnny    .200  9    5    1    0    1    0    0    0    1    0    1    0   

Ray            Bud       .000  26   0    0    1    0    0    0    0    5    0    5    0   

-              -         .228  1668 4928 1014 718  1124 205  59   31   532  495  145  130 

Texas Longhorns **Team Pitching Stats**

Last           First     ERA   G    GS   CG   W    L    SV   IP    SO   BB   H    R    ER  

Schiraldi      Calvin    2.34  44   44   23   23   14   0    385.1 299  117  303  119  100 

Clemens        Roger     2.29  44   44   28   21   21   0    384.2 322  39   328  112  98  

Capel          Mike      2.77  40   40   25   22   16   0    351.0 200  142  261  123  108 

Labay          Steve     4.11  12   12   9    6    6    0    103.0 58   28   109  55   47  

Killingsworth  Kirk      2.36  41   1    0    4    3    34   53.1  30   27   39   18   14  

Phillips       Wade      3.57  2    2    1    1    1    0    17.2  9    2    23   8    7   

Ruffin         Bruce     10.34 14   0    0    0    5    8    15.2  17   21   27   21   18  

Boudreaux      Eric      12.38 1    1    1    0    1    0    8.0   6    1    16   11   11  

Seitz          David     7.36  1    1    0    0    1    0    3.2   8    11   4    7    3   

-              -         2.76  199  145  87   77   68   42   1322.1949  388  1110 474  406 

College Greats League Standings

Year      Team                     W    L    PCT   GB   L10  STRK 

1982      Wichita State Shockers   111  35   .760  -    7-3  L1   

1989      Texas A&M Aggies         91   54   .628  19.5 5-5  W1   

1983      Texas Longhorns          77   68   .531  33.5 6-4  W1   

1967      Arizona State Sun Devils 72   73   .497  38.5 8-2  W1   

2001      Miami Hurricanes         71   74   .490  39.5 5-5  L1   

1997      LSU Tigers               67   80   .456  44.5 6-4  W3   

1995      Cal State Fullerton Titan65   82   .442  46.5 2-8  L1   

1985      Miss State Bulldogs      59   85   .410  51.0 6-4  L1   

1971      USC Trojans              59   88   .401  52.5 1-9  L3   

1985      Oklahoma State Cowboys   57   90   .388  54.5 3-7  W1