1985 Oklahoma State University Cowboys,  58-16-1  (19-4 Big Eight),  Big Eight Tournament Champions, College World Series (5th)
 
The Cowboys got off to a slow start to the 1985 season, given big expectations that followed 1984's 3rd place finish at the College World Series.  The 1985 version lost 5 of its first 10 games, a stretch in which the Pokes committed 32 errors, including 10 by third baseman Kevin Fowler, six by shortstop Sergio Espinal and five by second baseman Randy Whisler.  However, as the weather warmed up, so did the formidable OSU bats.  The team finished the season hitting .341, easily winning the Big Eight and went into post-season play ranked #2.  The dominant figure on this team was Pete Incaviglia, in his prime as perhaps the greatest power hitter in college baseball history. In his 3 seasons at OSU, Incaviglia amassed 100 home runs (in 213 games) and had a career slugging percentage of .915.  In pacing the 1985 Cowboys, he set NCAA single-season records for home runs (48), RBIs (143), total bases (285) and slugging percentage (1.140), with a batting average of .464, during an era where such numbers in college ball were unheard of. He is still the NCAA Division I baseball all-time leader in home runs in a career and home runs in a season.  Although there was supporting talent, such as future Cub Doug Dascenzo (.390, 67 SB), this was Inky's team, and the Cowboys lived or died depending upon his bat.
 

OSU Leftfielder Pete Incaviglia

After defeating Wichita State and Minnesota in the Midwest Regional, OSU ran into an exceptionally talented team in their first game in Omaha--the 1985 Mississippi State Bulldogs.  Mississippi State hammered the Cowboys 12-3, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead.  OSU, which had been shut out just once in 1985, attempted a comeback in the 6th inning as Doug Dascenzo singled to open the inning, then stole his 64th base of the season, scoring on an infield out.  However,  MSU starter Gene Morgan then ended the inning by striking out Incaviglia, and the Bulldogs put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning with a towering home run to right field by Rafael Palmeiro.  Although the Cowboys regrouped to defeat South Carolina, they were then eliminated by eventual champion Miami in a game that saw Miami relief pitcher Spider Raether strike out Incaviglia in a dramatic ninth-inning confrontation that helped the Hurricanes' wrap up a 2-1 victory.