1961 NCAA University Division Baseball Tournament

1961 NCAA Division I
Baseball Tournament
Teams 8
College World
Series Site		 Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Omaha, NE
Champions Southern California (3rd title)
Runner-Up Oklahoma State (5th CWS Appearance)
Winning coach Rod Dedeaux (3rd title)
MOP Littleton Fowler (Oklahoma State)
NCAA Baseball Tournaments
«1960 1962»

The 1961 NCAA University Division Baseball Tournament was played at the end of the 1961 NCAA University Division baseball season to determine the national champion of college baseball. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing in the College World Series, a double-elimination tournament in its fifteenth year. Eight regional districts sent representatives to the College World Series with preliminary rounds within each district serving to determine each representative. These events would later become known as regionals. Each district had its own format for selecting teams, resulting in 25 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament.[1] The College World Series was held in Omaha, NE from June 9 to June 14. The fifteenth tournament's champion was Southern California, coached by Rod Dedeaux. The Most Outstanding Player was Littleton Fowler of runner-up Oklahoma State.

Tournament

District 1

Games played at Springfield, Massachusetts.

  First Round Semi-Finals Finals
                             
 Boston College 11  
 Springfield 8  
   Boston College 4  
   Connecticut 1  
 Connecticut 15
 Colby 1  
   Boston College 2 14
   Connecticut 3 4
 Springfield 9  
 Colby 2  
   Connecticut 3
   Springfield 1  

District 2

Games played at Syracuse, New York.

Semifinals Finals
      
St. John's 10
Villanova 4
Syracuse 12
St. John's 5
Syracuse 2
Delaware 0

District 3

Games played at Gastonia, North Carolina.

  First round Semifinals Finals
                             
   
   
   Duke 7  
   Florida State 2  
 Florida State 3
 West Virginia 1  
   Duke 7 —
   West Virginia 3 —
   
   
   Florida State 3
   West Virginia 4  

District 4

Games played at Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  First round Semifinals Finals
                             
 Western Michigan 3  
 Detroit 1  
   Western Michigan 8  
   Cincinnati 1  
 Cincinnati 3*
 Michigan 1*  
   Western Michigan 4† –
   Michigan 3† –
 Detroit 3*  
 Michigan 6*  
   Cincinnati 1
   Michigan 2  

* - Indicates game required 10 innings. † - Indicates game required 14 innings.

District 5

Games played at Stillwater, Oklahoma.

 
           
   Oklahoma State 10 11 —
   Northern Iowa 0 8 —

District 6

Games played at Austin, Texas.

 
           
   Texas 8 5 —
   Arizona 2 4 —

District 7

Games played at Laramie, Wyoming.

  First round Semifinals Finals
                             
   
   
   Air Force 10  
   Wyoming 12  
 Wyoming 3
 Colorado State 2  
   Wyoming 12 1
   Colorado State 16 12
   
   
   Air Force 6
   Colorado State 10  

District 8

Games played at Los Angeles, California.

 
           
   Southern California 4 4 10
   Fresno State 1 6 6

Games played at Pullman, Washington.

 
           
   Southern California 13 10 —
   Washington State 6 4 —

College World Series

Participants

School Conference Record (Conference) Head Coach CWS Appearances CWS Best Finish CWS Record
Boston College 16 - 4 (n/a) Ed Peligrini 2
(last: 1960) 		4th
(1953) 		3 - 4
Colorado State[lower-alpha 1] n/a 28 - 6 (n/a) Pete Butler 7
(last: 1960) 		5th
(1955) 		2 - 14
Duke ACC 15 - 9 (11 - 3) Ace Parker 2
(last: 1953) 		5th
(1952, 1953) 		2 - 4
Oklahoma State Big 8 24 - 1 (18 - 1) Toby Greene 4
(last: 1960) 		1st
(1959) 		12 - 7
Syracuse 16 - 3 (n/a) Ted Kleinhans 0
(last: none) 		none 0 - 0
Texas SWC 22 - 4 - 2 (11 - 3) Bibb Falk 5
(last: 1957) 		1st
(1949, 1950) 		14 - 7
Southern California CIBA 31 - 7 (12 - 4) Rod Dedeaux 6
(last: 1960) 		1st
(1948, 1958) 		14 - 10
Western Michigan MAC 18 - 6 (11 - 0) Charlie Maher 4
(last: 1959) 		2nd
(1955) 		8 - 8

Results

Bracket

  First Round     Second Round     Third Round
                           
  Winner's Bracket
   Oklahoma State 3  
   Duke 2    
       Oklahoma State 12  
       Syracuse 9    
   Syracuse 12          
   Colorado State 5        
       Oklahoma State 2
       Southern California 4
   Boston College 3        
   Western Michigan 2          
       Boston College 3    
       Southern California 10  
   Southern California 8    
   Texas 6  
  Loser's Bracket
   Duke 15  
   Colorado State 3      Boston College 4*
     Duke 3*
   Western Michigan 8  
   Texas 2      Syracuse 6
     Western Michigan 0
  Semifinals     Finals     if needed
                           
  Re-ordered Semi-finals
   Oklahoma State 8           
   Syracuse 0               
       Oklahoma State 0    
       Southern California 1  
   Southern California 4    
   Boston College 3  

* - Indicates game required 10 innings.

Game results

Date Game Winner Score Loser Notes
June 9 Game 1 Oklahoma State 3 - 2 Duke
June 10 Game 2 Syracuse 12 - 5 Colorado State
Game 3 Boston College 3 - 2 Western Michigan
Game 4 Southern California 8 - 6 Texas
June 11 Game 5 Duke 15 - 3 Colorado State Colorado State eliminated
Game 6 Western Michigan 8 - 2 Texas Texas eliminated
Game 7 Oklahoma State 12 - 9 Syracuse
Game 8 Southern California 10 - 3 Boston College
June 12 Game 9 Boston College 4 - 3 (10 innings) Duke Duke eliminated
Game 10 Syracuse 6 - 0 Western Michigan Western Michigan eliminated
Game 11 Southern California 4 - 2 Oklahoma State
June 13 Game 12 Oklahoma State 8 - 0 Syracuse Syracuse eliminated
Game 13 Southern California 4 - 3 Boston College Boston College eliminated
June 14 Final Southern California 1 - 0 Oklahoma State Southern California wins CWS

All-Tournament Team

The following players were members of the All-Tournament Team.

Position Player Class School
Pitcher Littleton Fowler Sophomore Oklahoma State
Larry Hankhammer Senior USC
Jim Withers Senior USC
Catcher Larry Himes Junior USC
First baseman William Ryan Junior USC
Second baseman Bruce Andrew Senior Oklahoma State
Third baseman Dave Sarette Senior Syracuse
Shortstop Don Wallace Junior Oklahoma State
Outfielder Don Davis Sophomore Duke
Art Ersepke Senior USC
Bill Tomb Sophomore Western Michigan

Notable players

Notes

  1. ↑ Colorado State College is currently known as the University of Northern Colorado. Not to be confused with Colorado State University, then known as Colorado A&M.

References

  1. ↑ "NCAA Men's College World Series Records". NCAA. 2009. p. 192. Retrieved April 3, 2014.