Omaha. O.M.A.H.A. Omaha!
The Bulldogs are back in the College World Series for the first time since 2007. It's great to be back and in the thick of a national championship chase. But before we get started, I'd like to take a look back at our history in this great event.
Some nuggets from wistoncountysfinest and justinrsutton:
- MSU is 15th all time in CWS appearances with nine. They have the 5th most appearances without a title - fellow Omaha participant North Carolina is tied for 4th with ten.
- MSU has been to the CWS the 3rd most of any SEC school (LSU and South Carolina).
- Only SEC team to make the CWS in each of the last five decades and one of only five in the country (FSU, Clemson, Arizona State, Texas).
- Bonus 2013 nugget: MSU is 25-0 vs. non-SEC teams not named Central Arkansas (28-3 overall).
Here are the results for State in Omaha:
1971 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | L | Tulsa | 5-2 |
Game 2 | L | BYU | 3-1 |
1979 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | W | Cal State Fullerton* | 6-1 |
Game 2 | L | Texas | 8-2 |
Game 3 | L | Pepperdine | 5-4 |
1981 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | W | Michigan | 4-0 |
Game 2 | L | Arizona State* | 4-3 |
Game 3 | L | South Carolina | 6-5 |
1985 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | W | Oklahoma State | 12-3 |
Game 2 | W | Arkansas | 5-4 |
Game 3 | L | Texas | 12-7 |
Game 4 | L | Miami (FL)* | 6-5 |
1990 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | L | Georgia* | 3-0 |
Game 2 | W | Georgia Southern | 15-1 |
Game 3 | L | Stanford | 6-1 |
1997 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | L | Alabama | 3-2 |
Game 2 | W | UCLA | 7-5 |
Game 3 | L | Alabama | 9-5 |
1998 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | W | Florida | 14-13 |
Game 2 | L | LSU | 10-8 |
Game 3 | L | Southern Cal* | 7-1 |
2007 | W/L | Opponent | Score |
Game 1 | L | North Carolina | 8-5 |
Game 2 | L | Louisville | 12-4 |
*indicates team that went on to win the national championship.
- Overall, State is 7-16 in Omaha. The most success has occurred in the first game, going 4-4.
- MSU has played the eventual national champions in five of its eight trips, going 1-4 against them (Cal State Fullerton in '79).
- John Cohen will be the 4th different coach to take MSU to the CWS. Paul Gregory (1), Pat McMahon (1) and Ron Polk (6) are the others.
- Mississippi State's greatest team ever, 1985, also did the best in Ohama going 2-2. They might have made the championship except the format was a little different which prevented them from playing a team twice if it could be helped, so Miami (the eventual champs) was the opponent in the elimination game rather than Arkansas who MSU had already beaten.