Ball State University Athletics
Throwback Thursday: First Baseball Wins in NCAA Tournament in 1969
June 01, 2023 | Baseball
The 2023 baseball Cardinals have reached the NCAA Tournament in baseball for the fourth time in school history. Today's #ThrowbackThursday feature looks back on the program's first wins in the tournament which occurred on the same day – May 30, 1969 – and put Ball State within a ninth-inning rally of reaching the College World Series.
In the 1960s, preliminary play in the tournament was broken into districts, with eight district champions reaching the College World Series. Ball State qualified for district competition in 1965 and 1969, with the '69 squad falling two runs short of reaching the CWS.
The No. 2 seed in the District IV Playoffs conducted at Midway Stadium in Minneapolis, Ball State fell to Southern Illinois (15-6) in the district opener, only days after sweeping the Salukis in both games of a doubleheader to end the regular season. That defeat set up a loser's bracket matchup with Ohio University.
The Cardinals got two runs in the bottom of the 11th inning to get past the Bobcats and earn their first NCAA playoffs victory. Ball State scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to knot the score at 2-2 and earned a 4-3 victory with Bill Brooks pitching the final four outs for the win.
[Of note was Ohio U.'s starting shortstop – future hall of famer Mike Schmidt who batted sixth in the Bobcats' lineup, going hitless in three at bats against the Cardinals.]
The Cards advanced to face district host Minnesota, with Tom Pinkerton returning to the mound after surrendering four early runs and a pair of homers in just two innings of the opening game vs. SIU. This time, Pinkerton scattered seven hits over nine innings, earning a complete-game, 4-1 win to propel the Cardinals into the district championship. Ball State scored runs in the first, third and fifth innings, leading 4-0 before the Gophers squeezed their only run in the seventh.
A day later, Ball State battled SIU for the fourth time in six games. This time, the Salukis turned back a late BSU rally to reach the CWS for the second straight season. SIU led 4-2 heading to the ninth and Ball State loaded the bases with only one out. BSU catcher Ron O'Neil smashed a hard grounder to third baseman Bill Clark, who made a diving catch and was able to force a runner at second while allowing a run to score. SIU reliever John Daigle struck out Ball State pinch-hitter Dennis Barry to end the game.
In the 1960s, preliminary play in the tournament was broken into districts, with eight district champions reaching the College World Series. Ball State qualified for district competition in 1965 and 1969, with the '69 squad falling two runs short of reaching the CWS.
The No. 2 seed in the District IV Playoffs conducted at Midway Stadium in Minneapolis, Ball State fell to Southern Illinois (15-6) in the district opener, only days after sweeping the Salukis in both games of a doubleheader to end the regular season. That defeat set up a loser's bracket matchup with Ohio University.
The Cardinals got two runs in the bottom of the 11th inning to get past the Bobcats and earn their first NCAA playoffs victory. Ball State scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to knot the score at 2-2 and earned a 4-3 victory with Bill Brooks pitching the final four outs for the win.
[Of note was Ohio U.'s starting shortstop – future hall of famer Mike Schmidt who batted sixth in the Bobcats' lineup, going hitless in three at bats against the Cardinals.]
The Cards advanced to face district host Minnesota, with Tom Pinkerton returning to the mound after surrendering four early runs and a pair of homers in just two innings of the opening game vs. SIU. This time, Pinkerton scattered seven hits over nine innings, earning a complete-game, 4-1 win to propel the Cardinals into the district championship. Ball State scored runs in the first, third and fifth innings, leading 4-0 before the Gophers squeezed their only run in the seventh.
A day later, Ball State battled SIU for the fourth time in six games. This time, the Salukis turned back a late BSU rally to reach the CWS for the second straight season. SIU led 4-2 heading to the ninth and Ball State loaded the bases with only one out. BSU catcher Ron O'Neil smashed a hard grounder to third baseman Bill Clark, who made a diving catch and was able to force a runner at second while allowing a run to score. SIU reliever John Daigle struck out Ball State pinch-hitter Dennis Barry to end the game.
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