Who: ASU v Minnesota
Where: Phoenix Muni
When: Fri-Sat
Coverage: ESPN+
History:
ASU and Minnesota have a distant baseball rivalry. Minnesota won the NC in 64' and won it in 65'.
They met in the 1973 CWS in Omaha. A game ASU won 3-0 on their way to a championship match up with USC. The Trojans made the championship because of the following against Minnesota:
In the semi-final vs. defending champion USC, Winfield had struck out 15 through 8 innings, allowing only an infield single as Minnesota built a 7-0 lead. USC's Rich Dauer said "In my whole career, even facing the big boys in the majors, I have never seen anything like that," When Dave let go of the ball, it was three feet in front of your face and it seemed like it was going 110 miles an hour."
In the ninth inning, USC opened with a base hit but the next batter grounded into what appeared to be a double play. Television replays indicated the batter was out at first base, but the umpire called him safe and Minnesota coach Dick Siebert was thrown out of the game arguing the call. Two more singles and a key error by the first baseman led to three runs and Winfield was relieved and went to left field. Two relievers allowed five more runs and USC won the game 8–7. "I have played in a lot of memorable big games during my career," Winfield said. "World Series games, league championship games, all-star games, all kinds. But I will never forget that game against USC. Never."
That win put USC in the championship game against ASU and the Trojans won 4-3. One wonders if ASU might have beaten Minnesota because the Golden Gophers wouldn't have had Winfield pitch.
The All-Omaha team that year included
Minnesota: Dave Winfield
ASU: Eddie Bane, Clint Meyers, Clay Westlake, Bill Berger
In 1977 the Devils and Gophers matched up again in Omaha with ASU knocking out Minnesota and their MLB Hall of Famer Paul Molitor from the losers bracket. That loss to ASU was the last CWS game Minnesota has ever played. ASU went on to win the CWS that year as well as 1981 and went to Omaha 14 more times.
The Series:
Last weekend Minnesota lost to #16 Oklahoma 3-2, #10 Virginia 4-2, and beat #9 Oregon State 10-4 in a game where the Beavers uncharacteristically gave up 5 unearned runs. What do we take away from that? Is it a case of 3 teams with Omaha on their mind overlooking Minnesota? Or is it Minnesota proving that they belong in that conversation?
How is everyone feeling so far about ASU?
Where: Phoenix Muni
When: Fri-Sat
Coverage: ESPN+
History:
ASU and Minnesota have a distant baseball rivalry. Minnesota won the NC in 64' and won it in 65'.
They met in the 1973 CWS in Omaha. A game ASU won 3-0 on their way to a championship match up with USC. The Trojans made the championship because of the following against Minnesota:
In the semi-final vs. defending champion USC, Winfield had struck out 15 through 8 innings, allowing only an infield single as Minnesota built a 7-0 lead. USC's Rich Dauer said "In my whole career, even facing the big boys in the majors, I have never seen anything like that," When Dave let go of the ball, it was three feet in front of your face and it seemed like it was going 110 miles an hour."
In the ninth inning, USC opened with a base hit but the next batter grounded into what appeared to be a double play. Television replays indicated the batter was out at first base, but the umpire called him safe and Minnesota coach Dick Siebert was thrown out of the game arguing the call. Two more singles and a key error by the first baseman led to three runs and Winfield was relieved and went to left field. Two relievers allowed five more runs and USC won the game 8–7. "I have played in a lot of memorable big games during my career," Winfield said. "World Series games, league championship games, all-star games, all kinds. But I will never forget that game against USC. Never."
That win put USC in the championship game against ASU and the Trojans won 4-3. One wonders if ASU might have beaten Minnesota because the Golden Gophers wouldn't have had Winfield pitch.
The All-Omaha team that year included
Minnesota: Dave Winfield
ASU: Eddie Bane, Clint Meyers, Clay Westlake, Bill Berger
In 1977 the Devils and Gophers matched up again in Omaha with ASU knocking out Minnesota and their MLB Hall of Famer Paul Molitor from the losers bracket. That loss to ASU was the last CWS game Minnesota has ever played. ASU went on to win the CWS that year as well as 1981 and went to Omaha 14 more times.
The Series:
Last weekend Minnesota lost to #16 Oklahoma 3-2, #10 Virginia 4-2, and beat #9 Oregon State 10-4 in a game where the Beavers uncharacteristically gave up 5 unearned runs. What do we take away from that? Is it a case of 3 teams with Omaha on their mind overlooking Minnesota? Or is it Minnesota proving that they belong in that conversation?
How is everyone feeling so far about ASU?
