The Top Three Most Memorable College Baseball Moments
By
Richard Janvrin
Contributor Updated: 03 January 2025
Richard Janvrin Contributor
Richard has been writing about sports since he was a teenager. Still, his first professional role came in 2015, covering all things NFL and fantasy football-related. From there, in December 2018, he started in the sports betting industry, covering sportsbook reviews before arriving to where he is today.
Most Memorable College Baseball Moments
The first College World Series occurred in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1947. It then moved to Wichita, Kansas, in 1949 and finally to Omaha, Nebraska, for the first time in 1950, and that’s where NCAA baseball events for the World Series are held today.
In that first College World Series, eight teams were divided into two single-elimination brackets of four.
Before moving to Omaha, former President George Bush led Yale.
As we approach 100 years of history, college baseball has given us some big moments.
Today, you can perform NCAA baseball betting in most states where sports betting is legal.
Here, I want to explore the top three memorable moments college baseball has given the world, discussing the entire lead-up to the event and what made them all stand out so much.
I’ll keep it at three. Let’s start with the legendary Warren Morris walk-off home run.
Warren Morris’ Walk-Off Home Run
Playing for the LSU Tigers, Warren Morris hit a home run that won the Tigers the 1996 College World Series.
Back then, the College World Series was a winner-take-all one-game showdown. That’s why when you Google “College World Series big moments,” this game comes up.
In all, the game had 17 runs and 29 hits.
A left, Morris hit the ball down the right field line, and here’s what the broadcaster had to say during the at-bat:
“Hits a deep drive down the right field line… that ball is… GONE. LSU wins the College World Series.”
The applause of the crowd nearly drowned out the call.
This College World Series win was LSU’s third since 1991, so they had several dominant runs.
Even better, Morris’ walk-off home run is the only one to win the College World Series.
What added to this occasion was where the game was at.
It was the bottom of the ninth, and the Tigers were down by one, and there were two outs.
At one point, LSU was down 7-3 and returned to win 9-8 over the Miami Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes held multiple leads throughout the game, including 2-0, 5-3, 7-3, and 8-7.
The context of the player is important, too. Morris wasn’t some stud player set to go No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft.
It’s kind of surprising he made the World Series roster.
He had a wrist injury suffered during that preseason that was misdiagnosed and resulted in surgery two weeks before the NCAA tournament.
He missed 39 games that season. He was batting last when he returned to the regionals lineup.
Morris had exactly zero home runs that season and was taking on Miami closer Robbie Morrison, who had an All-American season.
“I get around third, and all my teammates are there at home waiting on me,” Morris said to ESPN. “I didn’t realize I had so many of them. I ended up on the bottom of that pile. You can’t breathe; you got buttons missing off your jersey.”
Following this win, LSU went on to win the College World Series again in 1997. Of the memorable moments college baseball has given us, this is easily the most notable.
Fresno State in 2008
Fresno State has a fantastic baseball program, which has earned 36 NCAA Tournament bids, three NCAA regional titles, four College World Series appearances, and one College World Series title.
The College World Series title came in 2008 and was a sensational run.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Fresno State had a modest 33-27 record and one of the lowest seeds.
That season, Fresno State was inside the Top 25, but it had a poor overall season. To get into the NCAA Tournament, it needed to win the WAC Tournament.
After winning the WAC, they were a four-seed.
Fresno State was 33-27, and by the end of it all, they were 47-31 when it was all said and done. They’re the only 30-plus loss team to win it all in College World Series history. That alone qualifies as one of the big moments in college baseball.
Into the NCAA Tournament, they beat Long Beach State 7-3 in the opener.
All six teams Fresno State beat leading up to the College World Series were inside the AP Top 25.
After Long Beach State, it was No. 7 San Diego, No. 4 Arizona State, No. 8 Rice, No. 3 North Carolina, and ultimately, No. 17 Georgia.
They overcame six possible elimination games, including Game 1 of the College World Series, but they lost 7-6 to Georgia.
Over the next two games, they outscored Georgia 25-11.
This squad featured only two All-Americans who weren’t first-teamers: pitcher Tanner Scheppers and outfielder Steve Susdorf.
During the College World Series run, the Bulldogs hit 14 home runs and scored 62 runs.
Since that 2008 win, Fresno State has been to the tournament five times.
Ron Fraser’s Grand Illusion
Ah, yes, the old “hidden ball” trick. Who would’ve thought this type of play would qualify as one of those big moments college baseball has had?
These never get old, but the creativity of the one done by Miami and Ron Fraser against Wichitas State in 1982 was fantastic.
At one point, Wichita State first baseman Phil Stephenson stole 86 bases on 90 tries.
Stephenson was one of the best players in the country. He was the 1982 national player of the year, a two-time All-American, and holds records for runs scored (420) and hits (418).
At one time, he also had a 47-game hitting streak.
So, here’s how the play unfolded.
Stephenson was at first, and Miami had pitcher Mike Kasprzak pitching out of the stretch.
Stephenson stepped off first a bit too far, resulting in Kasprzak throwing over to first.
Or did he?
Turns out, he didn’t.
Instead, it was an illusion. The first baseman acted as if he went for the ball and pretended the ball was thrown poorly.
The dugout screamed, “Ball, ball, ball!” and the first baseman faked running after it. This whole design is what makes it one of the more memorable moments college baseball has given us.
Stephenson took off toward second, and here, Kasprzak tossed the ball to the man covering second, tagging Stephenson out.
Even the announcers were confused, saying, “Ball is thrown away,” before realizing something else happened.
“Oh, now they’ve cut it off, and Stephenson is gonna be out.”
According to reporter Irv Brown, Miami practiced the play.
After being tagged out, Stephenson stood at second base in disbelief.
Miami won the national title that year. While this play didn’t necessarily determine the outcome, it’s part of the lore of that 1982 run, helping elevate it to the list of College World Series big moments.
