1979 NCAA Division I baseball tournament

1979 NCAA Division I
baseball tournament

Season	1979
Teams	34
Finals site	Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium Omaha, NE
Champions	Cal State Fullerton (1st title)
Runner-up	Arkansas (1st CWS Appearance)
Winning coach	Augie Garrido (1st title)
MOP	Tony Hudson (Cal State Fullerton)

The 1979 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was played at the end of the 1979 NCAA Division I 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 thirty third year. Eight regional competitions were held to determine the participants in the final event. Seven regions held a four team, double-elimination tournament while one region included six teams, resulting in 34 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament. The thirty-third tournament's champion was Cal State Fullerton, coached by Augie Garrido. The Most Outstanding Player was Tony Hudson of Cal State Fullerton.

Regionals

Seven of the eight regionals were played as 4-team double-elimination tournaments. One regional was played as a 6-team double-elimination tournament. The winner of each regional moved on to the College World Series.

Northeast Regional

Games played at Annapolis, Maryland.

	First Round					Semi-Finals					Finals
	Connecticut		5
	Navy		4
						St. John's		6
						Connecticut		3
	St. John's		5
	Nebraska		0
											St. John's		4	0
											Connecticut		14	4
	Lower round 1					Lower final
						Connecticut		15
	Navy		4			Nebraska		0
	Nebraska		13

Atlantic Regional

Games played at Coral Gables, Florida.

	First Round					Semi-Finals					Finals
	Clemson		8
	Georgia Southern		4
						Clemson		1
						Miami (FL)		2
	Miami (FL)		316
	The Citadel		1
											Miami (FL)		4	—
											Clemson		1	—
	Lower round 1					Lower final
						Clemson		2
	Georgia Southern		5			Georgia Southern		0
	The Citadel		3

Mideast Regional

Games played at East Lansing, Michigan.

	First Round					Semi-Finals					Finals
	San Diego State		11
	Miami (OH)		6
						San Diego State		9
						Pepperdine		15
	Pepperdine		15
	Michigan State		0
											Pepperdine		13	—
											San Diego State		2	—
	Lower round 1					Lower final
						San Diego State		5
	Miami (OH)		4			Michigan State		4
	Michigan State		6

East Regional

Games played at Tallahassee, Florida

	First Round				Second Round				Third Round				Semi-Finals				Finals
	Delaware	10
	Seton Hall	1			Delaware	7
					Florida State	6
	Arkansas	12							Delaware	6
	George Washington	11							Arkansas	8
					Arkansas	9											Arkansas	4	—
					Florida	1											Delaware	3	—
	Florida	9											Delaware	7
	Florida State	5							Florida	12			Florida	5
					Seton Hall	2			George Washington	7
					George Washington	5

Midwest Regional

Games played at Tucson, Arizona.

	First Round					Semi-Finals					Finals
	Hawaii		4
	Indiana State		3
						Hawaii		2
						Arizona		10
	Arizona		8
	Oklahoma		1
											Arizona		5	—
											Hawaii		3	—
	Lower round 1					Lower final
						Hawaii		12
	Indiana State		2			Oklahoma		8
	Oklahoma		9

Central Regional

Games played at Austin, Texas.

	First Round					Semi-Finals					Finals
	Texas		4
	Texas–Pan American		2
						Texas		6
						Lamar		4
	Lamar		3
	BYU		2
											Texas		6	—
											BYU		2	—
	Lower round 1					Lower final
						Lamar		4
	Texas–Pan American		5			BYU		7
	BYU		11

South Regional

Games played at Starkville, Mississippi.

	First Round					Semi-Finals					Finals
	Murray State		5
	Tulane		3
						Murray State		16
						New Orleans		15
	New Orleans		13
	Mississippi State		11
											Murray State		6	8
											Mississippi State		8	18
	Lower round 1					Lower final
						New Orleans		10
	Tulane		4			Mississippi State		13
	Mississippi State		12

West Regional

Games played at Fresno, California.

First Round

Semi-Finals

Finals

UCLA

5

Cal State Fullerton

4

UCLA

5

Fresno State

4

Fresno State

10*

Portland

8*

UCLA

2

5

Cal State Fullerton

9

9

Lower round 1

Lower final

Fresno State

3

Cal State Fullerton

20

Cal State Fullerton

12

Portland

3

College World Series

Connecticut, Miami (FL), Pepperdine, Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi St., and Cal St. Fullerton won their regionals and moved on to the College World Series.

Participants

School	Conference	Record (conference)	Head coach	CWS appearances	CWS best finish	CWS record
Arizona	Pac-10	42–23 (17–13)	Jerry Kindall	10 (last: 1976)	1st (1976)	21–19
Arkansas	SWC	46–13 (19–5)	Norm DeBriyn	0 (last: none)	none	0–0
Cal State Fullerton	SCBA	55–13 (23–4)	Augie Garrido	1 (last: 1975)	7th (1975)	0–2
Connecticut	Eastern Collegiate	31–11 (n/a)	Larry Panciera	4 (last: 1972)	5th (1957, 1972)	3–8
Miami (FL)	n/a	55–9 (n/a)	Ron Fraser	2 (last: 1978)	2nd (1974)	5–4
Mississippi State	SEC	47–10 (17–2)	Ron Polk	1 (last: 1971)	7th (1971)	0–2
Pepperdine	SCBA	50–16 (19–9)	Dave Gorrie	0 (last: none)	none	0–0
Texas	SWC	53–6 (22–2)	Cliff Gustafson	17 (last: 1975)	1st (1949, 1950, 1975)	36–30

Results

Bracket

	Upper round 1					Upper round 2					Upper final					Semifinals					Preliminary final					Final
	Arkansas		5
	Pepperdine		4
						Arkansas		10
						Arizona		3
	Arizona		5
	Miami (FL)		1
											Arkansas		9
											Texas		4
	Texas		11
																Arkansas		10
	Connecticut		5
						Texas		8								Cal State Fullerton		13
						Mississippi State		2
	Mississippi State		6
	Cal State Fullerton		1																							Cal State Fullerton		2
																					Cal State Fullerton		8			Arkansas		1
						Lower round 1					Lower round 2										Pepperdine		5
											Mississippi State		4
						Pepperdine		9			Pepperdine		510
																Texas		4
						Miami (FL)		3
																Pepperdine		6
											Arizona		3
						Connecticut		3			Cal State Fullerton		16
						Cal State Fullerton		8

Game results

Date	Game	Winner	Score	Loser	Notes
June 1	Game 1	Arkansas	5–4	Pepperdine
	Game 2	Arizona	5–1	Miami (FL)
June 2	Game 3	Texas	11–5	Connecticut
	Game 4	Mississippi State	6–1	Cal State Fullerton
	Game 5	Pepperdine	9–3	Miami (FL)	Miami eliminated
June 3	Game 6	Cal State Fullerton	8–3	Connecticut	Connecticut eliminated
	Game 7	Arkansas	10–3	Arizona
	Game 8	Texas	8–2	Mississippi State
June 4	Game 9	Cal State Fullerton	16–3	Arizona	Arizona eliminated
	Game 10	Pepperdine	5–4 (10 innings)	Mississippi State	Mississippi State eliminated
June 5	Game 11	Arkansas	9–4	Texas
June 6	Game 12	Pepperdine	6–4	Texas	Texas eliminated
	Game 13	Cal State Fullerton	13–10	Arkansas
June 7	Game 14	Cal State Fullerton	8–5	Pepperdine	Pepperdine eliminated
June 8	Final	Cal State Fullerton	2–1	Arkansas	Cal State Fullerton wins CWS

All-Tournament Team

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

Position	Player	School
P	Tony Hudson (MOP)	Cal State Fullerton
	Steve Krueger	Arkansas
C	Kurt Kingsolver	Cal State Fullerton
1B	Tim Wallach	Cal State Fullerton
2B	Mike Gates	Pepperdine
3B	Dan Hanggie	Cal State Fullerton
SS	Larry Wallace	Arkansas
OF	Marc Brumble	Arkansas
	Kevin McReynolds	Arkansas
	Joseph Bruno	Texas
DH	Keith Walker	Texas

Notable players

• Arizona: Terry Francona, Craig Lefferts, Brad Mills, John Moses, Jim Scranton, Dwight Taylor
• Arkansas: Kevin McReynolds, Johnny Ray, Ronn Reynolds
• Cal State Fullerton: John Christensen, Andre David, Tim Wallach
• Connecticut:
• Miami (FL): Tony Brewer, Neal Heaton, Ross Jones, Mike Pagliarulo, Dennis Owens
• Mississippi State: Tim Weisheim
• Pepperdine: Mike Gates
• Texas: Jim Acker, Tony Arnold, Joseph Bruno, Keith Creel, Ron Gardenhire, Jerry Don Gleaton, Andre Robertson, Ricky Wright

Tournament notes

• In the South Regional semifinal Murray State and New Orleans set a tournament record for most combined runs in a game (31).

See also

• 1979 NCAA Division II baseball tournament
• 1979 NCAA Division III baseball tournament
• 1979 NAIA World Series