OMAHA, Neb. - An SEC team is heading to the College World Series finals for the sixth consecutive year.
For the first time, it’s Mississippi State.
Hunter Renfroe hit a threerun home run off the back wall of the left-field bullpen and Kendall Graveman and two relievers held Oregon State in check in a 4-1 victory Friday.
“I know it sounds crazy, but our kids just think something good is going to happen and, by the way, our coaches do, too,” Mississippi State Coach John Cohen said. “I think these guys are on a little bit of a roll for sure.”
The Bulldogs (51-18) beat the Beavers (52-13) for the second time in the CWS and get two days off before starting the best-of-3 championship round against UCLA, who beat North Carolina 4-1.
Renfroe’s home run came on an afternoon when the wind was blowing in at a ballpark that surrenders few home runs. He had already seen teammate Wes Rea come up short with a fly to the left-center power alley that Michael Conforto caught against the wall for perhaps the best defensive play of theCWS.
Renfroe’s 16th home run of the season, and first since May 4, came on a 3-1 pitch from Andrew Moore (14-2) and put the Bulldogs ahead 4-0 in the fifth. It was only the third home run in 11 CWS games, and there was no doubt it was out even though Renfroe didn’t initially see it that way.
“I was running hard out of the batter’s box and going for a double,” he said. “I kind of hit it off the end of the bat, but I was able to get enough backspin on it.”
Oregon State (52-13) went 2-2 in its first CWS appearance since winning back-to-back national titles in 2006-07.
“It’s very difficult when eight teams show up at Omaha and seven of them lose their last game and feel like they had a poor season,” Beavers Coach Pat Casey said. “We’re not hanging our head at all. Our guys are obviously disappointed, and I think they’re more disappointed in the fact that they won’t get a chance to play together as a team again.”
Graveman (7-5) worked the first 5 2/3 innings, allowing 1 run and 4 hits. Ross Mitchell and Jonathan Holder finished, with Holder getting the last two outs for his21st save of the season and school-record 30th of his career.
The eighth-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, Graveman also started the first game against the Beavers. He allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings that day and was let off the hook when Rea doubled in the winning runs in the eighth.
“For me to see them the other day was pretty big on my part,” Graveman said. “Once I see a team physically, not just on video, I feel like I can discover a few more things that I can go to. I didn’t want to do the same thing I did the first outing because I thought they barreled up a few more balls than they did today.”
The Bulldogs built on a 1-0 lead after Moore retired their first two batters in the fifth. Adam Frazier and Alex Detz singled before Renfroe, the No. 13 overall pick by San Diego in the recent draft, turned on Moore’s breaking ball.
Moore gave up 4 runs on 9 hits in 4 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. Jace Fry pitched 3 1/3 innings of two-hit shutout relief, but the Beavers’ offense couldn’t crack Mitchell and Holder.
Mississippi State had beaten the Beavers 5-4 in the CWS opener, with Danny Hayes’ deep fly to right dying on the warning track in the bottom of the ninth inning.
There was no such drama this time.
Conforto made the play ofthe day to rob Rea of extra bases when he retreated to the warning track, jumped to make the catch and held on as he slammed against the wall.
Beavers shortstop Tyler Smith was so impressed that he went out to left to give Conforto a hug.
UCLA 4, NORTH CAROLINA 1
Pat Valaika’s two-run double gave UCLA some cushion, record-setting closer David Berg survived a rocky ninth inning and UCLA defeated top-seeded North Carolina to move to the championship round of the College World Series. The Tar Heels (59-12) twice loaded the bases in the ninth against Berg but came away with only one run, with the game ending on Landon Lassiter’s flyout to center. Grant Watson (9-3) allowed four hits in six innings. Carolina’s Kent Emanuel (11-5) gave up five singles in six innings.
At a glance At TD Ameritrade Park Omaha Omaha, Neb.
Double Elimination x-if necessary THURSDAY’S GAME North Carolina 7, N.C. State 0
NC State eliminated FRIDAY’S GAMES Mississippi State 4, Oregon State 1
OSU eliminated UCLA 4, North Carolina 1
North Carolina eliminated CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best-of-3) MONDAY: Mississippi State (51-18) vs. UCLA (47-17) 7 p.m.
TUESDAY Mississippi State (51-18) vs. UCLA (47-17), 7 p.m.
x-WEDNESDAY Mississippi State (51-18) vs. UCLA (47-17), 7 p.m.
Sports, Pages 19 on 06/22/2013