Stony Brook’s regular season was remarkable, the Long Island school setting a program record with 46 victories. Its postseason is quickly becoming the stuff of legend.
After becoming the first America East school to reach a NCAA tournament regional final this weekend, the fourth-seeded Seawolves made the super regionals with a stunning 10-6 victory over No. 3 Central Florida last night in Coral Gables, Fla. The program entered with one NCAA Tournament victory, which it has quadrupled in four days.
In four games, Stony Brook scored 50 runs and picked up 59 hits. It becomes the third fourth seed to win its region since the field was expanded to 64 in 2001, joining Missouri (2006) and Fresno State (2008).
After shocking top-seeded Miami, 10-2, in the opener on Friday, Stony Brook fell to Central Florida. It then won three straight games in two days, twice in come-from-behind fashion. In the Seawolves’ first game on Sunday, they trailed No. 2 Missouri State 7-2, but scored eight unanswered runs to advance. After throttling Central Florida 12-5 Sunday night to remain alive, Stony Brook (50-12) was behind 3-1 yesterday before erupting for five runs in the fourth. Pitching on two days’ rest, ace Tyler Johnson struck out five and allowed four runs in 6 ¹/₃ for his second win of the tournament.
William Carmona led Stony Brook’s 12-hit barrage with four, including a homer, and drove in three runs. Travis Jankowski, the America East Player of the Year who minutes after the game was drafted No. 44 by the Padres, scored twice and Pat Cantwell added two RBIs. Sal Intagliata, the No. 8 hitter, followed with two hits and three runs scored.
The Long Island school will meet national No. 7 seed LSU in the best-of-three Super Regionals starting Friday in Baton Route, La. The winner advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.