OMAHA, Neb. — Arizona coach Andy Lopez thought he had the makings of a national championship team four years ago. OMAHA, Neb. — Arizona coach Andy Lopez thought he had the makings of a national championship team four years ago.
OMAHA, Neb. — Arizona coach Andy Lopez thought he had the makings of a national championship team four years ago.
Better late than never.
Arizona ended South Carolina’s two-year run of dominance at the College World Series with a 4-1 victory on Monday night, delivering a long-awaited national title to the coach who took over Arizona’s downtrodden program 11 years ago.
Brandon Dixon’s tie-breaking double started a three-run ninth inning for Arizona, and the Wildcats (48-17) won their first title since 1986.
Lopez figured it would come in 2008, when a team that started the season ranked No. 1 lost in the super regionals at Miami. Lopez still talks of the disappointment of that season.
The hurt only got worse when his 2009 squad failed to make the national tournament. The last two years ended in regionals.
James Farris and Mathew Troupe combined to limit the Gamecocks (49-20) to three hits as the Wildcats won their fourth title overall. The others came in 1976 and 1980.
Dixon, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning, sent a grounder down the third-base line past LB Dantzler’s outstretched glove for his first hit of the CWS.
“When I saw him hit that ball, I knew it was fair,” Most Outstanding Player Robert Refsnyder said.
Tyler Webb relieved Matt Price (5-5), and Trent Gilbert drove in his second and third runs of the game with a two-out single that broke open the game.
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