Fresno State wins unlikely national championship

Detwiler, MVP Mendonca turn out lights on Georgia

By ERIC OLSON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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OMAHA, Neb. -- Fresno State went from underdogs to "wonderdogs" on its way to a most unlikely national championship.

With Steve Detwiler providing all the offense Justin Wilson needed, the Bulldogs captured their first national championship in a men's sport with a 6-1 victory over Georgia in the decisive Game 3 of the College World Series finals Wednesday at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Detwiler homered twice and drove in all six runs, and Wilson allowed five hits in eight innings to cap Fresno State's wild ride to a title.

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CWS most outstanding player and Turlock High School graduate Tommy Mendonca said it's time to put the underdog talk to rest.

"From here on out, underdog does not mean anything," he said. "Write it down. Underdog does not mean anything. We showed anything can happen."

Fresno State was forecast to be a Top 25 team coming into the season, but the Bulldogs lost 12 of their first 20 games. They needed to win the Western Athletic Conference tournament just to make the NCAA field of 64, fought off elimination in the regionals and super regionals, and became the first No. 4 regional seed to reach the CWS since the tournament expanded in 1999.

The Bulldogs (47-31) from California not only showed they belonged, they showed they were the best, even though no previous national champion had more losses. The national title was the second in school history. Fresno State won the 1998 women's softball title.

"They're a true champion, and they did it the hard way," Georgia coach David Perno said.

Fresno State knocked off No. 3 national seed Arizona State in the super regionals and beat No. 6 Rice and No. 2 North Carolina twice to get to the CWS finals. By the time the Bulldogs met up with Georgia, the No. 8 seed, in the best-of-three final round, the slogan "Underdogs to Wonderdogs" was being spotted on T-shirts and signs all over Rosenblatt Stadium.

"These guys beat the best," Fresno State coach Mike Batesole said, "and I guess that's what you have to do to win a national championship."

Miami, the No. 1 national seed, brought three first-round draft picks to Omaha and left after three games. Fresno State's highest draft pick was second-rounder Tanner Scheppers, and he missed the postseason because of a shoulder injury.

"It goes to show you don't need that first-round draft pick on your team to win that national championship," left fielder Steve Susdorf said. "You need 25 guys. We were all committed to the team. No one was about himself."

Mendonca had all but wrapped up the most outstanding award before he stepped on the field Wednesday. He tied a CWS record with four homers, drove in 11 runs and made a number of spectacular plays in the field.

But in the finale, Detwiler was the star.

Playing with a torn ligament in his left thumb, he hit a two-run homer on Nathan Moreau's 3-2 pitch in the second inning that barely cleared the right-field fence, just over the glove of Matt Olson.

There was no doubt about Detwiler's second blast, a high drive that landed three-quarters of the way up the stands in left field.

That three-run shot off Dean Weaver was Detwiler's third homer of the CWS and 12th of the season. It also marked the fourth time a player went deep twice in a championship game.

Detwiler, who had an RBI double in the fourth, said he didn't let his thumb injury hinder him.

"It's mind over matter," he said. "It's just a little pain. The pain is temporary. Pride is forever."

Detwiler caught a fly in right for the final out of the game -- just as his teammates predicted in the dugout before they went out for the ninth.

Wilson (5-5) turned in the best performance of any starter in this year's CWS. The junior left-hander struck out nine, walked one and held Georgia to three singles and a triple in seven shutout innings.

Fresno State forced the final game after coming back from a 5-0 deficit in the third inning to win 19-10 on Tuesday.

Gordon Beckham ended Wilson's shutout bid when he homered leading off the eighth. His 28th homer tied him with LSU's Matt Clark for the national lead.

Wilson, after throwing 127 pitches, gave way to Clayton Allison to start the ninth. Joey Lewis singled leading off and Lyle Allen walked for Georgia (45-25-1).

Batesole called on closer Brandon Burke, who got Miles Starr to hit into a double play. Burke walked Peisel to put runners at the corners, then Olson lined out to Detwiler in right to end the game.