Baseball Will Open NCAAs Against Defending National Champs

Two years removed from its last NCAA Tournament, the Harvard baseball team will be rewarded in 2005 by facing the country’s defending national champions.

The Crimson (29-15) will travel to Fullerton, Calif.’s Goodwin Field to face regional host No. 6 Cal State Fullerton (41-15)—also ranked No. 4 in the nation by Baseball America—on Friday at 11 p.m, EST. The game will also be broadcast on ESPNU.

Each NCAA regional is composed of four teams which square off in double elimination format.

Harvard, which is seeded fourth, will face the top-seeded Titans while Missouri (39-20) takes on Arizona (37-19).

The last time the Crimson won a berth to the field of 64 was in 2002, when it defeated Princeton for the Ivy League title and headed to Rice in the opening round. After falling to the Owls 8-3, Harvard dropped out of the tournament after a 4-2 loss to Washington.

The last time Harvard won a regional game was in 1998, when it won two close games in the loser’s bracket. The Crimson defeated Nicholls State 6-5 in 10 innings, and then won 14-11 over Tulane.

Harvard’s first-round opponent that year, interestingly enough, was Fullerton, which razed the Crimson 16-1, and then knocked Harvard out of the tournament in the regional semifinals 11-7.

This postseason, Harvard coach Joe Walsh has committed to sending undefeated senior Mike Morgalis (5-0, 3.53 ERA) to the mound in Game One.

The outstanding question, however, might be who Morgalis will be dueling against in California.

The Titans may choose to save top prospect and left-handed ace Ricky Romero (12-4, 2.80, 129 Ks) against Harvard in favor of reserving him for the later games.

If Fullerton makes that decision, the Crimson will likely see another lefty in Scott Sarver (9-3, 3.97). Both Sarver and Romero were on last year’s national championship team, and boast big-time tournament experience and success.

Harvard will also have its work cut out for it as the Titans also feature an offense that ESPN has called Fullerton’s best ever. As many as 15 total players have been projected as draftees.

Former Titans, notably, include current major-leaguers Mark Kotsay, Phil Nevin, Aaron Rowand, Jeremy Giambi, Kirk Saarloos, and Chad Cordero.

—PABLO S. TORRE