Repeat

It’s déjà vu all over again, as Yogi would say.

For the second straight year, the Oregon State Beavers defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels to take the crown as the champions of college baseball. There was no sweet revenge for those Tar Heels, who had seen that Beaver-pile one too many times before.

The journey may have been different, some of the players may have changed, but the outcome was irrevocably the same. UNC became the first team to repeat as national runner-up since Stanford in 2000-01, and OSU became just the fifth team in NCAA history to repeat as national champions, the first to do so since Louisiana State in 1996-97.

It was a far cry from last year’s drama-ridden clawing to the championship as the loveable underdogs. This year, the Beavers thoroughly dominated their opponents in Omaha. They ran the gamut undefeated and became the first team ever in College World Series history to win four straight CWS games by six runs or more.

Oregon State proved that timeless saying true, that anything can happen in the postseason, especially in Omaha. This is the same team, after all, that had a losing conference record. And yet there they sit, at the crest of collegiate baseball—the first time a team has finished below .500 in conference play and gone on to win the title. Just like any postseason tournament, it’s getting hot at the right time that really matters, and the Beavers were scorching.

In front of 26,887 fans, the largest crowd to ever watch a CWS finals game—it’s no longer called the championship series, but the finals—OSU broke open a close game with eight runs over the final four innings to take the first game by a final score of 11-4. They took an early 2-0 lead when first baseman Jordan Lennerton crushed a two-run homer, and they never looked back.

In the second game, the one that would clinch the Beaver dynasty, Oregon State actually trailed in a CWS game for the first time in its last 61 innings dating back to last year’s tournament, after North Carolina took 1-0 lead in the first inning. But the Beavers came back to take the lead on the power of a Darwin Barney two-run shot. From then on, it was just a matter of outs before these Beavers cemented their place in College World Series history with a 9-3 win.

“I don’t have to convince these guys that they’re Texas or USC, because they’re Oregon State,” OSU coach Pat Casey said after the win. “We don’t need to be anybody but who we are, and tonight in Omaha, Nebraska, we’re the best club in the country.”

It was the offensive performances of two championship veterans, juniors Mitch Canham and Darwin Barney, that led the Beavers’ title run. Canham entered CWS play in a dismal slump, but just like his team, he stepped up when it came down to the wire. The catcher batted an impressive .400 with a home run and five RBI, as well as a .458 OBP and a .550 slugging percentage. Barney, who seemed to be in the middle of every big inning for Oregon State, hit .350 with a home run and five RBI. The veteran shortstop also slugged .550 and had a perfect fielding percentage.

On the mound, freshman Jorge Reyes was the most valuable hurler for OSU. The righty was impressive in his starts against Cal State Fullerton and North Carolina, going 2-0 in Omaha with a 2.92 ERA in 12 1/3 innings of work. He also struck out six and walked three, while opponents hit .244 against him.

Say what you will about Oregon State’s road to the postseason. But there’s no denying that what they’ve accomplished the past few years is truly impressive.

Postseason Recap

Now that everything is said and done, it’s time to reflect an unforgettable postseason.

Biggest surprises: Oregon State steamrolling the competition to win it all in Omaha after barely even making the postseason at all; Louisville and UC Irvine’s amazing and thrilling runs; Michigan beating Vanderbilt to make the Super Regional.

Biggest disappointments: Vanderbilt and Texas failing to reach a Super Regional; North Carolina rolling over for Oregon State in the finals; the College of Charleston not making the field of 64, and Memphis and Troy making it over CofC;  South Carolina’s collapse in games one and three of the Super Regional against North Carolina.

Most fun to watch: UC Irvine, without a doubt. The Anteaters were the sentimental favorites for nearly everyone without a team to root for.

Most impressive: Oregon State. They got hot at the right time and did everything they had to do to win. Three straight trips to the CWS finals makes the Beavers a true dynasty.

National Awards

The 2007 Golden Spikes Award Show will be televised tonight at 7:30 on ESPNU, where this year’s winner of the Golden Spikes award will be announced. The award show is a 30-minute program that will include interviews and highlights of the finalists, with the winner to be revealed at the end of the broadcast. This year’s finalists are Vanderbilt’s David Price and Pedro Alvarez, Florida’s Matt LaPorta, Florida State’s Tony Thomas Jr. and Texas’ Kyle Russell.

The award is sponsored by Major League Baseball and presented each year by USA Baseball to the top amateur player in college baseball, the player that “exhibits exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship”.

Last year, former University of Washington righthander and current San Fransisco Giant Tim Lincecum won the prestigious award. Past winners include Alex Gordon, Khalil Greene, J.D. Drew, Jason Varitek, Mark Prior, Mark Kotsay and Jason Jennings.

In other upcoming award news, the College Baseball Foundation's Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award will be announced at a special banquet on Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas on the campus of Texas Tech University. The ceremony will be broadcast live by Fox College Sports at 7 p.m. This year’s finalists are familiar names: LaPorta, Price and Thomas.

The three finalists, accompanied by their parents and head coaches, will participate in a two-day affair including the award banquet and Hall of Fame festivities. The winner will be permanently recognized in the College Baseball Hall of Fame alongside this year’s Hall of Fame inductees.

The Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate baseball player and is the only award to encompass the first pitch of the college season to the final out in Omaha. Past winners include Kurt Suzuki, Alex Gordon and Brad Lincoln.

Have a question or comment for Shannon? Email her at shannonmccarthy@sportsgrumblngs.com.