The 2004 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was held from June 4 through June 27, . Sixty-four NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA tournament. The tournament culminates with 8 teams in the College World Series at historic Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.
In the 58th College World Series and the 55th series held in Omaha, the Cal State Fullerton Titans rode the arm of Jason Windsor, named the Series' Most Outstanding Player, to prevail over the field and claim the 2004 National Championship. The Titans won Bracket II with a 3–1 record and went on to sweep Bracket I winner Texas in two games to claim the title. Windsor picked up two complete game victories and a save, and threw more than 300 pitches in the series. Ricky Romero also recorded two wins for the Titans.
Bids
Automatic bids Conference champions from 30 Division I conferences earned automatic bids to regionals. The remaining 34 spots were awarded to schools as at-large invitees. ConferenceSchoolBerty type America East Tournament champion ACC Tournament champion Atlantic Sun Tournament champion A-10 Tournament champion Big 12 Tournament champion Big East Tournament champion Big South Tournament champion Big Ten Tournament champion Big West Cal State Fullerton Regular-season champion CAA Tournament champion Conference USA Tournament champion Horizon League Tournament champion Ivy League Championship series winner MAAC Tournament champion MAC Tournament champion Mid-Con Tournament champion MEAC Tournament champion Missouri Valley Tournament champion MWC Tournament champion NEC Tournament champion OVC Tournament champion Pac-10 Regular-season champion Patriot League Tournament champion SEC South Carolina Tournament champion SoCon The Citadel Tournament champion Southland Tournament champion SWAC Tournament champion Sun Belt Tournament champion WAC Regular-season champion WCC Championship series winner
Bids by conference Conference Total Schools Southeastern 9 Arkansas, Florida, , LSU, , , South Carolina, , Atlantic Coast 6 Clemson, , , , , Big 12 6 Missouri, , , Texas, , Pacific-10 5 Arizona, , , , Conference USA 4 , , , Big West 3 Cal State Fullerton, , Atlantic Sun 2 , Big East 2 , Big South 2 , Colonial Athletic 2 , Southern 2 The Citadel, Sun Belt 2 , America East 1 Atlantic 10 1 Big Ten 1 Horizon 1 Independent 1 Miami (FL) Ivy 1 Metro Atlantic 1 Mid-American 1 Mid-Continent 1 Mid-Eastern 1 Missouri Valley 1 Mountain West 1 Northeast 1 Ohio Valley 1 Patriot 1 Southland 1 Southwestern Athletic 1 Western Athletic 1 West Coast 1
Tournament notes Birmingham–Southern, UC Irvine, College of Charleston, Jacksonville St., St. Bonaventure, Stony Brook, Texas Southern, and Youngstown St. were making their first NCAA tournament appearance.
College World Series notes Four of the eight teams are members of the Southeastern Conference; the conference tied its own record set in 1997 when Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Mississippi State participated. South Carolina and Texas made their third consecutive appearance in Omaha; the Longhorns defeated the Gamecocks in the 2002 national championship game, the last year the bracket winners played one winner-take-all game. Cal State Fullerton, Miami, and LSU were also included in last year's CWS field. Last year's champion and runner-up, Rice and Stanford, did not make it past Sub-Regional play; 2004 was the first time in six years that Stanford has not made it to Omaha. The 2004 participants combined for 110 CWS appearances and 21 Championships; only Arkansas and South Carolina had yet to win a title. The 2004 participants had won 10 of the last 14 national titles.
CWS records tied or broken Most appearances in one CWS by a pitcher: five by Texas' J. B. Cox, the 10th time that has happened. Most CWS games finished by a relief pitcher in a career: nine by Texas' Huston Street (2001–03), tying the mark set by Miami's Rick Raether (1985–86). Largest single-game attendance: 28,216 on June 23 for the South Carolina-Cal State Fullerton game.
National seeds Bold indicates CWS participant.
Texas South Carolina Miami (FL)
Arkansas
Regionals and super regionals
Bold indicates winner.
Austin Super Regional
Columbia Super Regional
Coral Gables Super Regional
Atlanta Super Regional
Long Beach Super Regional Hosted by Long Beach State at Blair Field.
Baton Rouge Super Regional
Fullerton Super Regional
Fayetteville Super Regional
College World Series
Participants School Conference Record (conference) Head coach CWS appearances Best CWS finish CWS recordNot including this year Arizona Pac-10 35–25–1 (12–12) Andy Lopez 14(last: 1986) 1st(1976, 1980, 1986) 32–25 Arkansas SEC 45–22 (19–11) Dave Van Horn 4(last: 1989) 2nd(1979) 7–8 Cal State Fullerton Big West 42–21 (19–2) George Horton 12(last: 2003) 1st(1979, 1984, 1995) 27–20 SEC 43–21 (19–11) David Perno 3(last: 2001) 1st(1990) 4–5 LSU SEC 46–17 (18–12) Smoke Laval 12(last: 2003) 1st(1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000) 29–15 Miami (FL) n/a 49–11 (n/a) Jim Morris 20(last: 2003) 1st(1982, 1985, 1999, 2001) 44–32 South Carolina SEC 50–15 (17–13) Ray Tanner 7(last: 2003) 2nd(1975, 1977, 2002) 14–14 Texas Big 12 55–13 (19–7) Augie Garrido 30(last: 2003) 1st(1949, 1950, 1975, 1983, 2002) 70–51
Bracket
Championship series
Saturday 6/26 Game #1
Sunday 6/27 Game #2
All-Tournament Team
The following players were members of the College World Series All-Tournament Team. Position Player School P Jason Windsor (MOP) Ricky Romero C Landon Powell 1B Steve Pearce 2B Seth Johnston Texas 3B Bryan Triplett SS Roger Tomas Miami (FL) OF Jon Jay Miami (FL) Trevor Crowe Arizona Brian Barton Miami (FL) DH Felipe Garcia
See also 2004 NCAA Division II baseball tournament 2004 NCAA Division III baseball tournament 2004 NAIA World Series
References