CWS: 20th Century Quiz | College Sports

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In what year did the first College World Series take place?

Answer: 1947

Eight teams were invited to the first NCAA tournament in 1947: California, Clemson, Denver, Illinois, NYU, Oklahoma, Texas, and Yale. California defeated Yale to win the first College World Series championship.

2. All of these cities hosted the Division I College World Series except _____ ?

Answer: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Hyames Field in Kalamazoo hosted the first two College World Series, (1947 and 1948), which were best-of-three series pitting Yale against California and then Southern California. Wichita hosted a four-team CWS tournament the following season. In 1950, Omaha hosted the CWS for the first time.

3. Even people who are not baseball fans, generally know that future U.S. President George Bush played on Yale's 1947 and 1948 CWS teams. What position did he play ?

Answer: First baseman

George Bush was the captain of the Yale Elis' 1948 CWS baseball squad.
The Elis lost the first CWS to California, 2 games to none, and the second to Southern California, 2 games to 1.

4. Only one school from either District I or II, representing the northeastern section of the United States, won the Division I CWS from the 1940s through to the 1990s. Which school was it?

Answer: College of the Holy Cross

After an early loss in the College World Series, Holy Cross won five straight games to take the title in 1952, becoming the first team in District I to take the title (which was still the case at the end of the 20th century).
District II did not have a CWS title holder by the close of the 20th century. Penn State came the closest, entering the CWS unbeaten at 19-0 in 1957, but lost twice to California in the CWS, including a heart-breaking 1-0 loss in the title game.

5. While Districts I and II (representing the northeastern U.S.) combined for only 1 title at the Division I level, the two districts have over half of the national championships at the Division III level in its first 25 seasons. Which of these District I and II schools, all of whom have won multiple national titles, was involved in the first Division III CWS championship game?

Answer: Ithaca College

Ithaca College, winner of two national titles in the 20th century, was involved in the very first Division III CWS championship game, losing 13-6 to Cal State Stanislaus in 1976 at Marietta, Ohio.
Eastern Connecticut State, Montclair State, and Marietta OH led Division III with three championships each.

6. Which of these 4 cities, all of whom have hosted Division II CWS games, hosted the first Division II CWS in 1968?

Answer: Springfield, Missouri

Springfield MO hosted the first Division II College World Series, with Chapman defeating Delta State, 11-0, in the title game. They hosted three more Division II championships before Springfield IL took over for the 1972-1979 period. Riverside CA then took over, hosting for 5 years, before Montgomery AL became the host. Paterson Field in Montgomery hosted the Division II College World Series from 1985.

7. Jim Ehrler of Texas threw the first no-hitter in College World Series history, blanking Tufts 7-0 in 1950. Who threw the second no-hitter in College World Series history ?

Answer: Jim Wixson of Oklahoma State, beating North Carolina in 1960

McQueen pitched 14 scoreless innings in 1972, and combined with Mark Sogge to shutout ASU 1-0 in the championship game. Ferris defeated Seton Hall, 4-1, in the 1964 tournament opener, then on consecutive nights pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for a save to eliminate #2 Arizona State and elminated #3 USC with a complete game 2-1 win to gather himself an MVP award. Arlin had 4 wins and an 0.96 ERA in 9 CWS games for Ohio State in 1965 and 1966.

However, Wixson's 7-0 victory over UNC is the second CWS no-hitter. Four pitchers threw no-hitters in district or regional play: Bob Fenton of Penn State defated Rider, 3-0, in 1963; Jim Hogarty of Air Force beat Idaho, 5-0, in 1967; Jack Kucek of Miami (Ohio) defeated Cincinnati, 3-0, in 1974; and John Burke of Florida beat Furman, 2-0, in 1991.

8. Which of these pitchers (all of whom threw one-hitters at the CWS) actually lost the ballgame in which he pitched the one-hitter ?

Answer: Jackie Lonergan of Holy Cross, losing to Missouri in 1952

Lonergan lost a 1-0 one-hitter to Missouri in 1952 in a game which may have upset the Crusaders; Missouri lost back-to-back games to Holy Cross later in the 1952 title round. Keogh's 3-1 win over Rutgers was not only the first CWS one-hitter but also the only one-hitter thrown during the 20th century that went overtime, as it took 10 innings for the victory. Howe's 4-0 victory over Baylor makes him perhaps the best known pitcher to throw a CWS one-hitter. Dunn actually combined with Tim Meacham to one-hit ASU, 6-0, in the first game in which multiple pitchers combined for a one-hitter at the CWS. Of course, the most famous one-hitter in all of NCAA tournament history probably belongs to Ron Darling of Yale, who no-hit St. John's for 11 innings in the 1981 Northeast Regional. Darling gave up one hit and an unearned run in the 12th as Yale lost the game, 1-0.

9. Nine schools that no longer sponsor baseball as a varsity sport made appearances at the CWS. Of these nine, two made multiple CSW trips. Iowa State, with appearances at the CWS in 1957 and 1970, is one of those two schools. Which of the following schools, that no longer sponsors baseball, is the other to make it to Omaha twice?

Answer: Tulsa

Tulsa appeared in the College World Series in both 1969 and 1971, ending up national runners-up to Arizona State in 1969. Other schools who have dropped baseball and yet have a College World Series berth in their athletic history are Colgate (1955), Colorado State (then known as Colorado A&M, 1950), New Hampshire (1956), Oregon (1954), Syracuse (1961), Wisconsin (1950), and Wyoming (1967).

10. College World Series champions typically are teams that have had outstanding regular seasons. The four teams listed below were the Division I champions who compiled the best winning percentage for an entire season, from the 1940s to the 1990s. Which of these four had the best winning percentage?

Answer: 1975 Texas Longhorns

The 1975 Longhorns led the pack with a 59-6 record and a .908 winning percentage for the full season. Second best were the 1958 Trojans at 29-3 and .906; third best were the 1952 Crusaders at 21-3 and .875; fourth best were the 1965 Sun Devils at 54-8 and .871.

11. Even those national champions whose winning percentages rank lowest among all the national champions, still had outstanding seasons. Among all Division I CWS champions from the 1940s through to the 1990s, these four squads had the lowest winning percentage: which of these squads had the lowest?

Answer: 1988 Stanford Cardinal

Stanford's 1988 squad won exactly 2/3 of its games that season, going 46-23, making it the Division I CWS champion with the worst season winning percentage (.667) and also most losses in a season in the 20th century. The next three on the list are the 1951 Sooners (19-9, .6786), 1980 Wildcats (45-21-1, .6791), and 1962 Wolverines (34-15, .694).

12. From the 1940s through to the 1990s, the championship game of the Division I CWS went to extra innings four times. Which of these schools did not win an extra-inning national championship during that period?

Answer: Arizona State

While Arizona State won 5 and lost 4 CWS championship games, none went to extra innings. The first championship game to go extra innings was in 1958, when USC defeated Missouri, 8-7. The two longest championship games went 15 innings each; Michigan beat Santa Clara 5-4 in 1962, and USC defeated Florida State 2-1 in 1970.

The only other championship game to go extra innings was in 1960, when Minnesota defeated USC 2-1 in 12 innings.

13. The Division II College World split off from Division I in 1968. Prior to that time, a few schools that have since reclassified to Divisions II or III appeared in the College World Series. Which of these schools, all of whom have sent teams to the Division I CWS but which are no longer Division I programs, had a squad make it to the Division I championship game ?

Answer: Rollins College

In 1954, the Rollins Tars posted a 25-8 overall record, represented District III in the College World Series and made it to the championship game before losing to Missouri by a 4-1 score. Rollins College had only 700 students on campus that year, making it the smallest school to participate in College World Series history.

14. Which of these pitchers threw the most innings in a single game at a College World Series?

Answer: Steve Arlin of Ohio State

On June 10, 1965, Steve Arlin of Ohio State pitched 15 innings without allowing a run as Ohio State edged Washington State, 1-0. This record was still standing at the end of the 20th century. His 20 strikeouts in that game was also a high mark for a pitcher in a College World Series game.

15. From the 1940s through to the 1990s, a number of pitchers pitched multiple games at a single CWS without allowing any runs. The pitchers listed below are at the top of that list because they pitched the most scoreless innings in a single CWS. Which one is the record holder with 16 1/3 scoreless innings pitched in a single College World Series ?

Answer: John Stewart of Southern California in 1966

Stewart pitched in 16 1/3 innings and 5 games for USC in 1966 without allowing a run, making him the record holder in this category. Runner-up is Jackson, who had 15 1/3 scoreless innings in 2 games in 1977 for Arizona State. Third is Hooton, who had 15 scoreless innings in 2 games for Texas in 1969. Three pitchers had 14 scoreless innings in a single series; Ahearne was one, along with Russ McQueen of USC in 1972 and Jackson Todd of Oklahoma in 1972.

16. Not every CWS record holder can be proud of his accomplishment. Each of the following four people hold a CWS record they would have liked to see someone else take over. Which of these four record holders set a record when he walked 15 batters in a single CWS game?

Answer: James Waldrip of Oklahoma

On June 14, 1951, Waldrip walked 15 batters against Springfield College at the CWS. Amazingly, the Maroons could manage only one run against him as Oklahoma won the game 7-1. LeFevers set the record for most errors in a single world series, committing 8 in 4 games in 1960 for Arizona. Tirabassi set the mark for most errors in a single game, committing five in a 7-4 loss to Colgate in 1955. Keough walked 20 batters in 2 games at the 1950 College World Series, giving him the mark for the most bases on balls allowed in a single CWS. All of these records were still standing at the end of the 1990s.

17. USC's 21-14 victory over Arizona State in 1998 marked the highest scoring championship game in CWS history, and tied for the highest output for any CWS game. Who were the two teams that had previously combined for 35 runs in a game at the CWS?

Answer: Arizona State and Oklahoma State

The Sun Devils defeated Oklahoma State, 23-12, in 1984 to set the record that they matched 14 years later, in their 1998 championship loss to USC. LSU and Georgia Tech combined for 42 runs in a 29-13 LSU victory in Baton Rouge, setting a regional record to that point. With 23 hits, the winning team set a record for most hits by a single team in the ASU-OSU, USC-ASU, and ASU-Wichita games. Miami and Tennessee set a combined record with 41 hits in 2001.

18. Who is recognized as holding the record for highest batting average in a single College World Series in the 20th century?

Answer: Jim Morris of Notre Dame

Morris went 10-14 in the 1957 CWS for Notre Dame, giving him the record for best batting average at .714. Moreland held the 20th century record for most career hits at the College World Series. McDougall was one of three players tied with the most total bases in a single game. Kotsay was one of five players tied for the most RBIs in a single game.

19. A military school at the College World Series: which of these schools sent their team to Omaha ?

Answer: College of the Citadel

In 1990, one year after their baseball stadium was devastated by Hurricane Hugo, the Citadel followed up a season in which it had a 26-game winning streak with a regional title in Coral Gables FL, beating the Miami Hurricanes twice on their home field in the process.

In Omaha, the Bulldogs sandwiched an 8-7, 12-inning victory over Cal State Fullerton between two losses to powerhouse LSU.

20. Each of the pairs of schools below had teams involved in a championship game shutout. Which of these pairs were involved in the most lopsided shutout in CWS championship game history ?

Answer: Louisiana State and Wichita State

Freshman Brett Laxton started for LSU in an 8-0 shutout of Wichita State in 1993, making this game the most lopsided shutout in championship game history. The other three championship game shutouts were actually quite close. California beat Penn State in 1957 and USC beat Oklahoma State in 1961 by 1-0 scores. Texas won the 1950 championship by defeating Washington State 3-0 in the championship game.

21. Of the 14 schools who made only one championship game appearance from the 1940s to the 1990s, how many won their championship game ?

Answer: 3

Holy Cross in 1952, Georgia in 1990, Pepperdine in 1992 were the only schools to win in their only championship game appearance. Eleven schools lost their only appearance in the championship game (Eastern Michigan, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Houston, Penn State, Rollins, Santa Clara, Tennessee, Tulsa, Washington State, and Western Michigan).

22. Of the four states listed below, which state had the fewest schools and fewest appearances in the College World Series during the 20th century?

Answer: Virginia

Virginia had only one school make an appearance at the College World Series. In 1983, James Madison's baseball team dispersed to their homes following a surprising loss to William and Mary in the ECAC South tournament. The Dukes players had to be recalled from around the country after being named an at large team in the East Regional at Chapel Hill. JMU then won four straight regional games to become the only squad from the state of Virginia to make the College World Series in the 20th century. Alabama and Auburn both made CWS appearances from Alabama; Colorado State and Northern Colorado from Colorado; and Michigan, Western Michigan, and Eastern Michigan all represented the state of Michigan.

23. The NCAA has chosen five CWS all-decade teams for the 1940s/50s, the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, and 90s. Which school had the most players selected for an all-decade team ?

Answer: Arizona State

With eight selections, Arizona State had the most of any school. USC and Oklahoma State tied with six selections each, followed by Texas with five and Arizona with four.

24. Anyone who knows college baseball is familiar with the most famous hit in college baseball history. LSU's Warren Morris hit a two-run home run off Miami reliever Robbie Morrison with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning of the CWS championship game, turning a 5-6 deficit into a 7-6 victory. In what year did that occur ?

Answer: 1996

While no World Series at the major league level had ended on a home run that changed a loss into a win, Morris did that very thing for LSU at the Division I level in 1996. The All-American Tiger second baseman suffered through an injury-riddled season, making the home run his first of the season.

25. U.S. Presidents have attended major league baseball games on occasion, but how many sitting presidents attended a College World Series game during the 20th century ?

Answer: 0

George W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, became the first president to attend a CWS game, but it didn't occur until the beginning of the 21st century. Bush actually threw out the first pitch of the 2001 College World Series, and saw much of a wild contest between Stanford and Tulane, won by the Cardinal 13-11.

Source: Author rickr_stny

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

CWS: 20th Century Trivia Quiz

These questions pertain to NCAA College World Series results, from its beginning through the end of the 2000 season.

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