Notable Players Who Appeared in CWS Final

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 24, 2013

Notable Players Who Appeared in CWS Final

Roger Clemens

The Rocket helped the Longhorns win the 1983 title game after defeating Alabama, 4-3. Clemens' teammate and fellow pitcher Calvin Schiraldi was named to the All-Tournament team and was selected as the Most Outstanding Player. Clemens would be drafted 19th overall by the Boston Red Sox and go on to win seven Cy Young Awards.

Fred Lynn

Lynn led the Trojans to three consecutive titles and was part of a USC run of five championships in six years. The outfielder was selected in the second round of the 1973 draft.

Sal Bando

Bando was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1965 College World Series and led Arizona State past Ohio State in the title game. Bando made his Major League debut in 1966 for the Kansas City Athletics and went on to be a four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion in 15 seasons.

Jason Varitek

The former Boston Red Sox captain led the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to the title game in 1994, where they ultimately fell short, losing to Oklahoma 13-5. Varitek still holds Georgia Tech career records for games played, runs scored, base hits and doubles, and he is the only Yellow Jacket to have his number (33) retired.

Nomar Garciaparra

Varitek's teammate at Georgia Tech and eventually with the Boston Red Sox, Garciaparra helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a 50-17 record in 1994.

Steve Rogers

Although a Rogers-led Tulsa squad fell to Arizona State in the 1969 CWS final, the righty went on to have a successful 13-year career in the Big Leagues. He was drafted 4th overall by the Expos in 1971.

Robin Ventura

The owner of college baseball's hitting streak record, hitting safely in 56 consecutive games, Ventura was one of the best college baseball hitters ever. He led Oklahoma State to the title game in 1987 before bowing out to Stanford. Ventura was selected 10th in the 1988 MLB Draft.

Terry Francona

In 1980, the Cleveland Indians manager -- then the University of Arizona's outfielder -- defeated Hawaii in the World Series and was named Most Outstanding Player. Francona played nine seasons in the Big Leagues for five teams before taking over as Philadelphia Phillies manager in 1997.

Pat Burrell

As a freshman at the University of Miami in 1996, Burrell was named first-team All-America and helped lead the Hurricanes to the CWS final. Despite falling to LSU, Burrell became just the third player ever to be named Most Outstanding Player without winning the championship. Two years later, the Philadelphia Phillies selected him with the first overall pick.

Huston Street

Widely regarded as one of the best collegiate closers of all-time, Street pitched Texas to the 2002 national championship. In addition to winning the Most Outstanding Player Award and setting a World Series record for saves, Street, in 2010, was named to the NCAA College World Series Legends team. Now a member of the San Diego Padres, Street was named American League Rookie of the Year in 2005 while with the Oakland Athletics.

Phil Nevin

Despite losing to Pepperdine in the final, Cal State Fullerton's Nevin was named the 1992 CWS Most Outstanding Player. He was selected with the first overall pick in 1992 and went on to play 12 seasons for seven clubs, including an All-Star appearance in 2001.

Mark Kotsay

Kotsay was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1995 College World Series after driving Cal State Fullerton past USC in the final. Kotsay, both an outfielder and a closer in college, pitched his team to the title. A current member of the San Diego Padres, Kotsay has played for eight organizations over 17 seasons.

Todd Walker

Walker led LSU to the national title in 1992 and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He was selected with the 8th pick in the 1994 MLB Draft and would be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. Walker played for seven different teams over a 12-year professional career.

Bob Horner

After defeating South Carolina for the 1977 CWS crown, Arizona State's Bob Horner was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He held the then-NCAA record for career home runs (58) and single-season home runs (25) and was selected with the first overall pick in the 1978 draft.

Notable Players Who Appeared in CWS Final