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TAMPA, Florida — Two years ago, Utah State won the National Club Baseball Association Division 1 championship. Thursday in Tampa, Utah State was back in the title game seeking its second title in just three years.
After an early loss to Cal Berkley in the tournament, Utah State completed its prolific run to rise from the losers bracket to win the national championship in a grudge match vs. the Bears, winning the rematch 6-3.
The second seeded Aggies began the tournament with a 6-5 win over Colorado State before a disheartening 14-13 loss to Cal Berkley in the second round.
"After we lost our second game, I told the team I wasn't ready yet to be done," retiring head coach Norman Doyle told Utah State's official website.
"'Give me one more game,' I told them, and they did just that".
And boy, was he right. The Aggies bounced back in the loser's bracket with wins over No. 3 Florida State and No. 8 Wisconsin to earn the rematch with the Golden Bears for the title.
"They kept gutting it out for the win," Doyle said. "They got us to the top. Nothing better than going out on top."
With the win, Utah State became the second team to win two titles in the 14 years of the NCBA World Series - Colorado State being the other.
Kelton Cronquist out of Mountain Crest High School had four hits and an RBI to lead the Aggies, while Kolton Anderson out of Weber High added three hits and an RBI.
Dustin Christensen from Northridge High came on in relief to pitch three scoreless innings.
