Fresno State wins title, 6-1

OMAHA -- Fresno State was smashing in its final performance as college baseball’s team of destiny, winning a championship that would have been impossible to predict.

With Steve Detwiler providing all the offense Justin Wilson needed, the Bulldogs won their first national championship in a men’s sport with a 6-1 victory over Georgia in Game 3 of the College World Series finals Wednesday night.

Detwiler homered twice and drove in all six runs, and Wilson gave up five hits in eight innings to cap Fresno State’s wild ride to a title.

Fresno State was forecast to be a top-25 team entering the season, but the Bulldogs lost 12 of their first 20 games. They needed to win the Western Athletic Conference tournament just to make the NCAA field of 64, fought off elimination in regionals and super regionals, and became the first No. 4-seeded team from a regional to advance to the College World Series since the tournament expanded in 1999.

No previous national champion has had more losses than the Bulldogs (47-31). Fresno State’s other NCAA title was won by the women’s softball team in 1998.

Fresno State third baseman Tommy Mendonca was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

He hit four home runs and had 11 runs batted in and also made a number of spectacular plays in the field.

Wilson (5-5) turned in the best performance of any starter in this year’s tournament. The junior left-hander struck out nine, walked one and held Georgia to three singles and a triple in seven shutout innings.

Gordon Beckham ended Wilson’s shutout bid when he homered leading off the eighth. His 28th homer tied him with Louisiana State’s Matt Clark for the national lead.

“When you’ve got a wonderful defense behind you and your offense is outstanding, it can’t get better than that,” Wilson said.

Wilson, after throwing 127 pitches, gave way to Clayton Allison to start the ninth. Joey Lewis singled leading off and Lyle Allen walked for Georgia (45-25-1).

Coach Mike Batesole called on closer Brandon Burke, who got Miles Starr to hit into a double play.

Burke walked Ryan Peisel to put runners at the corners, and then Matt Olson lined out to Detwiler in right to end the game.