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Bucknell Shock Noles In NCAA Opener

AP Photo

FSU starting Pitcher Geoff Parker, third from left, waits to be relieved after giving up four runs to Bucknell during NCAA Regional action Friday at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 31, 2008

TALLAHASSEE – For those who don't follow the Bison closely, here is a quick history lesson about Bucknell baseball:

Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson played at the school, whose football stadium is named after the 373-game winner, but not the baseball field, which consists only of two sets of wooden bleachers. In fact, the crowds are so small that the school doesn't even sell tickets to games, filling the bleachers with "parents, girlfriends and students on nice days" according to Coach Gene Depew.

Oh, and this interesting note: since Bucknell first fielded a baseball team in 1886 – 14 years before Mathewson made his big-league debut with the New York Giants – the Bison had never won an NCAA Tournament game in three previous trips prior to Friday night's 7-0 stunner over No. 2-ranked Florida State.

"It's huge for our program," Bucknell senior Jason Buursma said.

The loss snapped FSU's 15-year streak of starting the tournament with a victory.

To give you an idea of how wacky the first day of the Tallahassee Regional turned out to be, fans clamoring for a FSU-Florida matchup in today's second round got their wish, thanks to the Gators losing earlier in the day to Tulane. Adding a twist, Florida, thanks to a coin flip, will be the home team.

On Friday, Bucknell starter Mathew Wilson pitched his way into the school record books by tossing a six-hit shutout against the nation's top hitting team (.350 team average), using an assortment of off-speed pitches in a 153-pitch outing he called "pretty surreal."

"In my mind, it was 0-0 the whole time," Wilson said. "That's the best baseball team I've ever pitched against."

FSU rarely threatened Wilson, a right-hander from Toronto. The loss marked the first time the Noles have been shut out all season.

"He stayed on the corners the whole night," said Buster Posey, the National Player of the Year. "It never seemed like you got a great pitch to hit off him."

At the end of his gem, Martin and catcher Shawn Hirsch embraced for about 30 seconds in front of the mound as the rest of the team ran onto the field. A disappointed crowd of 4,570 at Dick Howser Stadium, expecting the top-seeded Noles to roll over the Bison, had nothing left but a standing ovation.

"He was just a thing of beauty," FSU coach Mike Martin said. "For a guy to come in here and throw 153 pitches and shut us out, that's quite a credit to that young man. This was Bucknell's night."

Bucknell, which entered 0-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, wasted no time in providing Wilson with ample support, taking a 4-0 lead and knocking Zephyrhills High product Geoff Parker out of his first career postseason start after only 2 1/3 innings.

Bucknell's Dane Grandizio had four hits, and Hirsch collected two hits and two RBIs.

"I'm very proud of our club," said Depew, who showed a clip of Bucknell's upset of Kansas in the 2005 men's basketball tournament prior to the game. "We're very pleased, I think, to bring some good publicity to the Patriot League. I don't think that the Patriot League gets a great deal of respect in the baseball world. I'm glad we were able to represent it well."

In the first game, Florida (34-23) chased Tulane starter Shooter Hunt by scoring four runs in the sixth inning, but the Green Wave (38-20-1) answered with a six-run seventh inning for a 7-4 victory.

The loser of today's FSU-Florida game is eliminated. Florida's Patrick Keating (8-1, 3.47 ERA) will face FSU's Matt Fairel (10-2, 3.32).

"We're excited to play Florida. It's going to be a fun game," Posey said. "We're going to come ready to play just like they will."

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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