When last we saw the Harvard baseball team, just as finals were commencing in May, it was on its way to Oklahoma to play in the six-team, double-elimination Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament. A victory in the regional tournament would have earned the Crimson one of eight sports in the College World Series.

Harvard (34-16, 18-2 Ivy) shocked the nation by upsetting No. 4-ranked UCLA in the first round of the Regional by a 7-2 margin. The Crimson rode the strong pitching of Frank Hogan'97, who scattered six hits over eight-plus innings for his eighth victory of the season.

The Crimson continued its dream run through the Regional the following afternoon when it topped Stetson 8-6. At 2-0, Harvard was just two victories away from a ticket to Omaha, but host Oklahoma state stood in its way.

The Cowboys jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, then put the game away with three in the eighth. A late Harvard rally made the score a deceptively close 10-7.

UCLA, which eventually won the region, avenged its earlier loss with a 14-9 win that night, bouncing Harvard from the tournament. The Crimson finished with its first Ivy title since 1985 and its first 30-win season since 1973.

The team's remarkable achievements were rewarded during the off-season as Joe Walsh, Harvard's second-year coach, was named the Northeast Region Division I Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.