The College World Series ended Wednesday night and, for the second time in a row, the Gamecocks took top honors. The South Carolina baseball team defeated the Florida Gators, 5-2, before taking to the field at TD Ameritrade Park to celebrate.
Gamecocks pitcher Michael Roth went 7 and 2/3 innings, allowing just two runs and striking out six batters, while taking the mound on just three days rest to claim the first back-to-back title CWS title for South Carolina since Oregon State did it 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Roth did the dirty work, but it was second baseman Scott Wingo that earned top honors as the 2011 CWS Most Outstanding Player. The Gamecock's leadoff hitter batted .333 in the series while driving in four runs. More importantly, perhaps, Wingo took celebrated with a championship belt that even Rasheed Wallace and Aaron Rodgers might envy.
The Gators best performance came from Mike Zunino as the catcher went 3-for-3 for the runners-up in the deciding game of the series, belting a homer and double to try and keep his Florida baseball team in the game.
In the end, however -- as the highlights in the video below will show -- the Gamecocks were just too good.
With the South Carolina victory, the SEC has now won the past three CWS championships. Maybe it's not just a football conference, eh?