1953 College World Series facts for kids
| Season | 1953 |
|---|---|
| Teams | 8 |
| Finals site |
|
| Champions | Michigan (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Texas (4th CWS Appearance) |
| Winning coach | Ray Fisher (1st title) |
| MOP | J. L. Smith (Texas) |
The 1953 College World Series was a big baseball tournament. It was organized by the NCAA to find the best college team in the country. This event marked the end of the 1953 NCAA baseball season. It took place at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE, from June 11 to June 16. The Michigan Wolverines, coached by Ray Fisher, won the championship. J. L. Smith from the Texas Longhorns was named the Most Outstanding Player.
Unlike today, teams in 1953 were chosen directly for the College World Series. There were no earlier rounds of play. However, from 1954 onwards, teams had to compete in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament preliminary rounds to earn a spot in the College World Series.
Contents
Teams That Played
Eight college baseball teams earned a spot in the 1953 College World Series. These teams came from different parts of the United States. Some teams were making their first appearance, while others, like Texas, had played in the series before.
| School | Conference | Record (Conference) | Head Coach | CWS Appearances | CWS Best Finish | CWS Record | Berth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Independent | 11–3 | John Temple | 0 (last: none) |
none | 0–0 | District I |
| Colorado State | RMC | 15–4 (9–1) | Pete Butler | 1 (last: 1952) |
8th (1952) |
0–2 | District VII |
| Duke | Southern | 21–8 (9–5) | Ace Parker | 1 (last: 1952) |
5th (1952) |
1–2 | District III |
| Houston | MVC | 15–9 (6–2) | Lovette Hill | 0 (last: none) |
none | 0–0 | District V |
| Lafayette | Independent | 17–3–3 | Charlie Gelbert | 0 (last: none) |
none | 0–0 | District II |
| Michigan | Big 10 | 17–8 (10–3) | Ray Fisher | 0 (last: none) |
none | 0–0 | District IV |
| Stanford | CIBA | 28–13–2 (10–6) | Everett Dean | 0 (last: none) |
none | 0–0 | District VIII |
| Texas | SWC | 21–5 (12–3) | Bibb Falk | 3 (last: 1952) |
1st (1949, 1950) |
9–3 | District VI |
Tournament Results
How the Games Unfolded
The tournament used a bracket system to determine the winner. Teams played against each other, and the winners moved on. If a team lost twice, they were out of the tournament.
| First round | Second round | Third round | |||||||||||
| Winner's bracket | |||||||||||||
| Texas | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Duke | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Texas | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Lafayette | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Lafayette | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Colorado State | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Texas | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Michigan | 12 | ||||||||||||
| Boston College | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Houston | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Boston College | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Michigan | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Michigan | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Stanford | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Loser's bracket | |||||||||||||
| Duke | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Colorado State | 2 | Boston College | 1 | ||||||||||
| Lafayette | 211 | ||||||||||||
| Houston | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Stanford | 7 | Lafayette | 4 | ||||||||||
| Stanford | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Semifinals | Finals | if needed | |||||||||||
| Re-ordered Semifinals | |||||||||||||
| Michigan | 4 | Michigan | 7 | ||||||||||
| Texas | 6 | Texas | 5 | ||||||||||
| Texas | 13 | ||||||||||||
| Lafayette | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Boston College | |||||||||||||
Game-by-Game Scores
Here is a list of all the games played during the 1953 College World Series. It shows who won each game and the final score. Some games went into extra innings, which means they lasted longer than the usual nine innings.
| Date | Game | Winner | Score | Loser | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 11 | Game 1 | Texas | 2–1 | Duke | |
| Game 2 | Boston College | 4–1 | Houston | ||
| Game 3 | Lafayette | 6–2 | Colorado State | ||
| Game 4 | Michigan | 4–0 | Stanford | ||
| June 12 | Game 5 | Duke | 3–2 | Colorado State | Colorado State eliminated |
| Game 6 | Stanford | 7–6 | Houston | Houston eliminated | |
| Game 7 | Michigan | 6–2 | Boston College | ||
| Game 8 | Texas | 7–3 | Lafayette | ||
| June 13 | Game 9 | Boston College | 7–6 (11) | Duke | Duke eliminated |
| Game 10 | Lafayette | 4–3 | Stanford | Stanford eliminated | |
| Game 11 | Michigan | 12–5 | Texas | ||
| June 14 | Game 12 | Lafayette | 2–1 (11) | Boston College | Boston College eliminated |
| Game 13 | Texas | 6–4 | Michigan | ||
| June 15 | Game 14 | Texas | 13–3 | Lafayette | Lafayette eliminated |
| June 16 | Final | Michigan | 7–5 | Texas | Michigan wins CWS |
Key Players
Many talented baseball players competed in the 1953 College World Series. Here are some of the notable players from each team:
- Boston College:
- Colorado State:
- Duke: Al Spangler
- Houston: Bobby Clatterbuck, Carlton Hanta
- Lafayette:
- Michigan: Don Eaddy
- Stanford: Chuck Essegian, Jack Shepard
- Texas: J. L. Smith
