TEMPE, Ariz. — Steve Susdorf’s two-run homer capped Fresno State’s six-run seventh inning as the Bulldogs stunned Arizona State 12-9 on Monday night to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1991.
Fresno State (42-29) became the first No. 4 seed to reach Omaha since the NCAA expanded the tournament field to 64 teams in 1999.
• Ryan Schimpf homered twice and drove in five runs and Blake Dean went 5-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs as LSU (48-17-1) routed Cal-Irvine 21-7 in Baton Rouge, La., to advance to Omaha.
Netherlands upsets Italians
BERN, Switzerland — The Netherlands handed Italy its worst loss in a European soccer championship, a 3-0 rout that left the World Cup champions in danger of elimination in the first round.
Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wesley Sneijder scored in the first half, and defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst added the third goal on a counterattack in the 79th minute.
The Dutch have the only win in Group C after France tied Romania 0-0 earlier in the day.
Woods’ knee holds up
LA JOLLA, Calif. — Tiger Woods, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two days after the Masters, played the front nine of Torrey Pines’ South Course in preparation for this week’s U.S. Open.
“He didn’t say ‘Ow’ to me, so it must be good,” cracked Bubba Watson, who played with Woods and amateur Jordan Cox from Stanford.
Woods pulled out after nine holes, spent some time on the putting green and then walked toward the Lodge at Torrey Pines, accompanied by two San Diego policemen, caddie Steve Williams and swing coach Hank Haney.
Woods didn’t speak to reporters.
“He looked good,” Haney said. “He’ll be OK. No problems so far.”
• Playing on two courses, Michelle Wie carded rounds of 70 and 67 and her 137 total was the second-best score on the day and more than enough to qualify her for the U.S. Women’s Open, to be played this month in Edina, Minn.
• The PGA Tour announced the AT&T Classic will not return to Atlanta in 2009. The tournament, formerly known as the BellSouth Classic, has been held in Atlanta for 40 years but lost AT&T as its title sponsor in December, paving the way for the Valero Texas Open to move its tournament to the spring.
Footnotes.
Cal State Fullerton basketball coach Bob Burton, who led the Titans to their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 30 years, signed a five-year contract extension.
• Brown University announced assistant coach Jesse Agel will replace basketball coach Craig Robinson, the brother-in-law of Barack Obama who left to take the head coaching job at Oregon State.
• Morakinyo Williams, a 6-foot-11 center who was one of Kentucky’s top recruits a year ago, is transferring to Duquesne.
• Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen will retire next summer after 26 years on the job.
• Spain’s Alejandro Valverde won a finish-line sprint to claim the first stage of the Dauphine Libere cycling race in France, while Norway’s Thor Hushovd took the overall lead.
The Associated Press
