Creighton Bluejays baseball

The Creighton Bluejays baseball team represents the Creighton University in NCAA Division I college baseball. Creighton competes as a member of the Big East Conference and plays its home games at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Creighton's baseball team played its first Big East season in 2014. They are coached by Ed Servais who is entering his 12th season as head coach of the Bluejays. His record at Creighton is 389–230 (.628 winning percentage).

Creighton Bluejays baseball
Founded1951 (1951)
UniversityCreighton University
Head coachEd Servais (17th season)
ConferenceBig East
LocationOmaha, Nebraska
Home stadiumCreighton Sports Complex
(Capacity: 2,000) or
TD Ameritrade Park Omaha
(Capacity: 24,505)
NicknameBluejays
ColorsBlue and White[1]
         
College World Series appearances
1991
NCAA regional champions
1991
NCAA Tournament appearances
1973, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2019
Conference tournament champions
MVC: 2007, 2011, 2012
Big East: 2019
Conference champions
Big East: 2014
MVC: 2005, 2011

The team plays its home games at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, also the home of the College World Series, an event which the Bluejays baseball programs serves as the official host school for, providing each of the schools in the tournament practice facilities, training assistance, and assisting with game scoring.[2] Prior to the opening of TD Ameritrade Park, the program played games at the Creighton Sports Complex and Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in South Omaha, which was also the home of the NCAA College World Series and the Omaha Royals (now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers) of the Pacific Coast League.

1991 College World Series

Creighton appeared in the NCAA College World Series for the only time in 1991. The Jays advanced to the CWS by defeating the Hawaii Rainbows 15–8 in finals of the NCAA West I Regional in Los Angeles. Prior to the victory over Hawaii, the Jays swept the four-game regional by beating Pepperdine, Minnesota and host team USC in a 10-inning 8–7 victory.

The seventh-seeded Bluejays (49–20) opened play against the second seeded Clemson Tigers in front of then record crowd of more than 16,000 at Rosenblatt Stadium. The game ended with an 8–4 Creighton victory, setting up a second round match with MVC rival Wichita State.

The Jays had finished the 1991 regular season with an overall record of 46–18, and a 16–8 record in the Missouri Valley Conference, good enough for second place behind league champion Wichita State. The Shockers had swept the regular season four-game series with the Jays, and had also defeated the Jays twice in the 1991 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament.

In one of the more memorable games in College World Series history, the Shockers defeated the Jays 3–2 in 12 innings. With one out in the bottom of the twelfth inning Wichita State center fielder Jim Audley threw out Creighton's pinch-runner Steve Bruns at home plate in a play known to Bluejay and Shocker fans alike as "the throw." The game was recently ranked third in the list of the 25 greatest games in College World Series history by the Omaha World-Herald.

The Jays bounced back to defeat Long Beach State 13–4 in an elimination game, to set up a rematch with Wichita State in the National Semifinals. A trip to the title game for Creighton was not to be, however, as Wichita State advanced to the National Championship game after defeating Creighton for the eighth time that season, 11–3.

LSU defeated Wichita State 6–3 to win the 1991 NCAA Baseball National Championship.

The Bluejays Head Coach during that memorable 1991 season, Jim Hendry, is a former General Manager of the Chicago Cubs. Jim Hendry is also the only former Creighton Bluejay to have his number retired. His name and number (25) hang on the center field fence of Creighton Sports Complex.

Notable former Bluejay Baseball players include Hall of Fame inductee Bob Gibson as well as Dave McKay, Pat Venditte, Dennis Rasmussen, Scott Stahoviak, Scott Servais, Zach Daeges, Chad McConnell, Alan Benes and Nicky Lopez.

Team Honors

Big East Conference Regular Season Champions (2): 2014* 2019*

* Outright

Big East Conference Tournament Champions (1): 2019

Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Champions (2): 2005*, 2011*

* Outright

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions (3): 2007, 2011, 2012

NCAA Regionals Appearances (10): 1973, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2019

College World Series Appearances (1): 1991

Yearly records

The table below reflects the yearly history of the Creighton baseball team.[3] (note official results were not kept until 1966)

Year Coach W-L Conference Tournament Post Season Other
1966 Herb Millard 12–12
1967 Herb Millard 15–8
1968 Herb Millard 14–8
1969 Tony Trvdik 11–24
1970 Larry Cochell 25–7
1971 Larry Cochell 24–21
1972 Dave Baker 16–17
1973 Dave Baker 25–16 NCAA District 5 Playoffs (0–2)
1974 Dave Baker 30–18
1975 Dave Baker 32–12
1976 Dave Baker 22–27–1
1977 Dave Baker 15–16 4th 6th
1978 Jerry Bartee 16–17 6th 5th
1979 Jerry Bartee 17–27–1 7th T-6th
1980 Jerry Bartee 26–22–1 4th T-6th
1981 Dave Underwood 37–30 2nd (West)
1982 Dave Underwood 32–23 2nd (West) 4th
1983 Dave Underwood 39–17 2nd (West) 4th
1984 Dave Underwood / Jim Hendry 23–21 6th
1985 Jim Hendry 35–27 5th
1986 Jim Hendry 33–29–1 5th 6th
1987 Jim Hendry 35–24 5th 3rd
1988 Jim Hendry 43–21–1 2nd T-1st All-American Catcher Scott Servais Drafted in 3rd Round by Houston Astros
1989 Jim Hendry 37–26 4th 4th
1990 Jim Hendry 48–22 3rd 2nd NCAA Central Regional (2–2)
1991 Jim Hendry 51–22 2nd 2nd NCAA West Regional I (4–0) 1991 College World Series (2–2) All-American Scott Stahoviak Named National Player of the Year, Bluejays finish 3rd in NCAA
1992 Todd Wenberg 41–19–1 2nd 2nd NCAA Central Regional (1–2)
1993 Todd Wenberg 32–25 T-5th 3rd
1994 Jack Dahm 28–29 3rd 4th
1995 Jack Dahm 35–22 2nd 3rd
1996 Jack Dahm 19–31–1 7th
1997 Jack Dahm 27–27 7th
1998 Jack Dahm 27–27–1 6th T-5th
1999 Jack Dahm 38–25 3rd 2nd NCAA South Bend Regional (0–2)
2000 Jack Dahm 38–22 3rd 4th NCAA Tempe Regional (0–2)
2001 Jack Dahm 21–31 7th
2002 Jack Dahm 30–24 2nd T-5th
2003 Jack Dahm 20–37 T-6th T-5th LHP Tom Oldham 6th Round Draft Pick of Seattle Mariners
2004 Ed Servais 35–24 2nd 4th RHP Steve Grasley named All-American; signs with Seattle Mariners
2005 Ed Servais 48–17 1st 2nd NCAA Lincoln Regional (2–2) Bluejays win first conference regular season title in school history, RHP Eric Wordekemper 46th Round Draft of New York Yankees, LHP Scott Reese named All-American
2006 Ed Servais 31–21 4th 4th OF Zach Daeges named All-American; 6th Round Draft Pick of Boston Red Sox, LHP Marc Lewis 26th Round Draft Pick of Milwaukee Brewers, RHP Adam Schaecher 31st Round Draft Pick of Texas Rangers, OF Chase Odenreider 49th Round Draft Pick of New York Yankees
2007 Ed Servais 45–17 2nd 1st NCAA Fayetteville Regional (1–2) Creighton Wins Conference Tournament, Pitchers Pat Venditte and Ben Mancuso named All-Americans, LHP Marc Lewis 20th Round Draft Pick of Florida Marlins, Catcher Chris Gradoville 24th Round Draft Pick of Texas Rangers, Pat Venditte 45th Round Draft Pick of New York Yankees
2008 Ed Servais 37–21 3rd T-4th Pitcher Pat Venditte 20th Round Draft Pick of New York Yankees
2009 Ed Servais 31–25 4th 2nd 1B Darin Ruf 20th Round Draft Pick of Philadelphia Phillies
2010 Ed Servais 27–25 6th 6th SS Elliot Soto 15th Round Draft Pick of Chicago Cubs, C Carson Vitale 38th Round Draft Pick of Texas Rangers
2011 Ed Servais 45–16 1st 1st NCAA Corvallis Regional (1–2) First Creighton baseball team to win both the MVC regular season title and MVC tournament title. P Jonas Dufek 9th Round Draft Pick of Houston Astros, OF Trever Adams 16th Round Draft Pick of Texas Rangers
2012 Ed Servais 28–30 8th 1st NCAA Los Angeles Regional (2–2) Creighton goes from "worst to first" in one week by going undefeated in the 2012 MVC Tournament. One of only three "four seeds" to make the regional finals of the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, before falling to No. 2 national seed UCLA. P Ty Blach 5th Round Draft Pick of San Francisco Giants, C Anthony Bemboom 22nd Round Draft Pick of Los Angeles Angels
2013 Ed Servais 30-18 3rd 8th Final season in the MVC.
2014 Ed Servais 32-17 1st 2nd First year in the Big East.
2015 Ed Servais 27-14 2nd 2nd
2016 Ed Servais 38-17 2nd 2nd
2017 Ed Servais 24-25 1st 3rd
2018 Ed Servais 34-16 5th Failed to make the BIG EAST or NCAA tournaments -- but swept Nebraska in the season series.
2019 Ed Servais 32-11 1st 1st NCAA Corvallis Regional (3-2) First Creighton baseball team to win both the BIG EAST regular season title and BIG EAST tournament title. Took BIG EAST hardware: BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Mitch Ragan; BIG EAST Player of the Year Jake Holton; BIG EAST coaching staff of the year. Took 2 out of 3 against Nebraska during the season. Earned the #2 seed in Corvallis Regional of the NCAA tournament. Lost opening game, but then fought back like warriors through the losers bracket, eliminating defending national champion Oregon State Beavers on their home field, eliminating Cincinnati, and then pushing Michigan to a winner-takes-all final game by overcoming a 4-7 deficit in the ninth inning of the first championship game, where the Jays plated seven runs to win 11-7 in one of the greatest sporting moments in the history of collegiate sports in the state of Nebraska. Just plain ran out of steam in the final game, though.
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References
  1. Creighton University Athletics Bluejay Logo Usage Guidelines (PDF). September 16, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  2. "College World Series of Omaha, Inc. – Creighton University". Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  3. Yearly Summary Archived 2012-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
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