Creighton Bluejays baseball

Last updated
Creighton Bluejays baseball
Baseball current event.svg 2024 Creighton Bluejays baseball team
Creighton Bluejays wordmark.svg
Founded1951 (1951)
University Creighton University
Head coach Ed Servais (21st season)
Conference Big East
Location Omaha, Nebraska
Home stadium Creighton Sports Complex
(Capacity: 2,000) or
Charles Schwab Field Omaha
(Capacity: 24,505)
Nickname Bluejays
ColorsBlue, white, and navy blue [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
Regular season conference champions
Big East: 2014, 2019
MVC: 2005, 2011

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 Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Creighton's baseball team played its first Big East season in 2014. They are coached by Ed Servais.

Contents

The team plays its home games at Charles Schwab Field 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, Kimera Bartee 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)

YearCoachW-LConferenceTournamentPost SeasonOther
1966Herb Millard12–12
1967Herb Millard15–8
1968Herb Millard14–8
1969Tony Trvdik11–24
1970 Larry Cochell 25–7
1971 Larry Cochell 24–21
1972Dave Baker16–17
1973Dave Baker25–16NCAA District 5 Playoffs (0–2)
1974Dave Baker30–18
1975Dave Baker32–12
1976Dave Baker22–27–1
1977Dave Baker15–164th6th
1978Jerry Bartee16–176th5th
1979Jerry Bartee17–27–17thT-6th
1980Jerry Bartee26–22–14thT-6th
1981Dave Underwood37–302nd (West)
1982Dave Underwood32–232nd (West)4th
1983Dave Underwood39–172nd (West)4th
1984Dave Underwood / Jim Hendry 23–216th
1985 Jim Hendry 35–275th
1986 Jim Hendry 33–29–15th6th
1987 Jim Hendry 35–245th3rd
1988 Jim Hendry 43–21–12ndT-1stAll-American Catcher Scott Servais Drafted in 3rd Round by Houston Astros
1989 Jim Hendry 37–264th4th
1990 Jim Hendry 48–223rd2ndNCAA Central Regional (2–2)
1991 Jim Hendry 51–222nd2ndNCAA 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
1992Todd Wenberg41–19–12nd2ndNCAA Central Regional (1–2)
1993Todd Wenberg32–25T-5th3rd
1994Jack Dahm28–293rd4th
1995Jack Dahm35–222nd3rd
1996Jack Dahm19–31–17th
1997Jack Dahm27–277th
1998Jack Dahm27–27–16thT-5th
1999Jack Dahm38–253rd2ndNCAA South Bend Regional (0–2)
2000Jack Dahm38–223rd4thNCAA Tempe Regional (0–2)
2001Jack Dahm21–317th
2002Jack Dahm30–242ndT-5th
2003Jack Dahm20–37T-6thT-5thLHP Tom Oldham 6th Round Draft Pick of Seattle Mariners
2004 Ed Servais 35–242nd4thRHP Steve Grasley named All-American; signs with Seattle Mariners
2005Ed Servais48–171st2ndNCAA 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
2006Ed Servais31–214th4thOF 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
2007Ed Servais45–172nd1stNCAA 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
2008Ed Servais37–213rdT-4thPitcher Pat Venditte 20th Round Draft Pick of New York Yankees
2009Ed Servais31–254th2nd1B Darin Ruf 20th Round Draft Pick of Philadelphia Phillies
2010Ed Servais27–256th6thSS Elliot Soto 15th Round Draft Pick of Chicago Cubs, C Carson Vitale 38th Round Draft Pick of Texas Rangers
2011Ed Servais45–161st1stNCAA 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
2012Ed Servais28–308th1stNCAA 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
2013Ed Servais30-183rd8thFinal season in the MVC.
2014Ed Servais32-171st2ndFirst year in the Big East.
2015Ed Servais27-142nd2nd
2016Ed Servais38-172nd2nd
2017Ed Servais24-251st3rd
2018Ed Servais34-165thFailed to make the BIG EAST or NCAA tournaments -- but swept Nebraska in the season series.
2019Ed Servais32-111st1stNCAA 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.
2020Ed Servais5-10Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021Ed Servais24-152nd3rd
2022Ed Servais31-182nd
2023Ed Servais14-12

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References

  1. "Colors" (PDF). Creighton University Athletics Bluejay Logo Usage Guidelines. June 9, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. "College World Series of Omaha, Inc. – Creighton University" . Retrieved 28 June 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. Yearly Summary Archived 2012-02-19 at the Wayback Machine