# 1961 NCAA University Division baseball tournament

The 1961 NCAA University Division baseball tournament was played at the end of the 1961 NCAA University Division baseball season to determine the national champion of college baseball. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing in the College World Series, a double-elimination tournament in its fifteenth year. Eight regional districts sent representatives to the College World Series with preliminary rounds within each district serving to determine each representative. These events would later become known as regionals. Each district had its own format for selecting teams, resulting in 25 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament. The College World Series was held in Omaha, NE from June 9 to June 14. The fifteenth tournament's champion was Southern California, coached by Rod Dedeaux. The Most Outstanding Player was Littleton Fowler of runner-up Oklahoma State.

## Tournament
### District 1

Games played at Springfield, Massachusetts.
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Boston College | Boston College | 11 | | | | | | | |
| Springfield | Springfield | 8 | | | | | | | |
| Springfield | Springfield | 8 | Boston College | Boston College | 4 | | | | |
| | | | Connecticut | Connecticut | 1 | | | | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut | 15 | Connecticut | Connecticut | 1 | | | | |
| Colby | Colby | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Colby | Colby | 1 | | | | Boston College | Boston College | 2 | 14 |
| | | | | | | Connecticut | Connecticut | 3 | 4 |
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower final | Lower final | Lower final | Connecticut | Connecticut | 3 | 4 |
| | | | Connecticut | Connecticut | 3 | | | | |
| Springfield | Springfield | 9 | Springfield | Springfield | 1 | | | | |
| Colby | Colby | 2 | | | | | | | |

### District 2

Games played at Syracuse, New York.
| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| St. John's | 10 | | |
| Villanova | 4 | | |
| Villanova | 4 | Syracuse | 12 |
| | | St. John's | 5 |
| Syracuse | 2 | St. John's | 5 |
| Delaware | 0 | | |

### District 3

Games played at Gastonia, North Carolina.
| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper final | Upper final | Final | Final | Final |
| | | Duke | 7 | | | |
| Florida State | 3 | Florida State | 2 | | | |
| West Virginia | 1 | | | | | |
| West Virginia | 1 | | | Duke | 7 | — |
| | | Lower final | Lower final | Duke | 7 | — |
| | | Lower final | Lower final | West Virginia | 3 | — |
| | | Florida State | 3 | | | |
| | | West Virginia | 4 | | | |

### District 4

Games played at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper final | Upper final | Upper final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| Western Michigan | Western Michigan | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Detroit | Detroit | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Detroit | Detroit | 1 | Western Michigan | Western Michigan | 8 | | | | |
| | | | Cincinnati | Cincinnati | 1 | | | | |
| Cincinnati | Cincinnati | 3$^{10}$ | Cincinnati | Cincinnati | 1 | | | | |
| Michigan | Michigan | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Michigan | Michigan | 1 | | | | Western Michigan | Western Michigan | 4$^{14}$ | – |
| | | | | | | Michigan | Michigan | 3 | – |
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower final | Lower final | Lower final | Michigan | Michigan | 3 | – |
| | | | Cincinnati | Cincinnati | 1 | | | | |
| Detroit | Detroit | 3 | Michigan | Michigan | 2 | | | | |
| Michigan | Michigan | 6$^{10}$ | | | | | | | |

### District 5

Games played at Stillwater, Oklahoma.
| Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Oklahoma State | 10 | 11 | — |
| Northern Iowa | 0 | 8 | — |

### District 6

Games played at Austin, Texas.
| Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Texas | 8 | 5 | — |
| Arizona | 2 | 4 | — |

### District 7

Games played at Laramie, Wyoming.
| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper final | Upper final | Final | Final | Final |
| | | Air Force | 10 | | | |
| Wyoming | 3 | Wyoming | 12 | | | |
| Colorado State College | 2 | | | | | |
| Colorado State College | 2 | | | Wyoming | 12 | 1 |
| | | Lower final | Lower final | Wyoming | 12 | 1 |
| | | Lower final | Lower final | Colorado State College | 16 | 12 |
| | | Air Force | 6 | | | |
| | | Colorado State College | 10 | | | |

### District 8

| Semifinals Los Angeles, California | Semifinals Los Angeles, California | Semifinals Los Angeles, California | Semifinals Los Angeles, California | Finals Pullman, Washington | Finals Pullman, Washington | Finals Pullman, Washington | Finals Pullman, Washington |
| Southern California | 4 | 4 | 10 | | | | |
| Fresno State | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Fresno State | 1 | 6 | 6 | Southern California | 13 | 10 | — |
| | | | | Washington State | 6 | 4 | — |

## College World Series
### Participants

| School | Conference | Record (conference) | Head coach | CWS appearances | CWS best finish | CWS record |
| Boston College | Independent | 16–4 | Ed Peligrini | 2 (last: 1960) | 4th (1953) | 3–4 |
| Colorado State College | RMC | 28–6 (14–0) | Pete Butler | 7 (last: 1960) | 5th (1955) | 2–14 |
| Duke | ACC | 15–9 (11–3) | Ace Parker | 2 (last: 1953) | 5th (1952, 1953) | 2–4 |
| Oklahoma State | Big 8 | 24–1 (18–1) | Toby Greene | 4 (last: 1960) | 1st (1959) | 12–7 |
| Syracuse | Independent | 16–3 | Ted Kleinhans | 0 (last: none) | none | 0–0 |
| Texas | SWC | 22–4–2 (11–3) | Bibb Falk | 5 (last: 1957) | 1st (1949, 1950) | 14–7 |
| Southern California | CIBA | 31–7 (12–4) | Rod Dedeaux | 6 (last: 1960) | 1st (1948, 1958) | 14–10 |
| Western Michigan | MAC | 18–6 (11–0) | Charlie Maher | 4 (last: 1959) | 2nd (1955) | 8–8 |

### Results
#### Bracket

| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper final | Upper final | Upper final | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Final | Final | Final |
| Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Duke | Duke | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Duke | Duke | 2 | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | 12 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Syracuse | Syracuse | 9 | | | | | | | | |
| Syracuse | Syracuse | 12 | Syracuse | Syracuse | 9 | | | | | | | | |
| Colorado State College | Colorado State College | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colorado State College | Colorado State College | 5 | | | | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | 2 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Southern California | Southern California | 4 | | | | | | | |
| Boston College | Boston College | 3 | | | | Southern California | Southern California | 4 | | | | | |
| Boston College | Boston College | 3 | | | | | | | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | 8 | | |
| Western Michigan | Western Michigan | 2 | | | | | | | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | 8 | | |
| Western Michigan | Western Michigan | 2 | Boston College | Boston College | 3 | | | | Syracuse | Syracuse | 0 | | |
| | | | Southern California | Southern California | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southern California | Southern California | 8 | Southern California | Southern California | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| Texas | Texas | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | 0 |
| | | | Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | | | | | Southern California | Southern California | 1 |
| | | | | | | Boston College | Boston College | | | | | | 4$^{10}$ |
| | | | Duke | Duke | 15 | Duke | Duke | | | | | | 3 |
| | | | Duke | Duke | 15 | Duke | Duke | | Southern California | Southern California | 4 | | 3 |
| | | | Colorado State College | Colorado State College | 3 | | | | Southern California | Southern California | 4 | |
| | | | Colorado State College | Colorado State College | 3 | | | | Boston College | Boston College | 3 | |
| | | | | | | Syracuse | Syracuse | | Boston College | Boston College | 3 | 6 | |
| | | | Western Michigan | Western Michigan | 8 | Western Michigan | Western Michigan | | | | | 0 | |
| | | | Texas | Texas | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Game results

| Date | Game | Winner | Score | Loser | Notes |
| June 9 | Game 1 | Oklahoma State | 3–2 | Duke | |
| June 10 | Game 2 | Syracuse | 12–5 | Colorado State College | |
| June 10 | Game 3 | Boston College | 3–2 | Western Michigan | |
| June 10 | Game 4 | Southern California | 8–6 | Texas | |
| June 11 | Game 5 | Duke | 15–3 | Colorado State College | Colorado State College eliminated |
| June 11 | Game 6 | Western Michigan | 8–2 | Texas | Texas eliminated |
| June 11 | Game 7 | Oklahoma State | 12–9 | Syracuse | |
| June 11 | Game 8 | Southern California | 10–3 | Boston College | |
| June 12 | Game 9 | Boston College | 4–3 (10 innings) | Duke | Duke eliminated |
| June 12 | Game 10 | Syracuse | 6–0 | Western Michigan | Western Michigan eliminated |
| June 12 | Game 11 | Southern California | 4–2 | Oklahoma State | |
| June 13 | Game 12 | Oklahoma State | 8–0 | Syracuse | Syracuse eliminated |
| June 13 | Game 13 | Southern California | 4–3 | Boston College | Boston College eliminated |
| June 14 | Final | Southern California | 1–0 | Oklahoma State | Southern California wins CWS |

### All-Tournament Team

The following players were members of the All-Tournament Team.
| Position | Player | School |
| P | Littleton Fowler (MOP) | Oklahoma State |
| P | Larry Hankhammer | USC |
| P | Jim Withers | USC |
| C | Larry Himes | USC |
| 1B | William Ryan | USC |
| 2B | Bruce Andrew | Oklahoma State |
| 3B | Dave Sarette | Syracuse |
| SS | Don Wallace | Oklahoma State |
| OF | Ron Davis | Duke |
| OF | Art Ersepke | USC |
| OF | Bill Tomb | Western Michigan |

### Notable players

* Boston College:
* Duke: Ron Davis
* Colorado State College:
* Oklahoma State: Don Wallace
* Southern California: Dan Ardell, Mike Gillespie, Marcel Lachemann, Tom Satriano, Ron Stillwell, Wally Wolf
* Syracuse: Bill Connors, Dave Giusti
* Texas: Bill Bethea
* Western Michigan: Roger Theder, Frank Quilici