University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware to Honor 1970 College World Series Team Saturday
4/23/2015 9:38:00 AM | Baseball
That was the sentiment put forth by 1970 All-American second baseman David Yates, but was undoubtedly shared by every member of the historic 1970 University of Delaware baseball team.
One of the best teams in Delaware baseball history will be honored before UD's game vs. William & Mary Saturday at Bob Hannah Stadium to mark the 45th anniversary of the club's College World Series appearance - the only College World Series appearance in program history.
The ceremony recognizing the team members will be held prior to the 1 p.m. first pitch.
The squad went 19-4 during the regular season and had a 22-4 mark heading to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
“Coming into the season I thought we would be good,” said Bruce Fad, who was the starting left fielder of the 1970 team and earned second team All-American honors. “Now, I would be lying if I said I thought we could reach the College World Series, but I think every guy on the team thought we could win the division and (Middle Atlantic) conference.”
Yates, a Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame member, said the way the Hens ended their 1969 campaign added fuel to the fire for the 1970 season.
“We lost a heartbreaker to Bucknell in the last game of the season in 1969 and that really left a bad
taste in our mouth,” said Yates (right). “In 1970, we returned a seasoned corps group of guys. We had our goals, but we took it one pitch at a time and never got ahead of ourselves. I give all the credit for that mentality to Bob Hannah.”
Although the season eventually led them to the improbable destination of Omaha and the College World Series, it would not have been possible without a dramatic comeback victory over West Chester (Pa.) in the MAC Championship game.
“The game that really sticks out to me is when we played at West Chester,” said Fad. “Once we won our division and we had to go play at West Chester for a one-game playoff to win the conference. They were a good team and had a good offense and they got up on us 6-1. But we were a special team and never gave up. We ended up coming back and beating them 14-10.”
Doug Hopper was the number two starter on the Blue Hens pitching staff (bottom left) in 1970. The junior went 7-3 and compiled a 3.04 ERA. He had many highlights during the season, including a one-hit shutout vs. Gettysburg and earning the win over Seton Hall in the NCAA Regionals. But the performance that stands out to him 45 years later came against West Chester, a game he did not even start.
“In the West Chester game, Ted Zink, who was our No. 1 and won seven games that season, started the game, but did not have his best stuff,” said Hopper. “He got pulled in the third and I came in and pitched really well. I was able to shut them down enough for our bats to get hot and pull out the win.”
Yates and Fad led the Hens at the plate in 1970. Fad, who was the team captain as well as a CoSIDA Academic All-American, posted a team-best .422 batting average, 46 hits, six triples, and tied Yates for the most RBI with 31. Yates tallied team-highs in home runs (four) and doubles (nine) during the 1970 campaign.
Despite the impressive numbers, Fad conceded that upon arriving in Omaha for the College World Series, the team was confident, but slightly in awe of being on the national stage.
“We were a little wide-eyed when we went to the College World Series, but we didn't hold back,” said Fad. “We had played in a tournament in Riverside, Calif. the year before and had played well against teams like USC, UCLA, and Ole Miss, so we had experience against elite competition and knew we could hold our own. The difference was the teams we played in the College World Series just had superior defense and pitching.”
Delaware faced No. 2 Texas in its first game in Omaha. The Longhorns defeated UD 12-4, but despite the loss, the Blue Hens made their presence known to the No. 2 team in the country and the No. 1 draft prospect – Texas starting pitcher Burt Hooton.
After the game, Texas head coach Cliff Gustafson approached Hannah and complimented the Blue Hen squad. Gustafson told Hannah that no one in the country was able to hit Hooton, a four-time All-American and the eventual No. 2 overall pick in the 1971 draft, like Delaware had.
Following the Texas defeat, it did not get any easier for the Hens as Delaware then faced No. 1 USC in its second game. The Trojans defeated Delaware 7-1 and ended the Blue Hens' run.
UD finished the season with a 22-6 record and a permanent place in the annals of Delaware Athletics. Yates attributes their success to the team-first atmosphere cultivated by Coach Hannah.
“I had my fair share of personal success, but it never really meant all that much to me because all I cared about was the team's success. None of my accomplishments would have been possible without my teammates,” said Yates. “Coach Hannah led by example and through his actions, he set a standard that myself and all of my teammates aspired to reach.”
In addition to Coach Hannah, Yates, Fad, and Hopper, other team members expected to return for the reunion are John Anerousis, Richard Conover, William Falasco, Joe Flickinger, Glenn Hinton, Ron Klein, Craig Martin, Martin McDonough, Willy Miranda, Jim Robinson, Chris Spicer, and Ken Wiggins.
