Embedded Files
June 9, 1986: Arizona wins its third College World Series title
On the day Arizona reached Omaha to play in the 1986 College World Series, reserve outfielder Dave Shermet injured his thumb while catching a line drive in batting practice.
“I took a couple of cuts that day (Wednesday) and was barely able to hold the bat,” Shermet said. “I was not swinging with any authority and was scared to death of an inside pitch.”
Shermet’s sore thumb wasn’t regarded as big news because the No. 5 Wildcats hadn’t used Shermet as a starting outfielder for two months. He had batted just seven times since April 2.
“I iced my thumb all day Friday,” he said. “You could still see seam marks from the ball.”
In their CWS opener against Maine that night, the Wildcats weren’t likely to need Shermet anyway. The starting pitcher was Nogales junior Gil Heredia, 15-3, who had tied the school record for victories. The Wildcats had a team batting average of .337, highest at the school since 1957, and, behind 15 home runs from first baseman Todd Trafton, the most team home runs in school history.
1986 Baseball Team College World Series Champions HOF
1986 Baseball Team College World Series Champions HOF
1986 Baseball Team College World Series Champions
1986 Baseball Team College World Series Champions
A late-season rush propelled the Wildcats to a 49-19 record and the NCAA Championship. The Wildcats hit a school record 74 home runs, with a .337 team batting average. Their race for the title was dramatic as the team came from behind to win in seven consecutive post-season victories before crushing No. 1 ranked Florida State, 10-2, in the championship game. Outfielder Mike Senne was voted Most Outstanding Player of the World Series and righthander Gilbert Heredia set a school record with 16 victories.
Roster: Gary Alexander, David Batista, David Carley, James Carroll, Scott Engle, Joel Estes, Chip Hale, Gilbert Heredia, Richard Heydenfeldt, Tommy Hinzo, Jeff Hird, Derek Huenneke, Charles Johnson, Jason Klonoski, Craig Laplner, Kevin Long, James McDonald, Garrick Millay, Michael Munroe, David Rhode, Micheal Senne, David Shermet, Donald Snowden, Chip Stratton, Steve Strong, David Taylor, Michael Thorell, Todd Trafton, Pat Waid
Ex-Cypress Star Leads Arizona
Ex-Cypress Star Leads Arizona
L.A. Times Archives
May 31, 1986 12 AM PT
Dave Shermet hit a two-run pinch homer with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday to give the University of Arizona an 8-7 come-from-behind win over Maine in the first round of the College World Series at Omaha.
Shermet, a 1984 graduate of Cypress High School, capped a comeback that saw the Wildcats erase a 7-0 deficit by scoring one run in the bottom of the seventh, four in the eighth and three in the ninth.
Shermet’s homer, his fourth of the year, helped Arizona overcome a 13-hit Black Bear attack.
30 years later, ex-Cat Shermet still has ball from historic homer
30 years later, ex-Cat Shermet still has ball from historic homer
While researching a column in the Star’s Top 100 series on the greatest sports moments in Tucson history, I learned that former UA outfielder Dave Shermet still has the baseball from his epic walk-off home run that triggered Arizona’s 1986 College World Series championship. Shermet hit a bottom-of-the-ninth homer to beat Maine in the 1986 opener, the final blow in overcoming a 7-0 deficit. I asked Shermet if he had the ball. He said he wasn’t sure but would look for it. A day later he said “unbelievable, but I found the ball in a box in the closet.” Shermet, who lives in Laguna Beach, California, spent more than 20 years as a cruise director on some of the world’s largest cruise ships
Report abuse