by Tucker Terranova
This past Monday, the Murray State baseball program continued its improbable postseason run, defeating Duke 5-4 in the final game of their best-of-three Super Regional series and earning the program’s first-ever trip to Omaha.
The win marks just the fourth time a No. 4 seed has advanced to the College World Series and the second time in three seasons after Oral Roberts accomplished the feat in 2023. Alongside Oral Roberts’ Cinderella run and the 2008 Fresno State team—the first and only No. 4 seed to win the CWS—it was another underdog, close to home, that once shook the baseball world.
The Stony Brook Seawolves entered the 2012 season as a program on the rise—riding five consecutive winning campaigns, including a 42-12 record in 2011 that ended without an NCAA tournament berth.
Returning the core of that 2011 squad, the Seawolves put together a dominant regular season—posting a national-best 52 wins, a 21-3 record in conference play, and breaking into the national rankings throughout the year.
Head Coach Matt Senk, in his 22nd season at the helm, watched his team make early statements. Stony Brook began its campaign with a perfect 4-0 record in the Colonel Round Robin against Alabama State and Nicholls State and won 13 of its first 15 America East contests.
Senk, who took over the program in its dark Division-III days, recorded his 600th career win on April 21 with a victory over Hartford. He announced his retirement following the 2025 season, finishing his collegiate coaching career with an overall record of 967-692, six NCAA tournament appearances, and 29 MLB Draft picks produced.
Recognized nationally, Stony Brook broke its own wins record set the year prior and finished with the best winning percentage in Division I at .776.
Travis Jankowski, a catalyst atop the lineup, led the nation in hits (110), runs (79), and triples (11). He earned ABCA/Rawlings National Co-Player of the Year honors, was named a first-team All-American, and was the America East Player of the Year. Jankowski—a 2023 World Series champion with the Texas Rangers and an 11-year MLB veteran—became the program’s only first-round pick that summer when the San Diego Padres selected him 44th overall in the supplemental first round.
The Seawolves dominated not only the America East schedule but also its awards. Senk earned his second consecutive Coach of the Year honor; Tyler Johnson was named Pitcher of the Year; Cole Peragine won Rookie of the Year; and 12 Seawolves earned All-Conference recognition.
Stony Brook hosted the America East tournament at Joe Nathan Field, which was in its second year of operation at the time. In the opener, the Seawolves roughed up defending champion Maine, then handled Binghamton and closed with a 13-6 rout of Maine behind a three-run homer from William Carmona to seal the title. James Campbell’s four shutout innings in relief earned him Most Outstanding Player honors, while Jankowski batted .600.
With the America East crown secured, the Seawolves carried a 46-11 record into the Coral Gables Regional.
Seeded fourth, Stony Brook faced powerhouse programs Miami, UCF and Missouri State in the double-elimination tournament. In an upset, they dispatched No. 1 seed Miami 10-2 in the opener, backed by 6.1 innings from Tyler Johnson and three hits from junior outfielder Maxx Tissenbaum.
Despite falling 9-8 to No. 3 seed UCF, the Seawolves rebounded to eliminate No. 2 seed Missouri State in dramatic fashion—erasing a 7-2 deficit with a seven-run seventh inning then striking out Keenen Maddox and Luke Voit in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded to clinch a 10-7 win.
In the regional final rematch against UCF, Stony Brook needed two wins to UCF’s one and delivered, recording 12-5 and 10-6 victories to advance. Carmona earned Most Outstanding Player honors after going 11-for-21 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.
With the victory, the Seawolves became the first America East school to win a regional, punching their ticket to Baton Rouge for a Super Regional showdown with LSU, the nation’s top-ranked team according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
In a rain-soaked Super Regional in Baton Rouge, the Seawolves dropped the first game to LSU in an extra-innings battle that stretched over two days due to weather. Freshman Aaron Nola started for the Tigers, who ultimately won 5-4 in 12 innings.
In Game 2, LSU turned to Kevin Gausman—who had closed out game one just hours earlier—but Stony Brook evened the series with a 3-1 win, thanks to a 127-pitch complete game from Tyler Johnson.
Game 3 became the stuff of legend. A crowd of more than 10,600 packed Alex Box Stadium—the largest postseason attendance in LSU baseball history. Stony Brook struck first, and after LSU tied it, the Seawolves plated three in the fourth. Frankie Vanderka delivered a three-hit gem, and the offense pounded out 15 hits—including four from Jankowski—to shock LSU 7-2 and punch their ticket to Omaha.
The win, Stony Brook’s 28th in its past 31 games, marked just the third time since 1999 that a No. 4 seed reached the College World Series and the first time a Northeast school had done so since 1986.
With the win, the Seawolves quickly became the darlings of the sports world. Their rallying cry—“Shock the World”—turned into a viral hashtag at a time when it was much harder for mid-major programs to gain national attention. As major sports outlets spotlighted the team, casual fans rallied behind the scrappy squad from Long Island as they set their sights on a title.
Upon arriving in Omaha, Stony Brook was embraced as the ultimate underdog. Playing in front of more than 23,000 fans, the Seawolves opened with a 9-1 loss to UCLA, then fell to Florida State, 12-2, two days later, ending their magical run. They finished the season ranked No. 8 in the country.
The impact of that 2012 run was felt for years at Joe Nathan Field. The Seawolves went on to dominate the America East through the 2010s, posting a .673 conference winning percentage and earning two more NCAA Tournament bids.
Since moving to the CAA in 2023, Stony Brook has fielded competitive rosters, but has compiled a 37–47 conference record. With longtime head coach Matt Senk now retired and a national search underway for his replacement, the program enters a new era. But for a team that was once an afterthought in both the Northeast and national college baseball landscapes, one thing remains true: never count the Seawolves out.
