Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On June 1, 1957, the Iowa State baseball team won the District V playoff to advance to the College World Series. One of two World Series appearances for the Cyclones, Coach LeRoy ‘Cap’ Timm’s team featured Gary “The Roland Rocket” Thompson at shortstop.
Iowa State took the field for home games at a small diamond northwest of the Armory. Thompson, a senior, hit .311 with four home runs and 18 runs batted in. All-American catcher and future big-leaguer Dick Bertell led the Cyclones with a .348 average.
Iowa State managed to earn the Big 7 and District Vtitles by putting together a balanced attack. Featuring a team batting average of .311, the Cyclones also boasted a deep-pitching staff led by Gene Lafferty. Dominant throughout the regular season, Lafferty arrived in Omaha with a 7-0 record on the season and managed to help guide Iowa State to a 13-8 win in 10 innings.
The Cyclones then dropped a game to the University of California before bouncing back to win over a Connecticut team coached by Gary Thompson’s second cousin. However, a rematch with the eventual champion Cal squad ended the Iowa State hopes of a College World Series Win. Reaching the final four of college baseball in the school’s first College World Series appearance left a season for Cyclone fans to cherish forever. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
