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Vandy beats Virginia 3-2 for 1st national title

By WTOP Staff

ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The talk at the College World Series was about how few home runs were hit at TD Ameritrade Park.

Well, one was hit Wednesday night — and the folks in Nashville undoubtedly will be talking about it for a long time.

John Norwood’s tie-breaking homer in the top of the eighth inning carried Vanderbilt to a 3-2 win over Virginia in the third and deciding game of the CWS finals, giving the Commodores their first national championship.

“I thought it was gone, but you never know in this park,” Norwood said. “I was just hoping it went out, and if it didn’t, I knew my teammates would pick me up. It’s a home run, but it’s also a team effort to get here. We were confident the whole entire year.”

Norwood turned on Nick Howard’s 97 mph fastball and sent it into the left field bullpen for only the 25th home run hit in the four years the CWS has been played in the cavernous TD Ameritrade Park.

It was Norwood’s third homer of the year, his first since April 19, and Vanderbilt’s first since May 16. It also was only the third home run in 16 CWS games this year and the 22nd in 72 games by the Commodores (51-21).

“I was praying it was gonna be gone,” Vandy’s Tyler Campbell said, “and to see it land in the bullpen was awesome. Obviously, Virginia is a tough team and we still had to come out in the ninth and play hard until it was over.”

The Cavaliers (53-16) loaded the bases with one out in the eighth when Adam Ravenelle hit Kenny Towns. But Mike Papi was forced out at home on a chopper to Ravenelle, and Brandon Downes grounded out.

The title, secured when Ravenelle struck out Daniel Pinero, is Vanderbilt’s first in a men’s sport. The school’s only other title came in women’s bowling in 2007.

“This dog pile was by far the best,” first baseman Zander Wiel said. “These guys are my brothers and to celebrate this with them is just incredible. It’s just so special to be a part of history. Everybody here represents Vanderbilt in the best way, and I’m glad to be a part of the first men’s national championship in history.”

Vandy second baseman Dansby Swanson was chosen the CWS Most Outstanding Player. Swanson batted .323 in the CWS, scored five runs, drove in two and stole three bases. He played flawlessly in the field.

“When you’ve got guys backing up each other like we do, anything is possible,” Swanson said.

After the last out, Vanderbilt players grabbed the championship trophy and hoisted coach Tim Corbin on their shoulders.

“Every coach, you immerse yourself in the kids and they become more than baseball players; they become your sons,” Corbin said. “This is a nice feeling. It’s good to watch them celebrate achievements.”

Hayden Stone (4-0) relieved starter Carson Fulmer with one out in the sixth and allowed two hits before turning the game over to Ravenelle after Virginia’s first two batters reached in the eighth. Ravenelle earned his third save of the CWS.

Howard (2-2) came on in the eighth after Artie Lewicki had pitched six innings of four-hit relief. He left a fastball up that Norwood put over the fence, just right of the 335-foot sign.

“You’ve got to credit John Norwood,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “The pitch was up in the zone and he took an aggressive swing and hit the ball out.”

Virginia broke through against Fulmer to tie it 2-2 in the sixth when Kenny Towns’ bases-loaded grounder hit shortstop Vince Conde’s glove and bounced off for an error.

Vanderbilt led 1-0 in the first after Virginia catcher Robbie Coman sailed a throw into center field trying to catch Bryan Reynolds stealing. Swanson, who was going to third on the double steal, continued home.

Another error in the sixth set up Vanderbilt’s second run. Norwood grounded to third for an infield single and wound up on second after Towns’ throw in the dirt skipped past first baseman Mike Papi. Norwood later came home on Conde’s deep grounder to shortstop.

“An outstanding final series between the two of us,” O’Connor said. “Unfortunately in sports, somebody’s going to come out on the wrong end, and we came out on the wrong end tonight. The University of Virginia baseball program will be back here in Omaha at some point, and maybe the next time we can win it all.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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