20-Year Nole Anniversary: McDougall Blasts NCAA-Record Six Home Runs in Win at Maryland

Most athletes will tell us that a team win is better than a great individual performance any day of the week. On this day two decades ago however, one Florida State player had a day that may never be topped at any level of baseball.

In a 26-2 win over Maryland on May 9, 1999, slugger Marshall McDougall went 7-for-7 at the plate with six home runs and 16 RBIs. 20 years later, McDougall holds NCAA single-game records for homers, RBIs and total bases (25).

“I remember it being a Sunday day game,” McDougall told The Daily Nole. “(I) did not really take a lot of swings before the game. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary — just a typical day for baseball. In the batter’s box, I did not really think about hitting a homer ’til maybe after the fourth one. After that, I was swinging with a little more effort than normal.”

Batting second in the FSU order, McDougall singled in the first inning. At the time, McDougall couldn’t have guessed that would be the low-light of his afternoon in College Park.

McDougall’s first home run came an inning later as his solo blast put the Seminoles ahead for good. His second blast — a 3-run shot — came two innings later. McDougall would add a 2-run shot in the sixth and a 3-run homer in the seventh, becoming the second Seminole in as many years to hit four home runs in one game. Matt Diaz accomplished the feat in a 23-2 victory over Oklahoma the year prior in the NCAA Tournament.

“It helped having Matt Diaz on the team, because he had hit four in one game the year before, so most of the players kept challenging me and teasing me that I couldn’t hit another,” McDougall said.

McDougall achieved the home run cycle in the eighth inning when he cleared the bases with a grand slam. Up 19-2 after eight innings, it seemed unlikely that McDougall would come to the plate again. The Maryland staff however, failed to keep the Seminoles off base and McDougall in the park. He capped his 7-for-7 day with a 3-run home run in the ninth.

While McDougall stole the show with six home runs, the Seminoles wound up hitting nine as a team. Kevin Cash, Ryan Barthelemy and Sam Scott also left the yard in the victory. As a team, FSU recorded 24 hits with 14 different Seminoles recording at least one.

“What I remember most about that day is everyone getting a chance to contribute,” McDougall said. “We had a great team and a lot of guys came through for me to get up to the plate that many times. The celebrations at home plate were awesome to be a part of, but at the time, I did not really get to appreciate them.”

The six home runs is a feat that will likely never be duplicated, but McDougall was hardly a 6-hit wonder. As a junior in 1999, McDougall blasted 28 home runs to go with a .419 batting average, 22 stolen bases and 106 RBIs. In the process, he was named a Consensus All-American.

“I do not think I could really explain that day any other way than an athlete has to have confidence to perform at a high level,” McDougall said. “And personally, I believed I would be successful against any pitcher I faced. The fact that I hit that many home runs in one game is just absurd. My only goal is to hit the ball hard and whatever happens is out of my control. The record is pretty cool to me. But I appreciate my whole 1999 season more. I would love for people to remember that whole year than to be defined by that one day.”

After being selected in the 26th round, McDougall returned for his senior year in 2000 and improved his draft stock. After another solid season, McDougall was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the ninth round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft.

Although he appeared in just 18 games, McDougall broke into the big leagues as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2005. Still, McDougall will always be remembered for the day unlikely to be paralleled at any level of baseball. It happened on this day 20 years ago.

“Once you see them on tape and see the reactions of all my teammates, it makes it a little more special,” McDougall said. “Once we returned to Tallahassee airport, seeing the amount of support from fans waiting at the airport was just a crazy experience. There was news cameras and about 500 people with signs and cheering all over the place for what I achieved; (it) is just something I never would have expected.”

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.