Finishing 35-16, the Colonials won the Eastern Eight Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. There, with a 5-2 victory over Seton Hall University, the 1979 Colonials (who played their home games on the Ellipse) became the only team in school history to win an NCAA Tournament game.
That year, pitcher Mike Howell set a school record for victories with 10. GW also set a record for margin of victory with a 30-0 annihilation of Bowie State University.