NCAA DI MEN S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES. Game Two LSU 9, Virginia 5 Having opened the NCAA Tournament with five straight victories

Transcription

1 College World Series Coverage by Bill Ballew Game One Arkansas 10, Cal State Fullerton 6 The Arkansas Razorbacks went cold as the season came to a close, which made Andy Wilkins hot streak even more important. While his team struggled down the stretch by losing 10 of its last 13 games prior to the NCAA tournament, the sophomore first sacker started to carry the club at the plate. Wilkins batted at a.593 clip (16-for-27) with nine extra-base hits including four home runs and 17 RBI in his first six tournament outings, including a powerful performance in the lidlifter of the College World Series that gave Arkansas a 10-6 triumph over No. 2 seed Cal State-Fullerton. Wilkins keyed a five-run fourth inning with a three-run blast to give the Razorbacks a 9-2 advantage. The first baseman added a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to finish the game with five ribbies while putting the Titans in an unenviable position in their sixth visit to Omaha since We re trying to keep it going in the post-season, Wilkins said. I m definitely trying to do whatever I can to help our ball club. Wilkins was not the only standout for Arkansas. Third baseman Zack Cox had a runscoring single after Wilkins sacrifice fly in the first inning to give the Razorbacks an early 2-0 advantage. In the third, after shortstop Ben Tschepikow singled for the second time in as many at-bats in the game, Cox drove a two-out home run deep into the right-field bleachers to give Arkansas a 4-0 lead. The Titans cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame before the Razorbacks broke the game open in the fourth. Ironically, most of the Arkansas run production came with the help of two-out hits. All five runs in the fourth frame were plated after Cal State Fullerton retired two batters. When Wilkins drove in left fielder Chase Leavitt in the eighth to give the Razorbacks a 10-4 lead, it marked the 30th two-out RBI for Arkansas thus far in the postseason. I think any time that a team is playing well it is going to drive in runs with two outs, said Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn. It s just Josh Fellhauer Dallas Keuchel winning baseball. Timing. Confidence. Hitting was not the lone key to Arkansas victory. Starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, who improved to 8-3 on the season, threw six impressive innings before turning the mound duties over to reliever Mike Bolsinger, who earned the save by working the last three frames. Keuchel worked through some tight spots while scattering four hits and a walk. The Titans also stole three bases in the game, but Keuchel did not let his opponents aggressiveness affect his performance. They re a good base-running team, Keuchel said. We knew they were good at the little stuff. I was more focused on the hitters, and I told Coach I would throw over to first. We did a good job of holding them today. Despite trailing 10-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Titans never quit. Cal State Fullerton loaded the bases with no outs on singles by shortstop Christian Colon and center fielder Josh Fellhauer and left fielder Gary Brown s walk. Colon scored on a fielder s choice by right fielder Khris Davis, but Bolsinger silenced the rally when he coaxed catcher Dustin Garneau to hit into an inningending double play. Van Horn earned his first victory in the CWS in seven games. While everyone associated with the Razorbacks was pleased with that accomplishment, the more important feat centered on starting this trip to Omaha on the right foot. As a team we never talked about it, Cox said of getting the win for the head coach. We were focused on Cal State Fullerton and getting our first College World Series win. Christian Colon Game Two LSU 9, Virginia 5 Having opened the NCAA Tournament with five straight victories to extend its winning streak to 10 games, LSU arrived at Rosenblatt Stadium playing as well as any team in the country. Head coach Paul Mainieri s club featured one of the nation s best pitching staffs as well as a relentless offense that combined power and speed to make the Southeastern Conference champs as formidable a foe as any in Omaha. The Tigers maintained their winning ways with a 9-5 victory over Virginia, although the formula was somewhat different than usual. LSU starting pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, who entered the game with a 10-3 record and a 2.95 ERA, had an inconsistent outing and did not make it out of the fourth inning prior to being replaced after allowing two runs on five hits and four walks. Mainieri used five pitchers, including starters Austin Ross and Louis Coleman, to earn the important triumph. That was a game we haven t had for most of the season, where we had a subpar performance from our starting pitcher, Mainieri said. Our defense made some great plays to keep us in the game, then our offense came to life and gave us some separation. Virginia, making its first-ever trip to the College World Series, had the third-seeded Tigers on the ropes midway through the game. The Cavaliers plated two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead before the Tigers roared back with three in the bottom of the frame. First baseman Sean Ochinko took Matt Packer deep with a three-run blast to put LSU back on top. It was good to be able to help the team and drive in some runs, even though I struck out three times too, said the junior, who clubbed his eighth roundtripper of the Tyler Wilson season. I was just happy to help the Keith Werman D.J. LeMahieu team. But I m not going to lie to you guys. That was the most important baseball moment of my life. The bats came to life midway through the game, Mainieri said. Ochinko s home run was the big knock. It was nice to win the first game of the College World Series for once. This is the first time we ve done that in a long time. The Cavs continued to battle by scoring a run in the top of the seventh, but the Tigers proved too resilient. LSU dented the scoreboard three more times in the bottom of the eighth, with two of the tallies coming on left fielder Ryan Schimpf s home run after second baseman D.J. LeMahieu had singled. He (Virginia s Tyler Wilson) left a pitch up, a changeup, and I put a good swing on it, said Schimpf, who made an outstanding diving catch in the outfield to end a Cavalier rally. It wasn t even the biggest spot of the game, though. Sean s home run was big, too. The matchup pitted two close friends, Mainieri and Virginia head coach Brian O Connor, against one another. O Connor served as an assistant coach under Mainieri at Notre Dame prior to joining the Atlantic Coast Conference school nearly seven years ago. Their friendship, however, had little to do with the outcome. O Connor s club had its chances by equaling LSU in hits with 14. The problem centered on turning those hits into runs, with Virginia leaving 14 runners stranded over the course of the contest. It was a great college baseball game up until the eighth, O Connor said. They were very aggressive. You play a team like LSU and not make the plays, they ll burn you. Give LSU credit. We left 14 runners on base. LSU made the plays. We couldn t come up with the big hit. But I m proud of our club. We showed resiliency. Our team has tremendous pride, Steven Proscia and we ll be ready to play on Monday. Sean Ochinko Bo Bigham

2 Dustin Ackley Raoul Torres Zack McPhee Alex White Josh Spence Game Three Arizona State 5, North Carolina 2 North Carolina, the most experienced team in the 2009 College World Series, faced off against the event s youngest team, Arizona State. What transpired was one of the best pitchers duels seen at Rosenblatt Stadium in years that was decided with a couple of quirky plays in the 10th inning that gave the Sun Devils the 5-2 victory. The Tar Heels Alex White, who was making his fourth career start in the CWS, scattered seven hits and three walks for one run over nine innings while matching his career-best with 12 strikeouts. White dodged trouble in the first and fifth innings and gave up a run in the second. ASU designated hitter Johnny Ruettiger doubled with two outs and scored two batters later when second baseman Zack MacPhee produced a two-base hit. Otherwise, the Sun Devils had little success against White, the fifteenth overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, taken by the Cleveland Indians. After surrendering a run and three hits in the first two innings, White allowed only four hits the rest of the way. He threw 131 pitches, including 87 for strikes, and picked off two runners. Obviously this was a tough game, White said. I thought we played well, and so did they. I spotted my fastball well and that is the biggest thing with me. This is a tough loss, but the good thing is that we get to play again. Arizona State starter Josh Spence was equally effective for the Sun Devils. A third-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the junior lefthander worked out of trouble in the first and fourth frames and held North Carolina scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Tar Heel second baseman Levi Michael received a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Mark Fleury. Right fielder Garrett Gore then followed with a game-tying single. I can t really take credit for either of those things, said Spence, who avoided a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and had two runners on base in the second. (Catcher) Carlos (Ramirez) called a great game, and I m just in the palm of his hand. He tells me what to do and I do it. Spence, who gave up eight hits and three walks while fanning eight in seven innings of work, gave way to Mitchell Lambson in the eighth. Two shutout frames from the reliever set the stage for extra innings, which led to White s departure. UNC reliever Colin Bates retired MacPhee on a popup before giving up a single to shortstop Drew Maggi. Brian Moran then took the hill for the Tar Heels, and center fielder Jason Kipnis lofted a fly ball to right field. Gore lost the ball in the sun before dropping it. I m not sure what happened, said North Carolina head coach Mike Fox. The wind picked up there. I feel bad for Garrett. It happens. Ramirez followed with a hard single to left-center field that plated Maggi with the go-ahead run. Left fielder Kole Calhoun then delivered the death-blow with a three-run opposite field homer to give the Sun Devils a 5-1 advantage. I got the 1-1 pitch up in the wind, and the wind took over, Calhoun said. I was trying to have a better at-bat than my one before, and it wasn t hard. (Coach Pat Murphy) told me to take what he gives me, and I did and hit it into left-center. Fortunately it got up in the air. I commend White and the whole team, Murphy said. White and UNC competed and turned it up a notch. It was pretty special. I m proud of our guys; we hung in there and it wasn t pretty. I m proud of Kole. He is the definition of competition; he s a great competitor. It was a different game and I m proud of our guys.

3 Game Four Texas 7, Southern Mississippi 6 Southern Mississippi s Corky Palmer nearly missed coaching in the College World Series. His Golden Eagles struggled to make the NCAA Tournament as a third seed before advancing to Omaha by upsetting a pair of top seeds in the first two rounds. USM showed tenacity throughout the latter half of the campaign, yet most observers realized the team s Achilles heel by looking at its pitching staff s 5.01 ERA, the highest in the eight-team field. That weakness was exposed late in the school s firstever appearance in the CWS. After the Golden Eagles battled back from two deficits to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth, three relievers issued a combined six walks in the last 1 1/3 innings to give the Texas Longhorns a 7-6 victory. We had an opportunity to win, said Palmer, who announced in April that he would retire as head coach at the end of the season. We kept coming back; we just didn t throw strikes at the end of the game. Our players played like I thought they would on a big stage. I thought there were no nerves; we just didn t throw strikes at the end, and we just didn t throw strikes all game. That s really why we lost the game. We had every opportunity to win, and we just didn t get it done. The Golden Eagles received a decent start from Todd McInnis, who allowed four runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He settled down after giving up two runs in the first inning on a double to right-center field by right fielder Kevin Keyes. After Southern Miss tied the game in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by designated hitter Michael Ewing, the Longhorns took a 3-2 lead in the bottom Austin Wood of the sixth on designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer s first home run of the season. I believe I hit the ball well all year, although my batting average (.254) doesn t Todd McInnis show it, Moldenhauer said. Coach believes in me. I was glad to hit the home run and I m looking forward to the next game. Trailing 4-2 entering the eighth, USM battled to score three runs and take a 5-4 lead. Third baseman Tyler Walker started the rally with a leadoff double, and pinch-runner Nick Smith later scored on a wild pitch. Pinch-hitter Brian Dozier loaded the bases when he reached first base on the first catcher s interference at the CWS since That set the stage for right fielder Corey Stevens, who fouled off a couple of tough pitches before drawing a walk to tie the game. First baseman Joey Archer followed with a chopper to third base that scored another run when Michael Torres committed an error while trying to get the runner at home. Texas responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an infield single by second baseman Travis Tucker, a double by Moldenhauer and an intentional walk to Keyes. USM pitcher Collin Cargill walked shortstop Brandon Loy to bring in one run before Josh Fields walked pinch-hitter Kevin Lusson with the bases loaded to give the Longhorns a 6-5 lead. Southern Miss tied the game in the top of the ninth, but Fields continued to struggle with his control in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Fields walked first baseman Brandon Belt and hit Tucker with a pitch. Jonathan Johnston relieved Fields and retired Tant Shepherd on strikes for the second out before walking pinch-hitter Kyle Lusson to load the bases. Loy then walked for the third time in the game to bring Tucker home with the deciding run. I told him he was going to take until he got two strikes, Texas head coach Augie Garrido said regarding his instructions in the ninth inning to Loy. But I told him not to ignore the pitches. I told him Russell Moldenhauer to watch every pitch to get his timing and rhythm because he was only going to get one pitch to swing at. Michael Ewing Game Five Virginia 7, Cal State Fullerton 5 There s an old saying in Omaha that goes two and barbeque. No team wants to experience a pair of losses in as many outings at the College World Series, but it happens to two teams every year due to the tournament s setup. That was the case yet again in 2009, although few observers believed Cal State Fullerton would be the first club heading home. Despite a valiant effort that included a ninth-inning rally in which the potential gamewinning run came to the plate, the Titans were forced to enjoy the tailgating specialty prior to any of the other seven contestants. Virginia posted its first CWS victory in school history with the help of a four-run second inning and another stellar showing by diminutive second baseman Keith Werman to hold on for a 7-5 triumph. I m not taking anything away from Virginia or Arkansas, but we didn t play very well, said Titans head coach Dave Serrano. We didn t stay very true to ourselves and got out of character. We ll have to go back to the drawing board and see what happened. If we d have played better ball, we wouldn t be (leaving) right now. But we think with what we have coming back next year, we ll be back. The Titans started the game on a positive note by plating a pair of runs in the second inning. First baseman Jared Clark led off the frame with a single before catcher Dustin Garneau swatted his fifth home run of the season to give Cal State Fullerton a 2-0 advantage. The Cavaliers came right back against Titan ace Daniel Renken with RBI singles from designated hitter John Hicks and Werman before first baseman Danny Hultzen drove in two with another single. After the Titans scored a run in the third on shortstop Christian Colon s solo homer, the Cavaliers continued to reach Renken with a single tally in the fifth before chasing him in the sixth by scoring twice. Renken, an All- American who had worked at least eight innings in 10 of his last 11 starts, wound up surrendering a season-high six runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. I was falling behind in the count and letting the hitters get comfortable in the box, said Renken, who finished the season with an 11-3 record. I didn t execute my game plan. As the leader of this pitching staff, which I consider myself (to be), it was inexcusable to fall behind. It lost momentum (for Keith Werman our team) in the field and at the plate. Virginia is a good team, but I made them look a lot better today. Eight different Virginia players had hits and Danny Hultzen Khris Davis Jeff Newman Dustin Garneau Daniel Renken six scored runs. Werman, Virginia s ninth hitter in the lineup, was the lone member of the Wahoos to have two of both while going 2-for- 4 at the plate with two RBI. That performance combined with his debut on June 13 left the 140-pound freshman 6-for-9 with two doubles and three RBI in his first two CWS outings. We had some good individual performances, said Virginia head coach Brian O Connor, who earned his first career CWS win. Werman is a gutsy player and he s winning hearts here in Omaha. The total team effort was as evident on the mound as it was at the plate. Robert Morey twirled the first four innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs before a quartet of Virginia arms carried the load to the finish line. Andrew Carraway tossed 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief to earn his ninth win in 10 decisions before Matt Packer recorded the final out of the seventh. Tyler Wilson and Kevin Arico worked the eighth and ninth frames, respectively, with Arico allowing two runs before he got designated hitter Khris Davis to ground out to end the game. This is a very big win for our program, Carraway said. No one wants to come here and go two and out. We have a lot of young guys on our team; the energy level is high.

4 Game Six LSU 9, Arkansas 1 Kameron Brunty In a battle of Southeastern Conference foes, the Tigers displayed their muscle against the Razorbacks by clubbing three home runs while LSU starter Louis Coleman limited Arkansas to one run over six innings to coast to a 9-1 triumph in the nightcap of the College World Series third day at Rosenblatt Stadium. Center fielder Mikie Mahtook gave the Tigers a lead they would never surrender in the first inning. Second baseman D.J. LeMahieu led off the game with a single and advanced to second when left fielder Ryan Schimpf walked. After Arkansas starter Brett Eibner retired the next two batters, Mahtook battled to a full count before depositing a changeup over the left field wall to give LSU a 3-0 advantage. (Eibner) tried to sneak a fastball by me and I fouled it off, then I was looking for the slider because he d thrown it in a couple of times in the at-bat, Mahtook said. He threw the slider and left it up a little bit. I put a good swing on it and got enough of it. Arkansas responded with a run in the bottom of the first when shortstop Ben Tschepikow hit a one-out double, went to third on a single by designated hitter Scott Lyons and raced home on first baseman Andy Wilkins sacrifice fly. The Tigers regained their three-run advantage in the top of the second when LeMahieu recorded a two-out single and scored on Schimpf s double. That rally forced Razorbacks head coach Dave Van Horn to pull Eibner and replace him with T.J. Forrest, who silenced the LSU bats for the next three-plus frames. They did a good job of fouling off pitches, Van Horn said of the Tigers approach at the plate. They did a good job of getting Brett s pitch count up. Mikie Mahtook The Tigers reached Forrest during the pitcher s second time through the lineup, in the top of the sixth inning. Schimpf walked with two outs and designated hitter Blake Dean capitalized by taking Forrest deep over the right field wall to give LSU a 7-1 lead. Sam Murphy relieved Forrest and gave up a single to catcher Micah Gibbs and walked Mahtook. Right fielder Jared Mitchell brought Gibbs home with a single, and a throwing error by Arkansas left fielder Chase Leavitt plated Mahtook to give the Tigers a 9-1 advantage. Our pitching has been pretty consistent all year, as well as our defense, said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. Our hitting at times has been awesome and at times not so good. Tonight, you saw what we re capable of. It seemed like just about everybody was throwing up some good atbats tonight. When we re clicking, we re a good offensive team one through nine. Making matters easier for the Tigers was the pitching of Coleman, the SEC pitcher of the year. Coleman, who improved to 14-2 on the season, worked out of some jams early in the game that included two baserunners in the second and third innings yet Brett Eibner emerged unscathed. He cruised through his last three Louis Coleman frames and concluded the game striking out seven batters in his six innings while allowing only six hits and three walks. The bullpen did its job as well, with Daniel Bradshaw tossing two scoreless frames and Nolan Cain fanning two of the four batters he faced to close out the contest in the ninth. Arkansas entered the game having posted 30 two-out runs thus far in the NCAA Tournament. In this contest, LSU scored all nine of its runs after the Razorbacks had registered a pair of outs. Two-out hits is how you win ballgames, Dean said. When you get (Coleman) nine runs, it s going to be hard to lose the ballgame. Ben Tschepikow Game Seven North Carolina 11, Southern Mississippi 4 Dustin Ackley showed everyone why he was the first hitter taken in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. The Tar Heel first baseman became the College World Series all-time hits leader while posting the 15th five-hit performance in the event s history to lead North Carolina to an 11-4 victory over Southern Mississippi. Ackley recorded a double and four singles in his first five at-bats prior to stepping to the plate in the top of the ninth. He narrowly missed posting only the second six-hit game in CWS annals when he flew out to left field. Ackley s performance keyed UNC s 23-hit attack, which equaled the highest single-game mark previously established by three other clubs. I think everybody saw today what everybody on our team and myself have seen the last three years with Dustin Ackley, said North Carolina head coach Mike Fox. It was an unbelievable performance, and we ve seen that before from him day in and day out. He s one sensational player, and I m glad the nation got to see a little bit of that today. We needed it. Ackley s hit were more than simple windowdressing in a record-setting performance. He stroked a run-scoring single in the first inning to give the Tar Heels an early 1-0 lead. In the second, Ackley had an RBI double to extend North Ryan Graepel Carolina s lead to 2-0. He then proceeded to register his third run producing hit in as many innings to give his club a 6-0 advantage. Today was one of those days where I was hitting the balls into the right hole, said Ackley, the second overall pick in the 2009 draft who now has 27 hits in 14 CWS games. I was getting good hits. It s exciting to break the record. I heard about having the chance to do it, but it s bigger for us to win the game. In addition to Ackley s outing, the Tar Heels had six other players record more than one hit in the game; 10 different North Carolina batters posted at least one hit. Shortstop Ryan Graepel had four hits and two RBI, while left fielder Ben Bunting registered three hits with three runs scored and two RBI. Third baseman Kyle Seager, who had three hits in the team s first game against Arizona State, had two more hits against the Golden Eagles, including his sixth home run of the season. With the offense giving him an 8-0 lead midway through the fourth inning, UNC starter Alex Warren kept the Southern Miss hitters at bay by limiting them to three hits and three runs over six innings. Warren, who improved to 10-2 on the season, was effectively wild, resulting in six strikeouts in addition to his five walks. My command on my fastball was bad today, but I battled through, Warren said. It was one of those outings where my command was not there, but it got better as I went along. Kyle Seager The North Carolina victory eliminated Southern Mississippi from the CWS and brought to an end the coaching career of Corky Palmer, who announced earlier this year that he would retire at the end of the campaign. In addition to guiding the Golden Eagles to their first CWS appearance, Palmer concluded the slate with 960 collegiate victories, including 458 in his 12 seasons at USM. Today was a tough day, kind of my worst nightmare, Palmer said. North Carolina is a good club; they hit well, they pitch well, and they played good defense. We just didn t match up very well with seven lefthanders in the lineup. We had a magical season. Our kids played great and you can t ask for more than what we ve done over the past three weeks. I m real glad these guys let me work a little longer. It wasn t me, it was them.

5 Game Eight Texas 10, Arizona State 6 Pitching appeared to be the primary ingredient heading into the Texas-Arizona State contest. The Longhorns had 10-game winner Chance Ruffin going against Mike Leake, who owned an impressive 16-1 record for the Sun Devils. Yet that type of matchup never materialized, with both hurlers departing prior to the end of the fourth inning. Instead, offensive outbursts by both clubs resulted in a slugfest that shone the national spotlight on Cameron Rupp. The Texas catcher hit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs to help the Longhorns bounce back from a 6-0 deficit and outlast the Sun Devils, Baseball creates enough adversity as any sport can, said Texas head coach Augie Garrido. We added to it tenfold, both offensively and defensively. To win that game tonight was nothing short of a miracle. They played the game from pitch to pitch. It was rough and ugly, but they got the job done. Garrido s team fell behind early by surrendering three runs to Arizona State in both the second and third innings. Left fielder Kole Calhoun led off the second stanza with a solo homer to left-center field. Right fielder Matt Newman singled one out later, advanced to third on a single by third baseman Raoul Torrez, and then scored on a passed ball. First baseman Jared McDonald then plated Torrez with a single. In the third, catcher Carlos Ramirez hit a leadoff home run. The Sun Devils loaded the bases on two walks and an error, and McDonald capitalized with his second RBI of the game by hitting a sacrifice fly. Designated hitter Johnny Ruettiger added ASU s sixth run when Rupp threw the ball into center field on a stolen base attempt by Newman. With his team down by six runs, Garrido gathered his troops in the dugout and stressed how the game was not decided despite the score. Coach called us in and told us that we could do it, Rupp said. We had to compete and go play by play. We put everything behind us and moved on. He stayed calm; he just told us to put it all behind us. The Longhorns responded to the pep talk by tying the game in the top of the fourth. Rupp hit his first home run of the game, a three-run shot off Leake that came after right fielder Kevin Keyes singled and shortstop Brandon Loy was hit by a pitch. After two singles and a fielder s choice left runners on the corners with one out, second baseman Travis Tucker dropped down a bunt that turned into an RBI single. First baseman Brandon Belt then tied the contest at 6-6 by contributing a two-run single that led to Leak s departure. I m not sure exactly what happened, but his stuff wasn t his normal sinking stuff, ASU head coach Pat Murphy said of Leake. He wasn t getting the low strike - this ump had a higher zone - which changes things a little bit. But they got some timely hits, and that s what happens. Texas took the lead in the seventh when Rupp hit reliever Mitchell Lambson s first pitch Cameron Rupp Carlos Ramirez Travis Tucker over the wall in right field to give the Longhorns a 7-6 advantage. Texas tacked on three more tallies in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Keyes and a two-run single from Loy. Six different Longhorns had at least two hits, led by Tucker s three hits and two runs. Their power surge in the last six innings overshadowed the efforts of the Texas bullpen after Ruffin departed upon giving up seven hits and six runs in two innings. Taylor Jungmann earned the victory, his 10th of the season, by holding the Sun Devils scoreless for the last 5 2/3 frames. Game Nine Arkansas 4, Virginia 3 (12 innings) One of Yogi Berra s most notable quips states, It s never over til it s over. After their 4-hour and 46-minute matchup at Rosenblatt Stadium, there s no question both the Razorbacks and Cavaliers understand exactly what the Hall of Fame catcher meant. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning and his team trailing by two runs, Arkansas center fielder Brett Eibner was down to his final strike. Third baseman Zack Cox, who had singled, resided on first base after the Razorbacks first two hitters in the inning grounded out. With victory only a pitch away for the Cavaliers, Eibner instead drove the Kevin Arico offering over the left field wall to tie the game at 3-3. Three innings later, left fielder Andrew Darr Tyler Cannon Andrew Carraway stroked a game-winning double to keep Arkansas hopes for a national championship alive while bringing to an end Virginia s first trip to Omaha for the College World Series. I was looking for an off-speed pitch, Eibner said of his game-tying blast. I got it and put a good swing on it. It s one of my top (hits), definitely since it came in the College World Series. Prior to the heroics of Eibner and Darr, Arkansas emerged from constant threats by the Virginia offense, only to watch the Cavaliers come up empty. Virginia jumped out to a tworun lead in the fifth inning when first baseman John Hicks opened the frame with a solo home run to left field. The homer was originally ruled a double before a brief meeting of the umpires determined the ball cleared the wall. The team s second run crossed the plate shortly thereafter when left fielder John Barr singled, advanced to third on shortstop Tyler Cannon s single, and scored on Danny Hultzen s double. The Razorbacks rallied with a run in the seventh when second baseman Bo Bigham reached base on a throwing error, moved to third on Cox s double, and scored on Eibner s sacrifice fly. Virginia regained its two-run advantage in the eighth when right fielder Dan Grovatt swatted his eighth home run of the season, giving the Cavs a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth. Aside from the brief offensive uprisings, the game featured pitchers duel between Arkansas lefthander Drew Smyly and Virginia southpaw Danny Hultzen. The two starters combined to allow only two earned runs in 11 innings of work. Smyly had seven strikeouts and no walks with two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, while Hultzen surrendered one unearned run with seven strikeouts and no walks in 6 1/3 innings. Equally impressive on the mound was Arkansas Dallas Keuchel, who concluded the game with four shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out five batters. Keuchel earned his second win in as many decisions in the CWS and improved to 9-3 on the season. I just told myself that I d been through this before, Keuchel said. I didn t want to let them go out like that. They kept swinging through the slider and missing. The deciding tally came in the bottom of the 12th when right fielder Jarrod McKinney opened the frame with a single to right and then stole Zack Cox second base. Darr, who entered the game as a defensive replacement, stepped to the plate for his first at-bat of the game and battled Virginia pitcher Andrew Carraway for nine pitches. On the 10th offering, Darr drilled the ball past a diving Steven Proscia at third base to bring home McKinney. I tried to have a good at-bat, Darr said. I was looking for something up in the zone. I was confident because I ve been there before. But across the board, it was a really good baseball game. The loss sent Virginia home with a schoolrecord 49 wins against only 15 losses and one tie. While the Cavaliers may have been playing in their first College World Series, many of the players believe the best is yet to come for the ACC team. We re a young team, and not many people thought we d be in this situation, Proscia said. We were looking to prove something and I think we did that. We ve got a lot of young guys that will be looking to get back here next year. Andrew Darr

6 Game Ten Arizona State 12, North Carolina 5 In a rematch of Game 3 of the 2009 College World Series, Arizona State overcame a 4-0 deficit after four innings by plating four in the fifth inning and scoring another eight runs in the seventh to defeat North Carolina, 12-5, and oust the Tar Heels from the tournament. We re very proud to have competed against North Carolina, said ASU head coach Pat Murphy, who earned the 1,000th victory of his coaching career by beating the Tar Heels. The competition we had against them was sensational both games we played them. We don t have much time to recuperate (before facing Texas), but we re looking forward to the opportunity to compete. Murphy s team fell behind early, with North Carolina taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning with designated hitter Jacob Stallings executing a safety squeeze. Stallings repeated the feat for the Tar Heels first run in the fourth before center fielder Mike Cavasinni and shortstop Ryan Graepel produced back-to-back RBI singles to give UNC a 4-0 advantage. Arizona State responded in the fifth when left fielder Kole Calhoun erased the four-run deficit by hitting a grand slam off a 3-2 slider from reliever Brian Moran. The Sun Devils then broke the game open in the seventh by scoring eight times on five hits, four walks, two stolen bases, one hit batter and a passed ball. North Carolina made three pitching changes during the frame, and 13 Arizona State players came to the plate in what proved to be the team s secondlargest inning of the season. The key contributions included a two-run double by Calhoun, two-run singles by second baseman Zack MacPhee and shortstop Drew Maggi and an RBI single by catcher Carlos Ramirez. Mike Cavasinni You don t want those innings to happen to you in the first game of the year, and you certainly don t want that kind of inning out here, said North Carolina head coach Mike Fox. We couldn t find the strike zone. I feel so bad for all those kids. They re trying as hard as they can. We opened the door for a good team. We dodged bullets during the first few innings but couldn t recover in that inning. Calhoun became the first Arizona State player to hit a grand slam in the College World Series since Michael Collins in Sal Bando (1965) and Bob Horner (1978) also hit grand slams in Omaha for the Sun Devils. ASU s offensive outburst overshadowed a stellar pitching performance by Josh Spence. The lefthander threw 126 pitches over seven innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Spence earned his second win in as many decisions in the NCAA Tournament and improved to 10-1 on the season. I wouldn t say I was tired, Spence said. I got caught up in the moment when I gave up that three spot (in the fourth inning). I m blessed to have such a poised coaching staff and such a poised catcher to keep me in line and get me back on track. Ramirez said afterwards that Spence needed a little encouragement prior to and during the contest, yet displayed the resiliency needed to overcome any doubts to keep the Sun Devils in contention for the national championship. He went out there right before the game and said, What am I doing? Ramirez said. I said you re about to pitch, then he said, But it s on three days rest. I told him to do what he normally did. Then after we made a couple of errors I told him, This is baseball. People are going to make errors. Just keep hitting your spots, and he did. North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley singled in the ninth inning, his lone base knock in five at-bats during the contest, to extend his NCAA Tournament hitting streak to 22 games. Ackley, who had at least one hit in each of his 15 career CWS games and went 8-for-16 in 2009, also increased his CWS hits record to 28. For me, I just came in as a freshman trying to get a job starting anywhere on the field, said Ackley, who played in the CWS all three of his collegiate campaigns. It was a great ride. To end it on a stage like this was incredible. Arizona State, meanwhile, improved to on the season despite fielding one of the youngest teams in the nation. Despite the club s lack of experience, Murphy had no intention of reining in his players. We have the least experience of any team in major college baseball, Murphy said. There is no team with less returners. We have eight active players who have ever played Division I baseball. I m so proud of them, but why stop now? Kole Calhoun Game Eleven LSU 14, Arkansas 5 For Tiger fans, failing to reach the championship finals of the College World Series since 2000 is akin to waiting forever. A rain delay of two hours and 30 minutes at the start of the contest with Arkansas only increased the anticipation, which proved to be worthwhile when LSU defeated the Razorbacks Chase Leavitt Blake Dean for the second time in Omaha, eliminating its SEC foe by a score of Anthony Ranaudo bounced back from a mediocre outing earlier in the CWS to toss six scoreless innings for the Tigers. Ranaudo, who failed to emerge from the fourth inning in LSU s first game in Omaha, against Virginia, allowed only four singles and struck out five batters while issuing no walks. In addition to not allowing an Arkansas runner past second base, he won for the 11th time in 14 decisions this season and is now 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in four NCAA Tournament starts this season. I had a bad outing last time, Ranaudo said. I didn t have good command and that s what gets you into trouble. Today I pounded the strike zone early and the offense scored early and gave me time to relax and go out and compete. You saw the real Anthony Ranaudo today, said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. He looked like a major league pitcher, like a champion. He had good velocity, a good fastball and even got a few changeups over. He was kind of hard to live with this week, hard to talk to because he wanted to get out there so bad. Nobody wants to win more than he does. He is a great teammate and there was no way he was going to let his team down today. In addition to Ranaudo s stellar pitching performance, the LSU offense made certain the outcome was never in doubt. The Tigers plated at least one run in seven of the nine innings and had baserunners in every frame except the fourth. Eight of the nine LSU starters had at least one hit. Designated hitter Blake Dean, right fielder Jared Mitchell and left fielder Ryan Schimpf contributed solo home runs to the Tiger cause, while third baseman Tyler Hanover added a two-run shot. The Tigers scored one run in the first inning, three in the third and single tallies in the fifth and sixth. Their greatest outburst occurred in the seventh, when five runners came home to give LSU and Ranaudo an 11-0 advantage. Eight consecutive batters reached base safely in the inning that included a fielding error, a single, one home run, two doubles and three walks. LSU was just too strong, and we just didn t have enough to hold them down, said Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn. Ranaudo was too good. He threw a lot better today than his first time out. With the victory, LSU outscored Arkansas 23-6 in the two games between the teams in Omaha. The win also marked the Tigers fourth triumph over the Razorbacks this season. LSU is now 8-0 in the NCAA Tournament, and extended its winning streak to 13 games, a fact that means little to the Tigers while in pursuit of the school s sixth national championship. We really don t think about winning streaks, Schimpf said. We look at it as just another ballgame. The team s doing a great job and we re peaking at the right time. Added Dean, I didn t know about the 13-game winning streak until just now. I think it s tough to beat us right now with the way we re pitching and hitting. I have to agree with Ryan that we re peaking at the right time. Despite trailing 11-0, Arkansas never quit battling. The Razorbacks scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning on center fielder Brett Eibner s two-run homer. Left fielder Chase Leavitt concluded the contest s scoring with a three-run shot in the ninth inning to end the game with three hits in five at-bats. That type of resiliency defined Arkansas season, particularly after the team slumped in May and had to scramble to make a post-season run. We knew we were capable of it as a team, said shortstop Ben Tschepikow. We faced some tough teams in the SEC; it was a tough stretch. We kept a positive mentality and kept working hard. We got hot at the right time; we always knew we were a good team. While Arkansas ended its season with a record, LSU improved to all-time in the NCAA Tournament as the Tigers prepared for the championship series. It s a dream come true that we got to this point, Mainieri said. When I say a dream, it s not that I didn t think we couldn t. We thought we could when we started the year. Now there s an opportunity for us, and now we ll see if we can seize it.

7 Game Twelve Texas 4, Arizona State 3 Game One CWS Championship Series LSU 7, Texas 6, 11 innings The Texas Longhorns may have been making their 32nd appearance in the College World Series, but none of the school s games could have had a more exciting finish than their second matchup of 2009 against Arizona State. After watching the Sun Devils take a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, the Longhorns Cameron Rupp and Connor Rowe clobbered a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the inning to send Texas to the championship series for the first time since 2005 with a 4-3 victory over ASU. Wow, what a game, said Texas head coach Augie Garrido. First of all, I have to recognize Arizona State and the great job they ve done with their program. The pitching, the competitiveness, the way they battled with their team in the ninth. The reason that was so exciting was as much about them as us. The two home runs in the bottom of the ninth was about as exciting as it gets. I feel blessed about it. How does it happen? It just does. Having entered the final inning tied at 2-2, the Sun Devils appeared on the verge of forcing another game on Saturday for the Bracket 2 championship. Designated hitter Zach Wilson, who had pinch-hit earlier in the game for Johnny Ruettiger, hit a triple in the top of the frame to score center fielder Jason Kipnis with the go-ahead run. Arizona State also had on the mound Mitchell Lambson, who had tossed two shutout frames in relief of starter Mike Leake. Lambson opened the ninth by striking out shortstop Brandon Loy. Rupp, the Longhorns catcher, followed with his second hit of the game and his 11th home run of the season. Rupp s blast was one of the longest in Michael Lambson Connor Rowe recent CWS history, carrying deep into the bleachers beyond the center field wall. We came in (from the field in the ninth) and were a little upset, Rupp said. We picked each other up. We ve done that before and we take pride in that. We go into each inning looking to win. We ve competed like that all tournament long and it gave us the win tonight. After Lambson retired left fielder Preston Clark for the second out of the inning, Rowe followed Rupp s heroics five pitches later with a line drive over the left field wall for the game-winning blast. Rowe s hit was the first walk-off homer in the CWS since Texas Chance Wheeless defeated Baylor in the same manner in I wasn t thinking about hitting a home run, said Rowe, the Longhorns No. 9 hitter for the game. I had faced (Lambson) three times before and I d seen a lot of changeups. I was sitting there waiting for it and got it. The ninth-inning fireworks out-shined stellar pitching performances by both starters. Both Cole Green of the Longhorns and ASU s Mike Leake went six innings and allowed two earned runs on eight hits. Leake had seven strikeouts and one walk, while Green fanned six batters and walked three. Leake was pitching on two days rest and concluded the season with a remarkable 1.71 ERA. When we won yesterday, I wanted the ball, Leake said. I tried to make my pitches, made a couple of mistakes and paid for them. But I tried to put them past me and work to help my team. Added ASU head coach Pat Murphy, I think we re going to watch Mike Leake get inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. He was 40-6 in his career, and he led us to Omaha twice and to three Super Regionals. State took an early 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI single by Kole Calhoun. The Sun Devils left fielder had one of the premier performances in the 2009 CWS. In addition to going 3-for-4 in his team s final game, Calhoun contributed three homers and 11 RBI and reached base in 13 of his last 16 plate appearances. It might be a great game for somebody to watch on TV sometime, Calhoun said. But right now, it hurts. This is the best team I ve ever been on and I didn t want it to end. Texas tied the game in the bottom of the third when third baseman Michael Torres hit a leadoff homer. The Sun Devils added a run in the fourth inning and shortstop Drew Maggi contributed an RBI single before the Longhorns knotted the game once again in the bottom of the fifth on second baseman Travis Tucker s run-scoring single. With steady relief pitching by Lambson and Texas Austin Wood, the game remained tied until the ninth, when two of the nation s heavyweight programs exchanged blows, leaving only the Longhorns standing. Arizona State departed its 21st CWS with a record, marking its 16th season with 50 or more victories. You can probably surmise that this is a pretty emotional moment, Murphy said. (Lambson) has been good all year and he was good again tonight. The credit goes to Texas. They did a wonderful job of hitting in the clutch. I m really proud of this club. This is something they are going to remember forever. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, LSU s D.J. LeMahieu doubled home the tying runs, and center fielder Mikie Mahtook followed two frames later with an RBI single to give the Tigers a come-from-behind victory and a one-game lead in the best-of-three championship series with a 7-6 triumph over Texas in the College World Series. It s hard to describe the emotions I feel about this game, but I am going to try, said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. This was the most courageous never-say-die resolve that I ve ever seen from one of my teams in 27 years of coaching. That was the definition of team effort, and it will be what I reference when I talk to teams in the future about team effort. The back-and-forth contest featured seven solo home runs, the most in any CWS game since Texas hit five one-run blasts, including two by designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer, who posted only his second and third roundtrippers of the season. LSU gained the lead in the first inning on a solo homer by left fielder Ryan Schimpf before the Longhorns posted three in the bottom of the fourth on long balls by second baseman Travis Tucker, Moldenhauer and right fielder Kevin Keyes. The Tigers tied the game in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run triple by right fielder Jared Mitchell. Texas answered LSU s rally with two more runs in the bottom of the frame on a home run by Moldenhauer and a wild pitch that scored Keyes, who had reached base on a single. They went out of the park, Moldenhauer said of his two home runs. I was feeling good and relaxed at the plate. I was putting a good swing on it. I felt good. Even though the ball was flying out of Rosenblatt Stadium, D.J. LeMahieu Kevin Keyes Russell Moldenhauer both starting pitchers performed admirably. Texas starter Chance Ruffin tied his season high with 10 strikeouts despite battling cramps in his calf through 5 2/3 innings of work. He allowed three earned runs and five hits before giving way to Austin Wood in the sixth. LSU starter Louis Coleman, the SEC Pitcher of the Year, fanned six batters in six innings while giving up nine hits and six runs, all of them earned. I went out to Coleman and said, At least they re solo home runs, said Mainieri. I told my hitters we were going to have to hit to win the ballgame. But based on the way the ball was flying around the park, I had confidence that we would win. In the seventh inning, LSU added another single run on a home run by LeMahieu to pull to within 5-4. Texas center fielder Connor Rowe contributed another solo homer in the bottom of the frame to

8 give the Longhorns another two-run advantage. The score remained the same until LeMahieu tied the game in the top of the ninth with his double. After neither team scored in the 10th, the Tigers dented the scoreboard again in the 11th when they took advantage of two walks, a stolen base, an error and a single by Mahtook to take the lead. (Brandon Workman) was throwing hard, and I saw that from the dugout, said Mahtook, who had two hits in six at-bats on the night. I made a point to put my foot down early and look for my pitch. He left one up, and I took it up the middle. With baseballs jumping out of the ballpark on the hot and humid night, LSU received a significant boost when Matty Ott took the mound in the bottom of the ninth. The reliever did not give up a hit in three innings of work and allowed only one walk while striking out three batters. While Ott was credited with the win, the loss was the first for the Longhorns in 40 games this season when leading after eight innings. I was feeling good the whole time, said Ott, who allowed only two baserunners in his three innings of work. We practice and lift weights to keep in condition throughout the season. I told myself that I need to be able to throw three to four innings because I might need to step in and throw later in the season. In the end, the game lived up to the hype associated with college baseball s showcase event. Even with his team facing a must-win situation, Texas head Taylor Jungmann Jared Mitchell Anthony Ranaudo coach Augie Garrido could appreciate the performance he had witnessed on the field. It was an incredible game between two teams that were doing unbelievable things to win a game, Garrido said. The team that lost the game was going to feel the wrath of baseball. We were that team tonight. It was an incredible performance by both teams. Game Two Texas 5, LSU 1 Texas head coach Augie Garrido knew his Longhorns had to win Game 2 of the championship series or his team would be heading back to Austin as the runner-up. With the College World Series and a shot at the national championship on the line, the Hall of Fame skipper turned to a freshman to start what could be considered to be the most important contest of the season for the NCAA Tournament s top-seeded club. I was very confident, Garrido said of Taylor Jungmann, who had thrown six pitches all for balls as a reliever in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the championship series. It was my decision to put him in that position last night. It was a decision made in haste. I put him into something he wasn t prepared for. He is a pitcher and a real good one. His previous night s performance notwithstanding, Jungmann put together a stellar showing on the mound for Texas. The freshman All-American limited the Tigers, who entered the contest averaging 9.5 runs in its first four College World Series outings, to five hits and one unearned run. He also pitched the first complete game in the CWS in three years while issuing only two walks and striking out nine LSU batters. I was staying back, said Jungmann, who earned his third win in the CWS, his first as a starter. I had a good feel for the ball. I mixed the pitches well. The start of the game was delayed by an hour and 34 minutes due to a thunderstorm that pounded Rosenblatt Stadium. As a result, the temperature fell from 97 degrees to 82 while the humidity was slashed. The subsequent cooler weather, according to Garrido, proved beneficial for Jungmann. The rain played an important part in the game tonight, Garrido said. It took the temperature down, and that helped Taylor finish the game. When we got off the bus, it was steaming. His teammates got him an early lead. I ve always thought that the best thing for a curveball is a four-run lead. Texas scored all five of its runs in the first three innings. Left fielder Preston Clark recorded a solo homer in the second inning, his first of three hits on the night, and designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer became the 10th player to hit four home runs in a College World Series. Moldenhauer, who arrived in Omaha without big fly on the season, went deep in the third inning when he cleared the right-center field fence off LSU pitcher Ryan Byrd. I was seeing the ball well again, Moldenhauer said. I was laying off the sliders he was throwing low in the zone. I had a hunch he d come back inside, and luckily he left it up enough for me to elevate it. Tiger starter Austin Ross went only two innings, allowing four hits and a walk and giving up two earned runs. Mainieri was not pleased with his pitcher s performance and pulled him prior to the start of the third inning. The start was terrible, to walk the first batter on four pitches, then they were going to sacrifice and the next pitch wasn t close, Mainieri said. Then the error on (catcher Micah) Gibbs trying to pick off the runner, they scored right away. I thought we were very fortunate that they only scored one run in each of the first two innings. I thought (Ryan) Byrd just has a very different approach than Ross or (Nolan) Cain. (Cain) came in and did a phenomenal job and kept us in the ballgame. LSU s lone tally came in the bottom of the second inning when Texas shortstop Brandon Loy s fielding error allowed right fielder Jared Mitchell to score. The Tigers were able to get their leadoff man on base in four of the final five innings, yet were unable to cross home plate. He just changed speeds well and kept his pitches down, Mitchell said of Jungmann. He stayed in the zone and made it tough for us. Jungmann received several strong defensive plays, including a double play in the fourth that began with an impressive backhand play Ryan Schimpf by second baseman Travis Tucker in the hole. After never going deeper than 7 2/3 innings during his first collegiate campaign, Jungmann wound up twirling a complete game to win his 11th contest of the season against three losses. I think we ll stay around here in Omaha for another day if that s okay, Mainieri said. It would have been nice to win today, but (Jungmann) had a lot to do with us having to stick around. He was outstanding. He had good velocity and a good slider. This was our first loss in 15 games, and it s pretty hard to win every game in baseball. At least that s what they tell me. Game Three LSU 11, Texas 4 To say that June was a good month for LSU right fielder Jared Mitchell would be a gross understatement. The outfielder, who began the month by being the Chicago White Sox s first-round draft pick, concluded it by leading the Tigers to the national championship and earning Most Outstanding Player honors in the College World Series after hitting at a.348 clip in six games with five extra-base hits, five walks and seven RBI. Mitchell s best game may have been his last with the Tigers. The junior clubbed a three-run homer in the first inning to give LSU an early 3-0 lead and walked to lead off the sixth inning and begin a five-run rally that broke open a tie game. By the end of the evening, the Tigers not only owned an 11-4 victory over Texas, but had won their sixth national championship and their first since I ve dreamt my whole life of having this moment, said LSU s Paul Mainieri, who won his first national title as a head coach. It s almost surreal. My first thoughts are with this wonderful university and with this state and its tenacious people. This championship is for them. In addition to an offense that scored 11 runs on 12 hits, the Tigers won the game with solid pitching. Starter Anthony Ranaudo, who earned the victory against Arkansas to send LSU

9 to the championship series, won his 12th game in 15 decisions after allowing eight hits and five walks that led to four runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Relievers Chad Jones and Louis Coleman were even better, holding the Longhorns scoreless for the final 3 2/3 innings while limiting Texas to a hit and one walk. As the starting pitcher, the three-run home run in the first gives you a lot of room to go and compete and throw strikes, Ranaudo said. I didn t have my best stuff today. That has been the story of the season for us. When the pitchers didn t have their best stuff, the hitters picked them up. And when the hitting wasn t going, the pitchers picked them up. The Tigers scored all three of their runs in the first inning after the first two batters were retired. Designated hitter Blake Dean was hit by a pitch before first baseman Sean Ochinko contributed a single, his first of four hits on the evening. Mitchell followed with his 11th home run of the season that was just inside the right field foul pole. LSU s lead grew to 4-0 in the second inning when left fielder Ryan Schimpf s single scored catcher Micah Gibbs from third base. Texas cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third with the help of three walks. The Longhorns then tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when right fielder Kevin Keyes hit a two-run, two-out homer, his ninth roundtripper of the season. Yet just as the game appeared to be headed for another classic finish, the relentless Tiger offense continued to apply the pressure. After Mitchell led off the sixth with a walk, freshman center fielder Mikie Mahtook hit a double to right-center to give LSU a 5-4 lead. An error and sacrifice fly scored Mahtook for the Tigers sixth run. LSU increased its lead to 7-4 following a walk and two hit batsman before Ochinko plated two more with a single. He also recorded his ninth home run of the season during the game and finished with three RBI. (Mitchell s) home run in the first is what got the wheels going for us, said Ochinko. We were talking about jumping out early and that got us going. The championship represents an impressive turnaround for an LSU program that struggled during the middle portion of this decade. The Tigers failed to qualify for the Southeastern Conference post-season tournament in 2007 and continued to battle inconsistency during the first half of last year prior to recording an SEC-record 23 straight wins. LSU finished this season with a record and tied Texas for the second-most national championships in baseball, behind only Southern California s 12 titles. I ve had wonderful kids everywhere I ve been, said Mainieri, who has also coached St. Thomas, Air Force and Notre Dame. They re all feeling a part of this. I m so happy for these kids. They ve done everything I ve asked. They played great. They played great defense. Our pitching has been solid all year. When we got to the end of the season, everyone was determined they would get it done. It s been a coach s dream to have a group like this. Texas head coach Augie Garrido, who is the only head coach in Division I history to win national championships at two schools, agreed with his coaching counterpart. We all saw it together, Garrido said. LSU is a very talented college baseball team. I don t think we lost the tournament. They won it. It was a welldeserved championship for LSU NCAA College World Series All Tournament Team: Catcher: Cameron Rupp, Texas; First Base: Dustin Ackley, North Carolina; Second Base: D.J. LeMahieu, LSU; Third Base: Kyle Seager, North Carolina; Shortstop: Tyler Cannon, Virginia; Outfield: Kole Calhoun, Arizona State; Outfield: Jared Mitchell, LSU; Outfield: Ryan Schimpf, LSU; DH: Russell Moldenhauer, Texas; Pitcher: Anthony Ranaudo, LSU; Pitcher: Taylor Jungmann, Texas; Most Outstanding Player: Jared Mitchell, LSU.