June 14, 2007
The next big ping in Omaha
The College World Series — the NCAA’s final event of the 2006-07 season — begins today at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. The 10-day tournament is one of the most popular sporting events in this region, as thousands flock to Omaha for
By Blair Kerkhoff
George H.W. Bush, the 41st president, is the only chief executive to play in the College World Series. He was a good-fielding first baseman for Yale in 1947, when the first event was played in Kalamazoo, Mich.
“I remember going out there and thinking, ‘Well, we’re pretty darned lucky as an Ivy League team to be in the big time here,’ ” the former president recently told The Associated Press by telephone. “But there we were.”
Yale lost the title to California in a best-of-three series.
Returning to the scene
North Carolina second baseman Bryan Steed keeps a stiff upper lip about the play that turned last year’s title game in favor of Oregon State. Steed’s throwing error on a routine grounder allowed the Beavers’ winning run to score.
Steed is back and said he watched a replay of the boot only once.
“Of course, I would like to have made the play,” Steed said. “But there are bigger things in life. That’s the way I think about it, so I don’t let it affect me.”
•They’re back. For only the fifth time, the defending finalists are back. Oregon State defeated North Carolina in the 2006 title series. They could meet again because the Beavers and Tar Heels are in different brackets.
•Old guard missing. No Texas, Southern California, LSU, Miami or any of the great powers of recent times.
“There are a lot of guys playing here this week that had no idea they would be here,” said Dennis Poppe, the NCAA’s managing director for baseball and football. “That’s a good thing.”
•First-timers. The Louisville Cardinals and UC-Irvine Anteaters are in the College World Series for the first time. The Anteaters didn’t field a team for most of the 1990s, resuming the program in 2002.
“I’m still pinching myself, this has happened so fast,” UC-Irvine coach Dave Serrano said.
Louisville got over the just-glad-to-be-here sense by busing from the airport to Rosenblatt Stadium on Wednesday to take photos.
“We wanted to get those things out of our system,” Louisville coach Dan McDonnell said.
•Josh Satow (right), Arizona State. He’s 13-3 and threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings in super-regional play against Mississippi.
•Ryne Tacker, Rice. Selected Conference USA pitcher of the year after sitting out last year because of an injury.
•Andrew Carignan, North Carolina. Among the nation’s top relievers with 15 saves
•Brett Wallace, 1B, Arizona State. Led Pacific-10 in triple-crown categories.
•Joe Savery (left), 1B/P, Rice. First-round pick of the Phillies is hitting .360 and is 10-1 on the mound.
•Dustin Ackley, 1B, North Carolina. Selected national freshman of the year by one publication, he is hitting .416.
•“We have confidence in our program. The names change, the rosters change, but we have staff that works hard to do the things you need to do to get here.”
| George Horton (left), Cal State Fullerton coach
•“My team wanted me to come up and say we are not Cal Irvine. We’re UC-Irvine. We do have a Division I baseball team. We’re located in south Orange County, south side of Newport Beach.”
| Dave Serrano, UC-Irvine coach
•“A Rice supporter and dear friend of mine said, ‘We love Graham, but the game has passed him by.’ ”
| Rice coach Wayne Graham on a preseason conversation
Top major-league player from each school:
Oregon State: Ken Forsch
Rice: Lance Berkman
North Carolina: B.J. Surhoff
UC-Irvine: Brady Anderson
Arizona State: Barry Bonds
Mississippi State: Will Clark
Louisville: Sean Green
Cal State Fullerton: Tim Wallach