The Road to Omaha

[Cola]

Gamecocks advance to CWS to defend title.

However, I want to note that Sunny Galloway is pure class. Oklahoma is lucky to have a man like that leading some of their young athletes. Can't say enough good things about the man.

[Seadragon76]

Add South Carolina to the mix.

As for the College World Series itself...

Friday's Games:

Stony Brook vs. UCLA

Cinderella has had a great history in Omaha. Ask Fresno State. This year's Cinderella comes in the form of Stony Brook, a small school on Long Island that competes in the America East Conference. Don't let the fact that it's a small school fool you, the Seawolves can play with anyone in the nation as they are one of the few schools that are highly ranked in Team ERA, Team Batting Average and Team Fielding Percentage. That was shown as they roared back in Coral Gables and then took the last two against mighty LSU. They'll face a red hot UCLA team that has been a buzzsaw as of late rolling through their regional and through TCU in the Super Regional. Does Cinderella have one more trick up her red sleeve?

Arizona vs. Florida State

If there is any team that has a tortured history in Omaha, it's Florida State. 21 trips to Omaha and 21 times the Seminoles have come up short. Is this the year? Well, if anything, the Noles did a huge number on mighty Stanford in the Super Regional. The first game pits them against Arizona, who took advantage of seeing the only seeded team fall in their part of the bracket and went on to sweep St. John's for their first trip to Omaha since 2004.

Saturday's Games:

Kent State vs. Arkansas

When the brackets were released, no one expected either team here to move on. Kent State had not only a 35 year drought for the MAC to break, but a 42 year drought for the entire state of Ohio to break while Arkansas hasn't been to Omaha since 2009. Kent State survived a literal marathon against Kentucky en route to a regional crown, and then it took a simple bloop hit to upset Oregon and break two massive droughts for the MAC and for the state of Ohio. Arkansas took a thumping at the hands of high powered Baylor in the opener, but the pitching came in and clamped down on the heavy hitting Bears. No one saw this matchup coming...

South Carolina vs. Florida

It's almost like fate herself wrote up the script for this rematch of last year's Championship Series between the Gators and Gamecocks. Florida has been the best team all season long, it showed with a magnificent opening game in the Regional and a complete showing against North Carolina State. South Carolina is the two time defending champions and holders of a 21 game NCAA Tourny winning streak, but it hasn't been easy for South Carolina. Having to fight off dreaded archrival Clemson twice and holding off a stubborn Oklahoma team to reach this point in the quest for a three peat

[RevNet]

Kent State is going to Omaha!

http://www.kentstatesports.com/sports/bsb/2011-12/cwstournamentcentral2012

[Kevin W.]

And now the bracket is complete.

[theSLVRBCK]

Would have much preferred to play somebody other than South Carolina for this first matchup ... but hell, to be the man you gotta beat the man. WOOOOO!!!! lol

[B-Rich]

Just wanted to add a feel-good aspect to the LSU/Stony Brook series.

I was not there, but apparently, after the final out on Sunday, many of the remaining LSU fans in attendance gave the Stony Brook team a standing ovation, and gave them high fives and wished them the best in Omaha:

That's great sportsmanship, and makes me proud to be an LSU alum...

GEAUX SEAWOLVES!!!

[hailstateunis]

Just wanted to add a feel-good aspect to the LSU/Stony Brook series.

I was not there, but apparently, after the final out on Sunday, many of the remaining LSU fans in attendance gave the Stony Brook team a standing ovation, and gave them high fives and wished them the best in Omaha:

That's great sportsmanship, and makes me proud to be an LSU alum...

GEAUX SEAWOLVES!!!

Funny how you forgot to mention what the other 3/4 of LSU fans did after the game.

[crashcarson15]

Just wanted to add a feel-good aspect to the LSU/Stony Brook series.

I was not there, but apparently, after the final out on Sunday, many of the remaining LSU fans in attendance gave the Stony Brook team a standing ovation, and gave them high fives and wished them the best in Omaha:

That's great sportsmanship, and makes me proud to be an LSU alum...

GEAUX SEAWOLVES!!!

Funny how you forgot to mention what the other 3/4 of LSU fans did after the game.

And you'd expect any other school to have more than 1/4 of its fans stay after? Okay, then...

[Kevin W.]

Too bad there can't be more fans like that in every fan base. Thumbs up to those LSU fans. Very classy move.

[hailstateunis]

Just wanted to add a feel-good aspect to the LSU/Stony Brook series.

I was not there, but apparently, after the final out on Sunday, many of the remaining LSU fans in attendance gave the Stony Brook team a standing ovation, and gave them high fives and wished them the best in Omaha:

That's great sportsmanship, and makes me proud to be an LSU alum...

GEAUX SEAWOLVES!!!

Funny how you forgot to mention what the other 3/4 of LSU fans did after the game.

And you'd expect any other school to have more than 1/4 of its fans stay after? Okay, then...

99/100 then.

[Island_Style]

A. I think Stony Brook's magic is over.

B. What a beautiful blue that UCLA batting helmet is.

[ninersdd]

It takes 12 for Zona to beat Florida State.

[hailstateunis]

LSU is looking really bad right now after SB's beating.

[Kramerica Industries]

I wish I could say I was excited for tonight's South Carolina/Florida game.

But I can't, because South Carolina will win. They always will. The fact that, in the first game of the CWS final last year, the 'Cocks managed to negotiate out of bases loaded/0 out in the bottom of the 9th of a 1-1 game*, and then win the game in extras because of a steal-of-2nd leading to a comedy of errors that scored the winning run...

It's destiny. Those guys may never lose again.

*And I especially feel for those Virginia fans who had to see that happen to them TWICE.

[DarkJourney]

Cinderella Stony Brook sure turned back into a big ol' pumpkin pretty quick.

[Seadragon76]

Cinderella Stony Brook sure turned back into a big ol' pumpkin pretty quick.

Ain't that the truth. It seems that the big stage of Omaha got to them... I mean, this was one of the better pitching teams in the nation and they got rocked in their two games.

It's a shame that the Seawolves are out, but I think that making it to Omaha is a win in itself for them and for the Northeast region. That area of the nation hasn't had a team in Omaha since 1986 (Maine), so there is now hope for that area.

Let's hope that Kent State doesn't become a pumpkin as well.

[NJTank]

Cinderella Stony Brook sure turned back into a big ol' pumpkin pretty quick.

Ain't that the truth. It seems that the big stage of Omaha got to them... I mean, this was one of the better pitching teams in the nation and they got rocked in their two games.

It's a shame that the Seawolves are out, but I think that making it to Omaha is a win in itself for them and for the Northeast region. That area of the nation hasn't had a team in Omaha since 1986 (Maine), so there is now hope for that area.

Let's hope that Kent State doesn't become a pumpkin as well.

One day I would love to see Seton Hall get there.

[Island_Style]

Stony Brook was extremely lucky to be there. I will never understand how LSU let them get in. Good for them but you sure could see the talent gap in their two games.

I don't know why but something tells me FSU will come back and take the bracket. Of course that would lead to being swept by SC. WTF is up with the Cocks? You want to beat them in Omaha? Better hope an asteroid comes crashing down on their locker room.

[Cola]

#1 national seed Florida has been eliminated by Kent State.

[Kevin W.]

#1 national seed Florida has been eliminated by Kent State.

What an ending to that game. Wow. The baseball gods shined on Kent State today.