CWS Blog - Day 8

Taste the atmosphere of the 2009 College World Series with reporting from in and around Rosenblatt Stadium. We'll provide the most interesting observations and quirky stories behind the CWS, as well as reports from the field.

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FLIP NO-SHOW
Filed Saturday, June 20, 2009 by Rob White

Mainieri said he wasn't prepared for the coin toss to decide which team would be the home team for the potential deciding game of the championship series.

The flip took place at home plate following Texas' bottom-of-the-ninth comeback Friday against Arizona State, when homers by Rupp and Rowe turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 win and earned Texas a spot in the championship series. Had Arizona State held on, the Sun Devils and Longhorns would have played again Saturday, with the coin toss coming after that game.

"I was a little shocked," Mainieri said. "That kid from Arizona State (pitcher Mitchell Lambson) was carving them up, then the next thing you know, boom, boom, and the game is over. I was supposed to be out there at the stadium for a coin flip, but I thought Arizona State was going to win so I didn't go."

Texas coach Augie Garrido watched as an NCAA representative flipped the coin, with Mainieri listening by phone. Texas won the toss and will be the home team for Game 1 and, if necessary, Game 3. At least, they told Mainieri that Texas won the toss.

"If you can't trust the NCAA, who can you trust?" Mainieri said, laughing.

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COACH WANTED TEXAS
Filed Saturday, June 20, 2009 by Rob White

Mainieri can say it now. The LSU coach, if his team reached the championship series, wanted to play Texas.

"Not because I felt like we had a better chance against Texas — and all the other teams are outstanding, too — but Texas represents a program of excellence," said Mainieri, citing the Longhorns' tradition and Garrido's career. "If this coach (Mainieri) is ever fortunate enough to coach a national champion, that's the kind of team you're supposed to beat."

LSU knows all about Texas and its "small-ball" tendencies, the style of bunting and other ways of manufacturing runs that doesn't include hitting home runs.

But the Tigers are also aware that the size of the Longhorns' home ballpark makes their apparent lack of home run power deceiving.

"That place is a graveyard," Gibbs said. "I played there a few times in high school and hit some balls that would normally be gone that didn't even make it to the warning track. That makes their numbers not look as good as they could be. We know they're a good-hitting team."

There's one way to take the Longhorns away from their small-ball style.

"The best way to combat small ball is by scoring a lot of runs," Mainieri said. "If we're fortunate enough to do that, I don't think Augie is going to lay down a bunch of sacrifice bunts."

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PLENTY OF TEXTS
Filed Saturday, June 20, 2009 by Steven Pivovar

Texas' Cameron Rupp and Connor Rowe are glad that they have unlimited texting on their cell-phone plans.

Rowe said he received 63 text messages from friends, family and fans after his game-winning blast. Rupp said he had 60 before going to bed early Saturday morning and another 10 when he woke up.

Anyone famous text him?

"Colt McCoy sent me one,'' Rupp said, referring to the Texas quarterback. "He said, ‘That a baby, now go win it.' "

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TEXAS' DAY
Filed Saturday, June 20, 2009 by Juan Perez Jr.

Texas players took the afternoon off and made their first team visit to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo with plenty of family and friends in tow — no word on what the team's favorite exhibit was.

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LSU'S DAY
Filed Saturday, June 20, 2009 by Juan Perez Jr.

Louisiana State's ball club brought plenty of smiles to Children's Hospital & Medical Center before an afternoon practice at Bellevue East High School that was witnessed by a few eager fans and plenty of television cameras. Head coach Paul Mainieri worked the media crowd with handshakes and an easy smile before practice.

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SLOW DAY ALONG 13TH STREET
Filed Saturday, June 20, 2009 by Juan Perez Jr.

Not surprisingly, the environment around Rosenblatt Stadium hardly resembled a normal game day, as only a few dozen fans walked by vendors' booths along 13th Street. Plenty of traffic has spilled into the Old Market, however, though fans appear to have taken a break from wearing their favorite team's paraphernalia.

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