ESPN College Baseball Blog

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The Tigers won their sixth national championship Wednesday night, defeating Texas 11-4 in the deciding game of the College World Series championship series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

After striking out Texas center fielder Connor Rowe to end the game, LSU pitcher Louis Coleman threw his glove high into the air and was tackled by catcher Micah Gibbs. It didn't take long for the rest of the LSU players to join the dog pile on the mound.

It is the first national championship for LSU coach Paul Mainieri, a former Tigers player, who was hired in 2006 to return the program to prominence.

The Tigers blew a 4-0 lead against the Longhorns, but scored five runs in the sixth inning to blow the game open.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The Tigers added a run in the eighth inning on Ryan Schimpf's sacrifice fly, giving them a 10-4 lead over Texas in the deciding game of the College World Series championship series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The Tigers' sixth national title would tie the Longhorns for second on the all-time list. USC has won 12 national championships.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

After freshman Mikie Mahtook's RBI double gave LSU a 5-4 lead with no outs, Texas coach Augie Garrido replaced reliever Brandon Workman with freshman Austin Dicharry. On the next at-bat, catcher Micah Gibbs bunted to move Mahtook to third, but Dicharry threw wildly to first and Gibbs was safe.

Mathook scored on Derek Helenihi's sacrifice fly to left to make it 6-4, and then shortstop Austin Nola grounded out to second for the second out.

But Dicharry walked DJ LeMahieu to put runners at first and second, and then reliever Austin Wood hit Ryan Schimpf with a pitch to load the bases.

Wood then hit Blake Dean with another pitch, allowing Gibbs to score from third for a 7-4 lead.

LSU first baseman Sean Ochinko delivered the big hit in the inning with a two-run single to left to make it 9-4.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Mahtook hit Texas reliever Brandon Workman's full-count pitch into the right-center gap for a double, scoring Jared Mitchell from second for a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning at Rosenblatt Stadium. Mitchell, whose three-run homer put LSU ahead 3-0, led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball.

Mahtook's RBI double chased Workman, who had been pretty solid the previous three innings. He was replaced by Austin Dicharry.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

After catcher Cameron Rupp led off the fifth with a sharp single to left, Keyes ripped LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo's first pitch over the left-field wall. It was Keyes' ninth homer of the season and second at the CWS.

The Longhorns have gotten a solid effort from relief pitcher Brandon Workman, who replaced starter Cole Green in the third inning. Workman, who was the losing pitcher in LSU's 7-6 win in 11 innings on Monday night, allowed Sean Ochinko's single to open the third, before retiring the next nine LSU hitters.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

After the Longhorns loaded the bases with two outs, LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo walked left fielder Preston Clark on a 10-pitch at-bat. Brandon Belt scored to make it 4-2.

Ranaudo got out of the bases-loaded jam when shortstop Brandon Loy grounded out to short with two outs.

The Longhorns made it 4-1 when Travis Tucker scored on catcher Cameron Rupp's grounder to short with one out.

Ranaudo walked four batters in the inning. The sophomore threw 43 pitches in the inning, putting his pitch count at 77 through three innings.

LSU freshman Mikie Mahtook, who had the game-winning hit in LSU's 7-6 win on Monday night, saved what could have been two runs in the inning with a running catch in deep center field. With runners at first and second, Texas DH Russell Moldenhauer hit a screaming liner in the left-center gap. Mahtook ran to his left and leaped to make the catch.

The Longhorns have stranded seven runners in the first three innings, leaving the bases loaded in the first and third.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The Longhorns trail the Tigers 4-0 after two innings. Green allowed five hits and four earned runs in two innings with no walks and one strikeout.

Workman pitched 1 2/3 innings and was the losing pitcher in LSU's 7-6 win in 11 innings in Game 1 on Monday night.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The Tigers already have five hits off Texas starter Cole Green, who seems to be in pretty big trouble after only two innings. Texas' bullpen was up during the top of the second inning, and Longhorns coach Augie Garrido is going to have a pretty quick hook with so much on the line.

Green, who pitched well in his previous two CWS starts, just doesn't seem to be fooling the Tigers' hitters very often.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The Tigers take a 3-0 lead into the second inning of the deciding game of the CWS championship at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Texas third baseman Michael Torres led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. After second baseman Travis Tucker failed to get down a sacrifice bunt and then struck out, Brandon Belt flew out to deep center for the second out.

But hot-hitting DH Russell Moldenhauer singled to left, and Ranaudo walked catcher Cameron Rupp to load the bases.

Ranaudo didn't waste any time with Keyes, who quickly fell behind on a 1-2 count.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Longhorns starter Cole Green seemed to be in pretty good shape, recording two quick outs to start the game. But then Green hit designated hitter Blake Dean with a pitch (he was awarded first base only after umpires had a conference on the mound), and Sean Ochinko ripped a single to left.

Mitchell, who also is a wide receiver on LSU's football team, belted Green's 2-2 pitch just inside the right-field foul pole. LSU coach Paul Mainieri tinkered with his team's batting order before the game, moving Mitchell up a spot to No. 5. The move paid off in the first inning.

Tigers football coach Les Miles was in the stands watching the game. Miles attended last night's game, then flew back to Baton Rouge before returning to Omaha today.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The weather forecast calls for about a 40-percent chance of thunderstorms around 7 p.m. CT, and it's awfully hot again. But as of right now, there are no signs of pending bad weather and radar shows most of the storms are to the south of Omaha. That's certainly good news after last night's game was delayed 1 hour, 34 minutes because of heavy storms.

The LSU Tigers just finished up batting practice, and Texas' players are beginning to take the field.

The winner of tonight's game will win the national championship. LSU is aiming for its sixth title (and first since 2000); the Longhorns are trying for their seventh championship (and first since 2005).

The starting lineups are out, and Texas coach Augie Garrido is sticking with the same lineup he used in Tuesday night's 5-1 victory over the Tigers.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri has made a few noticeable changes. Ryan Schimpf, who started at first base last night, is back in left field. Speedy Leon Landry is back on the bench, and Sean Ochinko is back at first base. Right fielder Jared Mitchell has moved up a spot to No. 5 in the batting order, and freshman Mikie Mahtook has dropped a spot to No. 6.

The Tigers will start right-handed sophomore Anthony Ranaudo, who will be making his third start at the CWS. He is 1-0 in his previous two starts in Omaha with a 1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings.

The Longhorns will start sophomore Cole Green, who is also making his third start of the CWS. He pitched seven innings against Southern Miss, allowing six hits and three earned runs. Green pitched six innings in the 4-3 victory over Arizona State, allowing eight hits and two earned runs.

Here are the starting lineups for tonight's championship game of the College World Series:

LSU Tigers (55-17)
2B DJ LeMahieu (.348, 5 HR, 43 RBI)
LF Ryan Schimpf (.336, 22 HR, 68 RBI)
DH Blake Dean (.332, 17 HR, 70 RBI)
1B Sean Ochinko (.323, 8 HR, 54 RBI)
RF Jared Mitchell (.329, 10 HR, 47 RBI)
CF Mikie Mahtook (.319, 7 HR, 37 RBI)
C Micah Gibbs (.291, 6 HR, 42 RBI)
3B Derek Helenihi (.265, 4 HR, 22 RBI)
SS Austin Nola (.239, 3 HR, 17 RBI)

RHP Anthony Ranaudo (11-3, 2.87 ERA)

Texas Longhorns (50-15-1)
3B Michael Torres (.296, 5 HR, 33 RBI)
2B Travis Tucker (.295, 3 HR, 30 RBI)
1B Brandon Belt (.329, 8 HR, 43 RBI)
DH Russell Moldenhauer (.262, 4 HR, 14 RBI)
C Cameron Rupp (.292, 11 HR, 45 RBI)
RF Kevin Keyes (.305, 8 HR, 44 RBI)
CF Connor Rowe (.277, 8 HR, 40 RBI)
LF Preston Clark (.278, 3 HR, 26 RBI)
SS Brandon Loy (.293, 0 HR, 30 RBI)

RHP Cole Green (5-3, 3.07 ERA)

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Last night's game, which was won by Texas 5-1 to force tonight's winner-take-all game at Rosenblatt Stadium, was delayed by 1 hour, 34 minutes because of a severe thunderstorm.

Stay tuned for more weather updates.

Posted by ESPN Stats & Information

LSU will face elimination for the first time in the NCAA tournament (previously 9-0), while Texas has averted elimination twice (Tuesday night, and once during super regionals).

Here's what you should know about Game 3:

LSU (55-17) vs. TEXAS (50-15-1)
7 p.m. ET | ESPN, ESPN360

Game 1: LSU 7, Texas 6 (11 innings)
Game 2: Texas 5, LSU 1

Take it to the limit
Texas is the fourth team in the seven-year history of the CWS finals to force a deciding game after losing Game 1. The past two teams to do so won the national championship (Oregon State in 2006 and Fresno State in 2008); Stanford lost to Rice in 2003. On the other hand, LSU is perfect in its five previous trips to the CWS championship round.

Adding to the record books
Texas is going for its seventh national championship, which would leave it second overall in titles won; if LSU wins, it will tie Texas for second overall with six titles. Augie Garrido is going for his third title with Texas and sixth overall, which would move him into second place all-time.

Longhorns go long
Texas had the fewest home runs in the CWS field, hitting just 39 homers in 61 games heading into Omaha. The Longhorns' 13 homers in the past five games tie them for fifth in a single College World Series.

Pitching in
Each team will be going with its No. 2 starter Wednesday, although only LSU's Anthony Ranaudo has a win in Omaha. LSU is 37-4 against right-handed starters this season; righty Cole Green is expected to pitch for the Longhorns.

• With the complete game victory Tuesday, Texas freshman righty Taylor Jungmann became the 10th pitcher with three wins in one College World Series.

• Scoring was way down in this year's super regionals (11.1 runs per game against 15.9 runs per game last year), but so far, the scoring in Omaha has been more similar to the past two years than to the pitching peak in 2005-06. This College World Series featured six of the top nine teams in the country in ERA.

• Seven of the eight runs scored by LSU in the CWS finals have come with two outs.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Longhorns freshman pitcher Taylor Jungmann was absolutely dominant, throwing a complete game and allowing only five hits with nine strikeouts. The 126-pitch performance came one day after Jungmann threw six pitches (all balls) in relief in LSU's 7-6 victory over Texas in 11 innings in the first game of the CWS championship series.

Jungmann's complete game was the first at the CWS since 2006.

The teams will play again Wednesday night for the national championship.

The Longhorns will be trying for their seventh national championship; the Tigers will be aiming for their sixth.

LSU is expected to start sophomore Anthony Ranaudo (11-3, 2.87 ERA), and the Longhorns probably will go with sophomore Cole Green (5-3, 3.07 ERA).

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Jungmann, who threw six pitches to two batters before being pulled in the Longhorns' 7-6 loss to the Tigers last night, has held LSU to only three hits through the first four innings.

Texas has a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning of the second game of the CWS championship series.

Jungmann also is getting pretty good help behind him defensively. After LSU second baseman D.J. LeMahieu opened the third with a triple into the right-field corner, Jungmann retired three of the next four batters to leave him stranded. LSU right fielder Jared Mitchell led off the fourth with a walk, but he was thrown out at second on Leon Landry's fielder's choice.

With one out, Texas second baseman Travis Tucker grabbed a Derek Helenihi grounder up the middle and shoveled the ball to shortstop Brandon Loy for an inning-ending double play.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Texas designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer hit a one-out solo homer to right to make it 3-1. Moldenhauer hit two solo homers in Monday night's 7-6 loss to LSU, and his four homers in five games here tied a CWS record.

Catcher Cameron Rupp then doubled to right as Jared Mitchell failed to make a diving catch. After Kevin Keyes flied out to right for the second out, center fielder Connor Rowe doubled down the third-base line, scoring Rupp from second to make it 4-1.

After senior Nolan Cain replaced Byrd, left fielder Preston Clark singled to left to score Rowe for a 5-1 lead.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

With two outs, Mitchell lined a single to left, the Tigers' first hit off Texas starter Taylor Jungmann. Then speedy left fielder Leon Landry beat out an infield single to get to third and Mitchell moved to second.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri pulled starting pitcher Austin Ross after only the second inning. Ross allowed four hits and two runs with one walk and no strikeouts. Left-handed senior Ryan Byrd (1-0, 4.91 ERA) replaced Ross in the top of the third.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Left fielder Preston Clark boosted the Longhorns' lead to 2-0 with a solo homer to left with one out in the top of the second. It was Texas' sixth solo homer in the past two games.

The Longhorns might have scored even more runs in the second, but LSU starter Austin Ross picked off Michael Torres at second with two outs.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Longhorns third baseman Michael Torres, a USC transfer, led off the inning with a walk. Tigers catcher Micah Gibbs tried to pick him off first base, but his throw sailed into right field, allowing Torres to move to second. It was LSU's first error in five CWS games.

Texas second baseman Travis Tucker bunted Torres to third for the first out, then first baseman Brandon Belt ripped an RBI single to right for a 1-0 lead.

The Longhorns could have done even more damage, as four of their hitters reached base in the first. With one out, LSU shortstop Austin Nola bobbled a grounder that would have been a double-play ball. But with runners at first and second and two outs, LSU starter Austin Ross got right fielder Kevin Keyes to fly out to center.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The first pitch for Game 2 of the CWS championship series between LSU and Texas is slated for 8:43 p.m. ET.

Grounds crew workers began squeegeeing water along the outfield warning tracks about 7:30 p.m. ET, and they removed the tarp from the infield a few minutes later.

• If winning a sixth national championship weren't enough motivation for LSU's players, Tigers football coach Les Miles and men's basketball coach Trent Johnson are in attendance at Rosenblatt Stadium.

LSU sophomore Chad Jones, who started the season as an outfielder before becoming an effective relief pitcher, is also a promising safety on the school's football team. Jones had 46 tackles and five quarterback hurries in 12 games last season.

Junior outfielder Jared Mitchell was also on the football team. The wide receiver caught seven passes for 87 yards last season. But Mitchell was drafted in the first round of the amateur baseball draft by the Chicago White Sox earlier this month, so his football-playing days are probably over.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The Tigers will go with No. 3 starter Austin Ross (6-7, 5.09 ERA) in tonight's game. Mainieri chose Ross over No. 2 starter Anthony Ranaudo (11-3, 2.87), who was the winning pitcher against Arkansas on Friday.

After Monday night's 7-6 victory in 11 innings over Texas, Mainieri said he wasn't sure whether Ranaudo would be ready to start on only three days' rest.

"He's never pitched on three days' rest," Mainieri said. "I want to see how he feels when he wakes up."

Apparently, Ranaudo didn't think he was ready to pitch Tuesday night. He has made two starts in Omaha, throwing 157 pitches in a six-day span.

Ross, a right-handed sophomore from Shreveport, La., was the winning pitcher in LSU's 9-5 victory over Virginia at the CWS on June 13. He pitched two innings of relief against the Cavs, allowing four hits and one earned run with two strikeouts.

The Longhorns will counter with freshman phenom Taylor Jungmann (10-3, 2.21 ERA), who threw six pitches (all balls) in Monday night's game against LSU. Jungmann hasn't yet started a game at the CWS, but he appeared in three of the Longhorns' four games here. He pitched 5 2/3 innings in Texas' 10-6 win over Arizona State on June 16, after throwing 2/3 inning two days earlier against Southern Miss.

Jungmann has been especially tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a .136 average. LSU counters with four left-handed batters and switch-hitter Micah Gibbs.

Here are the starting lineups for Game 2 of the CWS championship series:

Texas Longhorns (49-15-1)
3B Michael Torres (.297, 5 HR, 33 RBI)
2B Travis Tucker (.295, 3 HR, 30 RBI)
1B Brandon Belt (.326, 8 HR, 42 RBI)
DH Russell Moldenhauer (.263, 3 HR, 13 RBI)
C Cameron Rupp (.287, 11 HR, 45 RBI)
RF Kevin Keyes (.312, 8 HR, 44 RBI)
CF Connor Rowe (.278, 8 HR, 39 RBI)
LF Preston Clark (.266, 2 HR, 24 RBI)
SS Brandon Loy (.293, 0 HR, 30 RBI)

RHP Taylor Jungmann (10-3, 2.21 ERA)

LSU Tigers (55-16)
2B D.J. LeMahieu (.350, 5 HR, 43 RBI)
1B Ryan Schimpf (.341, 22 HR, 68 RBI)
DH Blake Dean (.332, 17 HR, 70 RBI)
C Micah Gibbs (.291, 6 HR, 42 RBI)
CF Mikie Mahtook (.326, 7 HR, 37 RBI)
RF Jared Mitchell (.329, 10 HR, 47 RBI)
LF Leon Landry (.301, 12 HR, 41 RBI)
3B Derek Helenihi (.273, 4 HR, 22 RBI)
SS Austin Nola (.246, 3 HR, 17 RBI)

RHP Austin Ross (6-7, 5.09 ERA)

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The second game is scheduled to begin about 7:07 ET tonight.

The temperature in Omaha dropped about 10 degrees around 6 p.m. ET, and the flags above the center-field wall are swirling wildly in the wind. Heavy rain started to fall at Rosenblatt Stadium about 6:07 p.m. ET.

Posted by ESPN Stats & Information

The Tigers have played for the national championship five times and have claimed the title each time. With a win Tuesday, they would remain undefeated with the championship on the line.

TEXAS (49-15-1) vs. LSU (55-16)
7 p.m. ET | ESPN, ESPN360

Game 1: LSU 7, Texas 6 (11 innings)

Back against the wall
In the six-year history of the CWS finals, three teams have rallied from losing Game 1 to force a deciding game. The past two times, the team that lost Game 1 rallied to claim the championship. Both of the CWS finals that involved Texas ended in two-game sweeps (Cal State Fullerton over Texas in 2004, Texas over Florida in 2005).

LSU looks to stay perfect LSU has won its past 14 games since losing the opener of the SEC tournament. The Tigers are looking to become the first team to go undefeated in the NCAA tournament since Miami in 2001 (two years before the best-of-three championship series was introduced).

LSU continues to carry SEC banner
If LSU wins the 2009 title, it will be the seventh crown claimed by the SEC in the past 20 years. That's somewhat misleading, though, since LSU is responsible for all but one of those championships.

It's outta here
With the seven-home run barrage in Monday's game, there have been 40 homers hit in the first 13 games of the CWS. If that pace keeps up, this will be the first time this decade with more than three homers per game. With Texas' five homers Monday night, the Longehorns and LSU have each hit 11 home runs in four games.

THIS AND THAT

• LSU won Game 1 of the CWS championship series by scoring six of its seven runs with two outs.

• After entering the CWS finals second in CWS history in slugging percentage, LSU will need to pick up the pace to jump back into the top five (.623 heading into the Game 2 of the Finals).

• Much has been made of LSU's success since inserting Austin Nola into the starting lineup as shortstop on April 21. In addition to the Tigers' 27-4 record over that span, the defensive numbers also have shown improvement.

• Three players have each hit three home runs in Omaha this year; that's one short of the record of four homers in a single CWS (nine players, most recently Fresno State's Tommy Mendonca in 2008).

Most home runs in the 2009 CWS
Ryan Schimpf (LSU), 3
Cameron Rupp (Texas), 3
*Russell Moldenhauer (Texas), 3

*3 RBIs in CWS, all solo HRs

Posted by Mark Schlabach

The Longhorns, the national No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, survived a 25-inning marathon against Boston College in the second game of the Austin Regional, the longest game in college baseball history.

[+] Enlarge

Elsa/Getty Images

Texas starter Chance Ruffin pitched 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 batters before he was replaced by Austin Wood.

Texas then survived a deciding game against TCU in the Austin Super Regional, before coming from behind to win its first three CWS games.

But the Longhorns' late-game heroics finally ran out against LSU in the first game of the CWS championship series Monday night.

Texas squandered a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning and then lost 7-6 when the Tigers scored the go-ahead run with two outs in the top of the 11th.

"We've played with the spirit of a champion for a long time now and we don't have to give that up because we lost a most difficult game," Texas coach Augie Garrido said. "If we can't put that loss out of our minds, we'll be losers before we even take the field tomorrow."

Garrido, who is seeking his sixth national championship, was even second-guessing himself after some of his late-game decisions backfired.

Texas ace Chance Ruffin was brilliant through the first five innings, allowing only a solo homer in the first and striking out 10 batters in the first 5 2/3 innings. But with two LSU runners on base with two outs in the sixth, Garrido pulled Ruffin from the mound.

Ruffin, a sophomore from Austin, had been hampered by cramps during his second start in Omaha. He threw 87 pitches, allowing five hits and one walk.

But Ruffin said he felt fine when Garrido took him out of the game with the Longhorns leading 3-1.

"That's not what took me out of the game," Ruffin said. "I was feeling fine, and I was going to fight through it. I never was asked how I felt. I was fine."

After pulling Ruffin, Garrido turned to Texas closer Austin Wood, who promptly gave up a two-run triple to LSU right fielder Jared Mitchell that made the score 3-3.

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AP Photo/Ted Kirk

Texas won't have long to think about what went wrong against LSU in its Game 1 loss. The Longhorns face elimination Tuesday.

The Longhorns went back in front 6-4 in the seventh and held onto that lead heading into the top of the ninth. Mitchell led off the inning by grounding out to short, and then first baseman Sean Ochinko singled to left.

That was when Garrido pulled Wood from the game, replacing him with freshman phenom Taylor Jungmann. He threw six consecutive balls, walking third baseman Derek Helenihi to put runners at first and second with one out. Garrido pulled Jungmann with a 2-0 count on pinch hitter Tyler Hanover.

Reliever Austin Dicharry struck out Hanover with a 3-2 breaking ball, but then second baseman D.J. LeMahieu doubled into the left-field corner with two outs. Pinch runner Leon Landry scored from second, and Helenihi scored from first to tie the score at 6-6.

"The decisions I made in managing [the pitchers] did not work out," Garrido said. "But the two runs they scored in the ninth came with two outs, and the go-ahead run in the 11th came with two outs. That's where experience and talent and will to win all come together."

The good news for Texas: Jungmann threw only six pitches. Garrido said the freshman from Temple, Texas, will return to start Tuesday's must-win game in the best-of-three series.

Garrido is confident Jungmann will be more comfortable when he takes the mound Tuesday.

"I felt confident that what happened would not happen," Garrido said. "I put him in a position where he was uncomfortable and that was more my fault than his."

Posted by Mark Schlabach

After LSU scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the score at 6-6, LSU freshman Mikie Mahtook ripped Texas reliever Brandon Workman's 1-2 pitch up the middle in the 11th, scoring D.J. LeMahieu from third base for the winning run.

LSU closer Matt Ott, another freshman, retired the side in order in the bottom of the 11th inning to close out the 4-hour, 8-minute victory.

The Tigers can win their sixth national championship by beating the Longhorns again Tuesday night in the best-of-three series. Texas will have to beat LSU two straight times to win its seventh national title.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

After the Tigers loaded the bases with one out, third baseman Derek Helenihi and second baseman Tyler Hanover struck out, ending the inning. Texas reliever Brandon Workman, who came into the game after the Longhorns intentionally walked Leon Landry to load the bases, struck out each of the last two LSU hitters.

The inning had a promising start for LSU after catcher Micah Gibbs walked and center fielder Mikie Mahtook singled to right with no outs.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

LSU right fielder Jared Mitchell opened the ninth by grounding out to short for the first out. After Texas closer Austin Wood gave up a single to first baseman Sean Ochinko, coach Augie Garrido replaced him with freshman phenom Taylor Jungmann.

Jungmann, who was the anticipated starter in Tuesday night's second game of the best-of-three series, promptly threw six consecutive balls. He walked third baseman Derek Helenihi to put LSU runners at first and second, and had a 2-0 count on pinch hitter Tyler Hanover before Garrido yanked him from the mound.

Texas reliever Austin Dicharry struck out Hanover on a nasty, full-count breaking ball for the second out. But LeMahieu ripped Dicharry's first pitch into the left-field corner, scoring pinch runner Leon Landry from second and Helenihi from first to tie the score.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

But the Longhorns didn't wait long to answer, as center fielder Connor Rowe hit a homer -- the seventh solo shot of the game -- to give Texas a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh.

LSU starter Louis Coleman, who crushed through the first three innings, was pulled from the mound after Rowe's homer. Coleman allowed nine hits and six runs in six innings. He also gave up a whopping five homers.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

But Moldenhauer somehow found his power stroke on college baseball's biggest stage, and he just hit his third homer of the CWS -- and second of the game -- to give the Longhorns a 4-3 lead over LSU in the first game of the CWS championship series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The Longhorns scored another run on LSU pitcher Louis Coleman's wild pitch -- which allowed Kevin Keyes to score from third, making it 5-3 after six innings.

Moldenhauer also hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning of Texas' 7-6 victory over Southern Miss in its first game of the CWS.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

But with two LSU runners on base with two outs in the sixth, Ruffin finally succumbed to cramping and had to leave the mound with the Longhorns leading 3-1.

Longhorns closer Austin Wood -- who famously pitched 12 1/3 innings of no-hit ball May 30 against Boston College in the Austin Regional -- replaced Ruffin. Wood promptly gave up a two-run triple to LSU's Jared Mitchell, which scored Blake Dean from third and Micah Gibbs from first to tie the score at 3-3.

Ruffin allowed five hits and three runs with one walk and 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Texas second baseman Travis Tucker, designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer and right fielder Kevin Keyes each hit solo homers off LSU starter Louis Coleman in the fourth.

Tucker led off the inning with his third homer of the season and first since May 2. Two batters later, Moldenhauer hit his second homer of the season when he belted Coleman's first pitch high off the center-field wall. After catcher Cameron Rupp flew out to center for the second out, Keyes hit a line-drive homer that just cleared the left-field wall. It was Keyes' ninth homer of the season.

It was the first time a team hit three homers in the same inning at the CWS since LSU accomplished the feat against Mississippi State on June 1, 1998.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Coleman, the SEC Pitcher of the Year, has allowed only one hit -- designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer's single up the middle to open the second.

Coleman has struck out two batters and retired each of the last six hitters going into the fourth.

Texas starter Chance Ruffin has also been really good. After allowing Ryan Schimpf's solo homer in the first, Ruffin has allowed only two more hits. He struck out five LSU hitters in the first three innings.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

Schimpf belted Texas starter Chance Ruffin's 1-2 pitch -- which appeared to be a slider -- over the right-field wall. Longhorns right fielder Kevin Keyes took only a couple of steps before watching the ball land in the stands.

It was Schimpf's third homer in the College World Series and his sixth in the NCAA tournament. It was LSU's 10th homer in four games in Omaha.

Ruffin allowed only 12 homers in 116 1/3 innings before arriving in Omaha. The Texas sophomore has allowed three homers in three innings in two games here.

Posted by Mark Schlabach

It's definitely a matchup of two of the sport's heavyweights -- the Longhorns have won six national championships, including two since 2000; the Tigers have won five national titles, claiming all of them from 1991 to 2000.

The Longhorns, who are the national No. 1 seed, will start right-handed sophomore Chance Ruffin (10-2, 3.27 ERA), who is trying to bounce back from a disappointing performance against Arizona State in his first start in Omaha on June 16. The Sun Devils pounded Ruffin for seven hits and four earned runs in two innings. After trailing by six runs after the third inning against ASU, the Longhorns rallied to win the game, 10-6.

The Tigers will start right-handed senior Louis Coleman (14-2, 2.68 ERA), who was named 2008 SEC Pitcher of the Year by the league's coaches. Coleman was very good against SEC foe Arkansas in the Tigers' second game at the CWS, allowing one run and six hits in six innings of a 9-1 victory over the Hogs on June 15. Coleman has won each of his past four starts.

Here are the starting lineups:

LSU Tigers (54-16)

2B DJ LeMahieu (.347, 4 HR, 40 RBI)
LF Ryan Schimpf (.344, 21 HR, 67 RBI)
DH Blake Dean (.335, 17 HR, 70 RBI)
C Micah Gibbs (.292, 6 HR, 42 RBI)
CF Mikie Mahtook (.326, 7 HR, 36 RBI)
RF Jared Mitchell (.329, 10 HR, 45 RBI)
1B Sean Ochinko (.323, 8 HR, 54 RBI)
3B Derek Helenihi (.284, 4 HR, 22 RBI)
SS Austin Nola (.243, 3 HR, 17 RBI)

RHP Louis Coleman (14-2, 2.68 ERA)

Texas Longhorns (49-14-1)

3B Michael Torres (.299, 5 HR, 33 RBI)
2B Travis Tucker (.296, 2 HR, 29 RBI)
1B Brandon Belt (.333, 8 HR, 42 RBI)
DH Russell Moldenhauer (.233, 1 HR, 11 RBI)
C Cameron Rupp (.293, 11 HR, 45 RBI)
RF Kevin Keyes (.308, 7 HR, 43 RBI)
SS Brandon Loy (.295, 0 HR, 30 RBI)
LF Preston Clark (.272, 2 HR, 24 RBI)
CF Connor Rowe (.279, 7 HR, 38 RBI)

RHP Chance Ruffin (10-2, 3.27 ERA)

Posted by ESPN Stats & Information

LSU and Texas are playing for the bragging rights of both the schools and their respective conferences. If LSU claims the title, the SEC will be one of four conferences with two titles this decade; if Texas wins, the Big 12 will lead the way with three crowns. The only conference to boast two different national champions this decade is the WAC (Rice 2003, Fresno State 2008).

The action starts with Game 1 of the best-of-three series at 7 p.m. ET Monday (ESPN/ESPN360). Here is everything you need to know about the CWS final matchup.

TEXAS (49-14-1) vs. LSU (54-16)
7 p.m. ET | ESPN, ESPN360

Series history: Texas leads 22-8-1. The teams have met twice in Omaha, with LSU winning the opener in 2000 and Texas advancing to the championship game with a win in 1989.

Return of the Zen Master
After a three-year absence from Omaha, Augie Garrido led Texas back to the CWS finals for the third time in the past six years. Garrido is the only coach to win national championships with two schools, claiming three titles with Cal State Fullerton before winning with Texas in 2002 and 2005. In six trips to Omaha under Garrido, the Longhorns have played for the national title four times.

Paul Mainieri is the new kid on the block; in three trips to Omaha, this is the first time he has led his team to more than one victory.

Tigers roar again at Rosenblatt
While Texas has been in the spotlight for most of the decade, LSU had been quiet since winning it all in 2000. LSU won five national titles from 1991 to 2000 but struggled in the tournament since then. After going 1-6 in their past three trips to Omaha, the Tigers are 3-0 this year.

For once, the bracket holds
It has been six years since one of the national seeds claimed the national title (Rice in 2003) and two more since one of the top four teams dog-piled (Miami in 2001). Those droughts both will end this year, and Texas has a chance to be the first top-overall seed to win the crown since 1999 (Miami).

Who is the team of the decade?
While LSU clearly was the team of the decade in the 1990s, that label for the 2000s is still up in the air. LSU is looking to claim the final national championship of the decade to go along with its 2000 title. Texas already has two titles and a second-place finish this decade.

Texas won its first title in 1949, while LSU has done all of its damage in the past 20 years.

Texas pitching

• Texas freshman righty Taylor Jungmann picked up the victory in each of the first two games in Omaha for the Longhorns. With a win in the CWS finals, he will join nine other pitchers with three wins in one College World Series.

Pitchers with three wins in one CWS since 1985:
2008 -- Alex White, North Carolina
2003 -- *John Hudgins, Stanford
1989 -- *Greg Brummett, Wichita State
1985 -- Kevin Sheary, Miami

*Most Outstanding Player

• Longhorns ace Chance Ruffin struggled in his first start in Omaha, failing to make it out of the third inning Tuesday against Arizona State. With his next win, he'll match father Bruce's win total while at Texas.

• After struggling in his three appearances since his 13-inning outing against Boston College during the Austin Regional, Austin Wood picked up the win Friday to send Texas to the CWS finals.

This and that

• LSU (8-0) remains perfect in this year's NCAA tournament. No team has gone undefeated in the NCAA tournament since the championship series was established in 2003. (The last team to go undefeated in the NCAA tournament was Miami in 2001.)

The Tigers also will need to overcome the historical disadvantage of an extra day of rest; no Bracket One winner has won the national championship since Miami in 1999.

• Texas hasn't had the easy trip through the NCAA tournament that you would expect from the top national seed. The Longhorns have won four postseason games in their final at-bat this season (May 30 regional game against Boston College, May 31 regional game against Army, June 14 CWS game against Southern Miss and June 19 CWS game against Arizona State).

• On the other end of the spectrum, LSU has been pummeling its opponents while compiling a 13-game winning streak (since dropping the opener in the SEC tournament). During the streak, the Tigers have scored six or more runs nine times and scored first 10 times.

• LSU is 36-3 against right-handed starters this season. Texas has not started a southpaw in any of its 64 games this season.

• Texas has had most of its success when its leadoff runner has gotten on base. Against Southern Miss, the Longhorns played small ball and scored five of their seven runs in innings in which the leadoff batter reached base. It wasn't small ball against Arizona State, but all 10 Texas runs in that game were scored in innings with leadoff runners. Friday was about the long ball for the Longhorns, as three of their four runs scored on solo homers.

• Neither team has been particularly successful with runners in scoring position. LSU has hit three homers with runners in scoring position, while Texas drew three bases-loaded walks in its opener against Southern Miss.

• LSU hit nine home runs in its first three games in the College World Series. Even more impressive was that seven contributed to that total. It likely would take a three-game series in the CWS finals, but the Tigers could contend for the record for most home runs in a CWS. They also are on pace to break into the top five in slugging percentage (.675 heading into the finals).

• The Longhorns' defense entered the College World Series ranked fourth in the nation in fielding percentage. They played their best baseball of the year during the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament but have committed seven errors and misplayed several other balls in their three wins in Omaha.

• Texas won't blow you away with its offense, but this a typical Longhorns team with solid fundamentals. In fact, the numbers this year are right in line with those of the 2005 national championship team. With six sacrifice hits so far in the CWS, the Longhorns became the fifth team to reach 100 in a season (the third time Texas has reached that mark).

• Texas has 26 sacrifice hits in nine NCAA tournament games; LSU has 26 sacrifice hits in 70 games this season.

Posted by ESPN.com

• The last walk-off homer in a CWS game prior to Friday night was hit by Texas' Chance Wheeless against Baylor on June 22, 2005.

• It was the second last at-bat win in the 2009 CWS (both by Texas) and the 73rd all-time at the CWS.

• The Longhorns advance to the CWS championship series for the third time since the best-of-three championship series began in 2003. Texas has played for 11 national titles, winning six times, most recently in 2005, and finishing runner-up on five occasions.

• With Friday night's win, the Longhorns have won their past eight games at the CWS, dating back to their 2005 national championship, the longest active CWS win streak.

• Four of Texas' eight postseason wins have been last at-bat wins, including three walk-off wins.

• The Longhorns improved to 81-53 all-time at the CWS. Texas leads all programs in CWS wins (81) and games played (134).

• Texas is 11-0 when hitting two or more homers in a game this season.

• Augie Garrido collected his 37th CWS win Friday, moving past Arizona State's Jim Brock and Stanford's Mark Marquess for third place all-time. His .698 winning percentage now ranks fourth all-time.

• Texas now is 36-1 when holding foes to three runs or fewer and now leads the country in ERA heading into the CWS championship series (2.88 for Texas; 2.89 for Arizona State).

• Arizona State ended the season with 51 wins, the second largest total in the country. Texas can match ASU's total if the Longhorns win the national title.

• With Friday night's loss, Arizona State fell to 61-36 all-time in 21 CWS appearances. The Sun Devils are third all-time in wins (61) and games played (97).

• Arizona State's Kole Calhoun finished the 2009 CWS hitting .563 (9-for-16) with three homers and 11 RBIs. Calhoun leads all CWS players in homers (tied), RBIs, hits and total bases (20). Calhoun went 3-for-4 with an RBI against Texas and hit .459 (17-for-37) with three homers and 18 RBIs in the NCAA tournament.

• Mitchell Lambson finished the year with an Arizona State freshman record of 99 strikeouts, including five strikeouts Friday night. Lambson had not allowed two homers in a game in his first 31 appearances (spanning 81 innings) but allowed two homers in the ninth inning Friday.

Posted by David Albright

Texas hit two solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth to turn a 3-2 Arizona State lead into a 4-3 Longhorns win. Augie Garrido's club advances to face LSU in the best-of-three championship series, which starts Monday.

The Sun Devils plated the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth for a 3-2 lead over Texas. Jason Kipnis led off the ninth with an 11-pitch at-bat, reaching base on an infield single. He then advanced to second on a throwing error by second baseman Travis Tucker.

Texas pitcher Austin Wood got the next two batters -- Carlos Ramirez and Kole Calhoun -- out, but he couldn't solve late-inning replacement Zach Wilson, who laced a 1-0 pitch down the right-field line for a triple to score Kipnis.

But Texas had an answer. It came in the form of a bomb over the center-field wall by Cameron Rupp on a 3-1 pitch off reliever Mitchell Lambson. It was Rupp's 11th homer of the season. One batter later, and with two outs, Connor Rowe hit the first pitch from Lambson over the left-field wall for his seventh homer of the year.

Rowe's homer was the first CWS walk-off homer since Texas' Chance Wheeless did it against Baylor on June 22, 2005. The Longhorns went on to beat Florida for the CWS title, the last of Texas' six titles.

Posted by David Albright

The official scorekeeper found another pitch for Leake, so his total is now 86 on the night. Here is the final inning-by-inning look at Leake's pitch count:

-- First inning: 16 pitches (10 strikes)

-- Second inning: 13 pitches (11 strikes)

-- Third inning: 12 pitches (8 strikes)

-- Fourth inning: 13 pitches (9 strikes)

-- Fifth inning: 21 pitches (12 strikes)

-- Sixth inning: 11 pitches (7 strikes)

-- Total pitches: 86 (57 strikes)

It was a gutty performance to say the least, although you have to wonder whether it was the best thing, considering his future (and his future earning potential) in the Cincinnati Reds organization.

Posted by David Albright

And it doesn't involve Arizona State starter Mike Leake. Yet.

Texas starter Cole Green has been pulled in favor of reliever Austin Wood. Here is Green's line for his six innings of work: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 112 pitches (75 strikes).

By comparison, here is Leake's line through six: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 85 pitches (57 strikes).

Posted by David Albright

Connor Rowe doubled to left to open the frame. Then Michael Torres sacrificed Rowe to third and Travis Tucker picked up Rowe with an RBI single to center.

Here's an update on Arizona State starter Mike Leake's pitch count:

-- First inning: 16 pitches (10 strikes)

-- Second inning: 13 pitches (11 strikes)

-- Third inning: 12 pitches (8 strikes)

-- Fourth inning: 13 pitches (9 strikes)

-- Fifth inning: 20 pitches (11 strikes)

-- Total pitches: 74 (49 strikes)

Posted by David Albright

With two outs in the top of the fourth, the Sun Devils' ninth-place hitter, second baseman Zack MacPhee, hit a high pop into left field. Texas third baseman Michael Torres and left fielder Preston Clark converged on the ball, but it appeared to change direction a bit at the last second, and it left Torres and Clark trying to change direction before losing their footing. Both fell down without the ball, and MacPhee had himself a double.

Drew Maggi promptly singled to center to score MacPhee for the 2-1 ASU lead.

Posted by David Albright

Texas leadoff man Michael Torres sent a 3-2 offering by Arizona State starter Mike Leake into the first row of bleachers in right center to make it 1-1 through three innings. It was Torres' fifth home run of the season.

Here's an update on the Mike Leake's pitch count:

-- First inning: 16 pitches (10 strikes)

-- Second inning: 13 pitches (11 strikes)

-- Third inning: 12 pitches (8 strikes)

-- Total pitches: 41 (29 strikes)

Posted by David Albright

With one out, Jason Kipnis singled to center. Then Carlos Ramirez reached on a fielder's choice when shortstop Brandon Loy tried to get the force at second but Loy's toss went by second baseman Travis Tucker and Kipnis advanced to third.

Kole Calhoun, he of the six RBIs last night versus North Carolina, singled to center to score Kipnis and make it 1-0. Ramirez advanced to third, and a fielding error by Texas center fielder Connor Rowe allowed Calhoun to reach second.

Texas starter Cole Green was able to minimize the damage when he struck out Johnny Ruettiger and got Jared McDonald to ground out and keep the score 1-0.

Posted by David Albright

As ASU coach Pat Murphy gets second-guessed about his decision to start Mike Leake on two days' rest after Leake threw 77 pitches Tuesday night, let's follow along by charting his pitch count:

-- First inning: 16 pitches (10 strikes)

-- Second inning: 13 pitches (11 strikes)

-- Total pitches: 29 (21 strikes)

I wonder what the Cincinnati Reds think about Murphy's decision after the MLB club selected Leake in the first round (eighth overall) of last week's draft.

Posted by David Albright

Arizona State coach Pat Murphy is going with No. 1 starter Mike Leake, who didn't fare so well against Texas on Tuesday night. Spotted to a 6-0 lead, Leake couldn't get out of the fourth inning before he completely surrendered the lead, and the Longhorns went on to win 10-6. Leake threw 77 pitches and is coming back tonight on two days' rest.

Here are the starting lineups for the Sun Devils and Longhorns in the Bracket Two championship:

Arizona State (51-13):
37 Drew Maggi SS
28 Jason Kipnis CF
55 Carlos Ramirez C
49 Kole Calhoun LF
23 Johnny Ruettiger DH
22 Jared McDonald 1B
29 Raoul Torrez 3B
11 Matt Newman RF
2 Zack MacPhee 2B
Pitcher: Mike Leake (16-1, 1.65 ERA)

Texas (48-14-1):
9 Michael Torres 3B
2 Travis Tucker 2B
13 Brandon Belt 1B
15 Russell Moldenhauer DH
29 Kevin Keyes RF
11 Brandon Loy SS
3 Cameron Rupp C
7 Preston Clark LF
10 Connor Rowe CF

Pitcher: Cole Green (5-3, 3.08 ERA)

Umpires:
HP: Steve Manders
1B: Darrin Sealey
2B: Tony Maners
3B: Jeff Henrichs

Posted by ESPN Stats & Information

Here are some notes heading into Friday's game (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN360):

ASU (51-13) vs. TEXAS (48-14-1)
8:45 p.m. ET | ESPN2, ESPN360.com
Elimination game for Arizona State

Seasoned vets
Texas and Arizona State rank in the top three in nearly every category when it comes to CWS experience. They have combined for 54 appearances, 141 wins and 11 titles.

Welcome back
After a three-year absence from Omaha, Texas is one win from its fourth appearance in the CWS finals this decade. That would put the Longhorns in position to claim their seventh national title; a championship this year would give Augie Garrido his sixth trophy overall and third in Austin.

Pac a punch
Arizona State needs to win its next two games to give the Pac-10 a representative in the championship game series for the seventh time in the past 12 years. No other conference has sent as many teams to the finals or won as many titles in that span.

Game notes

• Arizona State's Kole Calhoun has chosen the right time to get hot. The junior left fielder has homered in all three CWS games, including two bombs in as many at-bats against North Carolina's relief ace Brian Moran.

• Despite blowing leads in the top of the eighth and ninth innings of their opener against Southern Miss, the Longhorns remain perfect when leading late in games. They are 40-0-1 when leading after six innings, 40-0-1 when leading after seven and 39-0 when leading after eight.

• Freshman Taylor Jungmann has picked up the past three wins for the Longhorns and hasn't allowed a run since the Austin Regional. He finished the year as Texas' No. 3 starter but has appeared in relief twice in the CWS.

• Texas has had most of its success when the leadoff batter got on base. Against Southern Miss, the Longhorns played small ball and scored five of seven runs in innings when the leadoff batter reached base. It wasn't small ball against Arizona State, but all 10 runs in that game were scored in innings with leadoff runners.

Posted by ESPN.com

• With LSU's win today, it guarantees that there will be a first top-eight national seed to win an NCAA title since Rice in 2003 (No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Arizona State are in the Bracket 2 championship). LSU was the No. 3 national seed.

• LSU will bid to become the first Bracket One winner to win a CWS since Miami (Fla.) in 1999. The last team from the SEC to win a national title was LSU's 2000 team. It is also the third time in five years that a SEC team has advanced to the CWS Championship series.

• The 13 pitchers used (eight by Arkansas, five by LSU) ties the CWS single game record. Nebraska (seven) and Clemson (six) also combined to throw 13 pitchers on June 14, 2002.

With today's win, LSU advances to the CWS Championship series finals for the first time since the CWS Championship series began in 2003. The Tigers are 5-0 when playing for a national title in program history. LSU has never played either Arizona State or Texas for a national title.

• LSU (8-0) remains perfect in this year's NCAA tournament. No team has gone undefeated in the NCAA tournament since the CWS Championship series was established in 2003. The last team to go undefeated in the NCAA tournament was Miami in 2001.

• LSU went 3-0 in four of its previous five national title seasons (2000, 1997, 1996, and 1991).

• Anthony Ranaudo now has an SEC-leading 154 strikeouts on the season to rank sixth on LSU's single-season list. It is the most strikeouts by a Tiger since Kurt Ainsworth fanned 157 hitters in 1999. That also marked the last time a Tiger pitcher led the SEC in strikeouts.

• LSU is hitting .351 and averaging nine runs per game in eight NCAA tournament games and is hitting .368 and averaging 10.7 runs per game in the CWS.

Posted by David Albright

LSU used a three-run eighth inning -- powered by a Tyler Hanover two-run homer -- to extend its lead to 14-2. And then Arkansas answered with a three-run shot by Chase Leavitt in the ninth to get the final runs of the Razorbacks' stint in Omaha.

Arkansas used a total of eight pitchers, and combined there were 13 pitchers in the game. Both marks tied a College World Series record for pitchers used in a game.

Arkansas finished the season at 41-24 while LSU (54-16) claimed Bracket One to advance to the championship series (beginning Monday at 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN360.com) against the winner of Bracket Two -- either Arizona State or Texas, who are scheduled to face off at 8:43 p.m. ET (ESPN2, ESPN360.com).

This afternoon's attendance was announced at 19,734, bringing the 11-session total to 247,943.

Lineups for tonight's game to follow when they become available.

Posted by David Albright

A two-run home run by Brett Eibner off LSU reliever Austin Ross trimmed the Tigers' lead to 11-2 through seven innings.

The final line for LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K on 77 pitches (58 strikes).

Posted by David Albright

The Tigers now lead Arkansas 11-0.

Razorbacks reliever T.J. Forrest continued to struggle against his former team to start the inning. Ryan Schimpf made it 7-0 Tigers with a big home run to right. Three batters later Mikie Mahtook singled to right to score Blake Dean, who had reached earlier on a walk. That was all for Forrest but not for LSU.

Justin Wells came in and promptly surrendered a double to Sean Ochinko, which scored Micah Gibbs (reached on error) to make it 9-0.

Next, coach Dave Van Horn went to Scott Limbocker, who walked Jared Mitchell and then threw a wild pitch to score Mahtook.

Sam Murphy was the next reliever for Arkansas. He gave up a double to pinch hitter Tyler Hanover, which scored Ochinko from third.

The total damage was five runs against four pitchers. But the ultimate damage looks like the end of the season for Arkansas and a slot in Monday's CWS championship series for LSU.

Posted by David Albright

Jared Mitchell, a first-round pick of the Chicago White Sox, drove a 1-0 pitch from reliever T.J. Forrest over the 375-foot section in left-center.

It was Mitchell's 10th home run of the season, and it came off a former LSU pitcher. Forrest spent the 2007 season with the Tigers before transferring to Bossier Parish CC last season. The junior was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008 (32nd round) but chose to return to college baseball and found a home at Arkansas.

And Mitchell found a home for Forrest's pitch, the third time an LSU player has homered off Forrest here in Omaha. In Monday's game, Austin Nola and Blake Dean each sent a Forrest offering over the wall.

Posted by David Albright

With the wind blowing out to right for his at-bat in the top of the fifth, LSU DH Blake Dean sent a first-pitch offering from Arkansas reliever Mike Bolsinger into that wind current and out to the right-center bleachers.

It was Dean's 17th home run of the season, and the Tigers now lead the Hogs 5-0 halfway through the game.

Posted by David Albright

The Bayou Bengals opened this Bracket One championship game up a bit in the third inning to take a 4-0 lead.

Two singles and a walk to start the inning chased Arkansas closer-turned-starter Stephen Richards (39 pitches) in favor of reliever Mike Bolsinger. Then Blake Dean reached on an error by first baseman Jacob House, which allowed Austin Nola to score. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly to center by Mikie Mahtook scored DJ LeMahieu to make it 3-0. And finally a walk to Sean Ochinko that was coupled with a wild pitch on ball four sent Ryan Schimpf home from third.

The final line on Richards: 2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Posted by David Albright

After LSU's DJ LeMahieu and Ryan Schimpf each struck out to start the game, DH Blake Dean laced a 3-2 pitch down the right-field line for a double. Then Micah Gibbs swung at the first pitch he saw from Arkansas starter Stephen Richards and singled in center field for a quick 1-0 Tigers lead.

I guess three days off and no batting practice today didn't bother LSU -- at least, it didn't bother Dean and Gibbs.

Posted by David Albright

A lot of empty seats as I'm guessing many people (myself included) never saw this game starting by now.

Game time temperature is a cool 72 degrees with 91 percent humidity with a light breeze out to left field.

Regardless of the numbers, we're playing baseball and that's all that matters.

Posted by David Albright

Richards is normally Arkansas' closer, but since possible starter Dallas Keuchel pitched four innings Wednesday against Virginia, coach Dave Van Horn is giving the ball to Richards to start the game against the Tigers.

His lone start came on April 3, 2007, against Northern Colorado. Richards lasted two innings, giving up four hits and three earned runs in what turned out to be a no-decision. So far this season, Richards has made 30 appearances -- all in relief -- and has a 6-1 record with a 1.80 ERA and 9 saves.

A quality start from Richards today would qualify as the ultimate save for Arkansas.

Posted by David Albright

The grounds crew is in position to start the tarp removal process from the field which would mean there will be an accelerated field preparation if the announced first pitch time is going to be met.

Hopefully it will take place as planned, but I think that's overly ambitious on both counts.

Stay tuned.

Posted by David Albright

The rain -- and lightning -- have arrived here at Rosenblatt Stadium. The tarp is back on the field, and both LSU and Arkansas have retreated to their respective clubhouses.

There is no word on when this weather delay will end. Is it officially a weather delay if the game hasn't started yet? Another check of local radar has a long line of thunderstorms headed in a straight line from southwest to northeast on a direct path to Omaha. So it could be a while before any baseball is played here today.

At any rate, once (if?) the weather subsides, a minimum of 80 minutes is needed to prepare the field for play once the tarp has been removed.

Posted by David Albright

Here are the starting lineups for today's Bracket One championship game (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN360.com)

LSU (53-16)

17 DJ LeMahieu 2B
16 Ryan Schimpf LF
34 Blake Dean DH
33 Micah Gibbs C
8 Mikie Mahtook CF
14 Sean Ochinko 1B
3 Jared Mitchell RF
5 Derek Helenihi 3B
36 Austin Nola SS

Anthony Ranaudo RHP (10-3, 3.03 ERA)

Arkansas (41-23)

8 Chase Leavitt LF
3 Scott Lyons DH
7 Zack Cox SS
17 Andy Wilkins 3B
12 Bo Bigham 2B
9 Jacob House 1B
24 Brett Eibner CF
27 James McCann C
44 Andrew Darr RF

Stephen Richards LHP (6-1, 1.80 ERA)

Umpires:

HP: Joe Burleson
1B: Mark Chapman
2B: Chuck Lyon
3B: Perry Costello

Posted by David Albright

Just as they opened the Rosenblatt Stadium gates this morning at 11 a.m. local time and the LSU faithful started streaming into the outfield bleachers, the grounds crew rolled out the tarp across the field. Then it covered the bullpen mounds.

Local radar has thunderstorms approaching from the southwest, which could put the 2:08 p.m. ET first pitch in jeopardy. If so, it will be the first weather delay of the 2009 CWS.

A quick note on today's first game between LSU and Arkansas (ESPN2/ESPN360.com): Razorbacks shortstop Ben Tschepikow, who broke the ring finger on his glove hand during an at-bat in Wednesday night's win over Virginia, was not warming up with his teammates on the field before the tarp being rolled out. The senior is in uniform with the ring and middle fingers on his left hand taped together. Look for Zack Cox to move over from third to short for the Hogs today.

Stay tuned for the starting lineups and any weather updates.

Here are today's scheduled starting pitchers:

LSU: Anthony Ranaudo (10-3, 3.03 ERA)

Arkansas: Stephen Richards (6-1, 1.80 ERA)

Posted by Orel Hershiser

Crawford was a little bit loose in the batter's box when he first made the major leagues. But even when he put the ball on the ground, he put tremendous pressure on the defense to make plays and got a lot of scratch hits when they couldn't. When Crawford got the ball in the air, he displayed really good gap-to-gap power. As he grew into his body, his power developed further.

[+] Enlarge

Marvin Gentry/US Presswire

This is the first season junior Jared Mitchell, also an LSU wide receiver, took part in spring baseball practice.

Mitchell looks like that kind of player. His skills eventually should be off the charts.

Right now, Mitchell has things to work on. He is a left-handed hitter and doesn't look strong against lefties yet. But in watching his swing and his setup, there definitely are some things the coaches can do with him that will help him at the plate against lefties and righties. He had an at-bat in LSU's College World Series win over Arkansas that showed me a lot.

With one strike on him, he pulled a down-and-in breaking ball foul but with home run distance. The next pitch was about 88 mph at shoulder height but out of the same window as the curveball. He had enough bat speed to foul it off. Most hitters would get beat on that pitch and strike out.

The next pitch was a back-door curveball, and he stayed down and swung through the ball to hit a line drive to the opposite field. For somebody who still doesn't have a lot of baseball experience, it was an exceptionally mature, hitter-ish approach.

Mitchell is a two-sport athlete with the Tigers. He already has a national championship ring as a wide receiver. That tells you he's a tough kid. This actually is the first season he's been able to play spring baseball because normally he'd be playing spring football. LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri talked football coach Les Miles into letting Mitchell come out for spring baseball this year.

Mitchell took part in early season baseball this year for the first time as a junior and got five additional weeks of experience. That has made a big difference this season. He still is hitting only seventh in the batting order. So how does a guy hitting seventh get drafted so high? His potential is that great, and he looks like he could be a future All-Star in the big leagues.

Posted by ESPN Stats & Information

Here's what to know heading into Friday's game (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN360):

LSU (53-16) vs ARKANSAS (41-23)
2 pm. ET | ESPN2, ESPN360.com
Elimination game for Arkansas

SEC reigns supreme
With LSU and Arkansas squaring off in Bracket One, the SEC will place a team in the championship game/series for the fifth time this decade. LSU won its fifth national title in 2000, while South Carolina (2002), Florida (2005) and Georgia (2008) have finished second during that time.

This is the fourth time two SEC teams will square off twice in the same College World Series. Each of the previous three instances, the result was the same in both games (LSU defeated Florida twice in 1991 and 1996; Alabama defeated Mississippi twice in 1997).

And the mighty might (finally) prevail
Unless Arkansas crashes the party, a national seed will win the national championship for the first time since 2003. Top overall seed Texas has a chance to be the first No. 1 seed to win the title since Miami in 1999. And LSU has the chance to be the first team from east of the Mississippi (by less than a mile) to win the crown since Miami in 2001.

Third (or fourth) time's a charm
LSU coach Paul Mainieri and Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn both had been to Omaha before, but hadn't met with much success. Van Horn was winless in three trips (two with Nebraska, one with Arkansas), while Mainieri had led two squads on 1-2 trips (Notre Dame in 2002, LSU in 2008). One will be leading his team into the CWS finals for the first time; on the other side of the bracket, Augie Garrido (five titles) and Pat Murphy have each coached in the championship game.

Game notes

• This is the seventh time LSU has played for a chance to reach the championship game/series coming from the winners' bracket. The Tigers have prevailed in five of the six previous instances, and they went on to win the national title each time. They have been pushed to two games just twice and eliminated once (by USC in 1998).

• LSU won five national titles from 1991 to 2000 but has struggled in the tournament since then (relatively speaking). The Tigers are in Omaha for consecutive seasons for the first time since 2003-04.

• After coming out swinging in Omaha (11 runs in the first 10 innings), Arkansas' bats went ice-cold for 14 innings before waking up late in Wednesday's game against Virginia (four runs in the past six innings).

• Arkansas' 3-4-5 hitters drove in all 10 of the Razorbacks' runs Saturday against Cal State Fullerton. But the heart of the lineup is just 5-27 since, with one RBI.

Posted by ESPN.com

Here are some notes from Thursday's game. (Compiled by the NCAA.)

• Arizona State is now second nationally with 51 wins this season (LSU has 53 wins). It is Arizona State's 16th 50-win season and second under coach Pat Murphy. Thursday's win was the 1,000th career victory for Murphy -- he is 1,000-455-4 in 24 seasons as a head coach.

• North Carolina falls to 14-17 all-time at the CWS, making its eighth appearance in Omaha. UNC is 12-9 over its past three CWS appearances.

• North Carolina has been eliminated by the eventual national champion in each of the past three seasons (Oregon State, 2006 and 2007; Fresno State, 2008).

• Kole Calhoun's six RBIs were a career high. He had driven in four runs on two previous occasions (Washington State on April 10; at Arizona on April 29). Thursday's was the first six-RBI game at the CWS since Fresno State's Steve Detwiler had six against Georgia on June 25, 2008.

• Dustin Ackley finishes the 2009 CWS with a CWS all-time record 28 hits and has hit .412 (28-for-68) over the past three seasons. Ackley finished the 2009 CWS with a .500 average (8-for-16).

• Ackley finishes the season with 111 hits, tying Braeden Riley of Sam Houston State for the national lead. Ackley finished the 2009 season with a .417 average to tie for third in UNC history, while also ranking in the top 10 in homers (22, third), RBIs (73, sixth) and runs (75, sixth).

• Josh Spence is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his two starts, fanning 16 over 14 innings in Omaha. Spence has thrown 248 pitches and has gone seven innings in both of his CWS starts.

• Drew Maggi extended his own ASU freshman runs-scored record to 63 with two runs scored Thursday. The previous high was 60 by Barry Bonds in 1983.

• Garrett Gore set a CWS record with his 21st appearance, breaking Daryl Arenstein's record for career games set from 1970 to 1973. Gore went 2-for-4 on Thursday and finished the CWS with a .375 (6-for-16) average. Gore finished the postseason with a .436 (17-for-39) average with three homers and 11 RBIs and has six multihit games in his eight NCAA contests.

• Matt Harvey's four wild pitches set a CWS single-game record. The previous high was three, set 14 times -- most recently by Koley Kolberg of Arizona against Georgia on June 18, 2004. Harvey had thrown only nine pitches in his first 70.2 innings entering the 2009 CWS. Harvey's five walks also were a season high, bettering his previous high of four, set five times this year.

• The 12 runs allowed by North Carolina were a season high. UNC had allowed 11 runs twice this year, most recently against Virginia on May 22.

Posted by David Albright

The final score in Thursday's College World Series elimination game was 12-5 in favor of the Sun Devils (51-13), who move on to face Texas on Friday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN360).

The winning pitcher was starter Josh Spence (10-1), who went seven innings and threw 127 pitches (84 strikes). He gave up three earned runs and struck out eight while walking two. And the big offensive line belonged to left fielder Kole Calhoun, who went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and six RBIs.

Carolina finished the season with a 48-18 record. The 12 runs scored by ASU were the most surrendered by UNC in a game this season -- at exactly the wrong time.

Posted by David Albright

As an encore to his game-tying grand slam in the fifth inning, Calhoun ripped a two-run double to right center in the seventh to give Arizona State a 6-4 lead over North Carolina.

ASU opened the bottom half of the seventh with a Jason Kipnis single to right, followed by a Carlos Ramirez walk. That chased reliever Colin Bates and brought in Patrick Johnson. On Johnson's first pitch to Calhoun, the left fielder squared to bunt and then quickly took his bat back and drove the ball to the wall as Kipnis and Ramirez came around to score.

Only the Sun Devils weren't finished. Not by a long shot.

They loaded the bases with a pair of walks, and then a passed ball charged to catcher Mark Fleury allowed Calhoun to score from third to make it 7-4 ASU.

Another walk, this time to Jared McDonald, loaded the bases again, and then Zack MacPhee laced a single to left that scored Johnny Ruettiger and Riccio Torrez for a 9-4 Sun Devils lead.

A double steal moved McDonald to third and MacPhee to second, and then Drew Maggi singled to center to bloat the ASU lead to seven runs at 11-4.

Maggi stole second and then moved to third on a groundout by Kipnis. But a Ramirez single to left plated Maggi for a 12-4 margin.

Eight runs on five hits, if you're keeping score at home.

It certainly looks like the Tar Heels are finished, which would mean Carolina's season is down to six outs if it can't find any more offense. But stay tuned, because stranger things have happened in this ballpark on this stage.

Posted by David Albright

It was Calhoun's 12th home run of the season and the 46th grand slam in College World Series history -- not to mention Calhoun's second home run off Moran at this CWS. In Sunday's 5-2 ASU win, Calhoun hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning off of Moran to give the Sun Devils a 5-1 lead. So, in two at-bats against Moran in Omaha, Calhoun is 2-for-2 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs.

The Tar Heels took a 4-0 lead when by scoring one run in the second and three in the fourth.

With four innings to play, it's a whole new ballgame.

Posted by David Albright

The Texas coach and small-ball guru is here at Rosenblatt tonight taking in the North Carolina-Arizona State game. And he saw UNC score its first two runs on sacrifice bunts -- both executed with two strikes.

The Tar Heels plated a total of three runs in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead over the Sun Devils.

Jacob Stallings, whose sac bunt in the second gave UNC a 1-0 lead, picked up his second RBI in the fourth on a sacrifice to the same spot to the right of the mound. It allowed Garrett Gore to score from third for a 2-0 lead. Then back-to-back RBI singles to left by Mike Cavasinni and Ryan Graepel extended the UNC lead to 4-0.

ASU starter Josh Spence has thrown 89 pitches (55 strikes) and he has to be near the end of his night on the mound. Remember, he threw 122 pitches on Sunday and is going tonight on three days' rest.

Posted by David Albright

A sacrifice bunt by DH Jacob Stallings -- on a 1-2 count -- scored Levi Michael from third base for a 1-0 Tar Heels lead. Michael, who had originally reached base on a fielder's choice when the Sun Devils couldn't turn a double play, advanced to third on a two-base throwing error by ASU shortstop Drew Maggi that also allowed Ben Bunting to advance to second.

The run doesn't count against ASU starter Josh Spence because it is unearned, but it sure counts on the scoreboard.

Posted by David Albright

With one out, Jason Kipnis reached on an infield single and then advanced to second on the first of two wild pitches by North Carolina starter Matt Harvey. A walk to Carlos Ramirez made it first and second with one out, but Kipnis was caught trying to steal third and then cleanup hitter Kole Calhoun went down looking to end the inning.

The walkways between the outfield sections are standing-room-only and are packed several people deep for their entire length. As expected, this should be a great crowd tonight.

Kind of makes you wonder what it's like to be here for an Omaha Royals game.

Posted by David Albright

Temperatures are back in the 90s again today (Sun Devils weather?), and there's strong breeze, although it's a little more to dead center than to left field like it was Wednesday.

But that hasn't stopped the College World Series' most dedicated fans: the ones who lined up outside for general admission seats, raced through the gates as soon as they opened at 4 p.m. local time and then set up shop in the prime locations over left and right field to catch batting-practice home runs. As usual, it was a fruitful exercise, if you can stand the heat.

Tonight's game between North Carolina and Arizona State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN360) is a rematch of Sunday's Bracket Two opener, the Sun Devils won 5-2 in 10 innings. Unlike four days ago, tonight's loser goes home, joining Cal State Fullerton, Southern Miss and Virginia.

In a slightly surprising move, Arizona State coach Pat Murphy has decided to go with lefty Josh Spence as his starter. Spence got a no-decision against the Tar Heels on Sunday, but his array of offspeed offerings against a predominantly left-handed UNC lineup was successful for most of the night. He went seven innings, and surrendered one earned run on eight hits to go along with eight strikeouts and three walks.

The performance wasn't surprising, but the fact that Spence threw 122 pitches Sunday and is coming off three days' rest makes tonight's start somewhat unexpected. But there's no tomorrow without a win today.

At stake tonight is a berth in Friday's Bracket Two Championship against Texas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2HD). A win tomorrow against the unbeaten Longhorns would force a winner-take-all game Saturday to advance to Monday's CWS Championship Series.

Here are the starting lineups for tonight's elimination game, the 10th game of the 2009 College World Series:

North Carolina (48-17)

24 Ryan Graepel SS
13 Dustin Ackley 1B
10 Kyle Seager 3B
4 Garrett Gore RF
8 Mark Fleury C
1 Levi Michael 2B
3 Ben Bunting LF
5 Jacob Stallings DH
11 Mike Cavasinni CF

43 Matt Harvey RHP (7-2, 5.35 ERA)

Arizona State (50-13)

37 Drew Maggi SS
28 Jason Kipnis CF
55 Carlos Ramirez C
49 Kole Calhoun LF
11 Matt Newman RF
23 Johnny Ruettiger DH
30 Riccio Torrez 1B
22 Jared McDonald 3B
2 Zack MacPhee 2B

45 Josh Spence LHP (9-1, 2.26 ERA)

Umpires:

HP: Perry Costello
1B: Joe Burleson
2B: Mark Chapman
3B: Chuck Lyon

Posted by Orel Hershiser

One thing that struck me was that Ackley is bigger up close than many viewers may realize. On the field, he looks like he has a medium build at most -- but in person, I saw that he has a bigger, wider back than you might suspect. His hands are also exceptionally large. That tells me he has exceptional bat control. And that's something we've obviously seen throughout his career.

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Tim Steadman/Icon SMI

Orel Hershiser believes Dustin Ackley, above, is one of the best hitters ever to play college baseball.

He also has the thin ankles of a racehorse. That tells me he can really move, cut and dart. You don't really see that much in a first baseman, but he's been playing there largely because he's coming off Tommy John surgery.

The Seattle Mariners, who took him second overall in the June 9 Major League Baseball draft, really think Ackley will play at first base in the majors, but scouts have been saying he might not play there because he's smaller and may not hit with enough power. I think that with his body and the way he moves, he could play in the outfield as well.

Ackley has been compared to Darin Erstad, who has had a nice, long career. Coming out of college, Ackley is a better prospect than Erstad. Bats and arms come from all over the draft, but Ackley is, at least statistically, one of the best college hitters ever. His swing is very smooth and at times can look a little long. But it's more of the length of a Raul Ibanez or Carlos Beltran, for whom it's deceptively powerful.

He also really seems to have that "steering wheel" bat like Tony Gwynn's. His hard ground balls -- which for other players often find the fielders' gloves -- have a knack for finding the holes. I asked him about that, and he told me it's just been good fortune.

But I believe that if you don't feel like you are guiding it, it's probably because you have an idea of where you want to hit the ball and you can position yourself to give yourself the best chance. Plus, he squares up more balls than anyone else. So when he hits a three-hopper, it's firm and often gets through, where another hitter's ground ball may take four hops and becomes an out instead of a hit.

The difference between three hops and four may seem minor, but over the course of time, it will lead to more hits. And in the majors, it will be more even pronounced with the much longer season.

But Ackley is not only a ground-ball hitter. He has the kind of body that I think can get a lot stronger, and he should be able to hit for more power as he matures. The Mariners have a keeper on their hands.

Posted by ESPN.com

Here are some things to know heading into tonight's matchup:

• Over the past four years, the Tar Heels have been dominant during the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament but have struggled in Omaha. They'll need to beat Arizona State on Thursday to avoid their lowest CWS finish during their current four-year run.

• The calling card for North Carolina during the past several years has been pitching, so it's no surprise that this year's squad has played lots of low-scoring games. UNC is a stellar 14-6 when scoring three to five runs, but it has also lost 10 games when allowing five runs or less (including Sunday's loss to Arizona State).

• The Tar Heels bullpen was almost untouchable during the first five games of the NCAA tournament before allowing four runs in the 10th inning Sunday. They rebounded with three solid innings Tuesday to wrap up the victory against Southern Miss.

• Arizona State leads its series with UNC 4-1. ASU's 5-2 win in 10 innings Sunday was the only NCAA tournament meeting between the two schools.

• The Sun Devils rely on their starting pitchers to go deep into games to win, but with nearly nine innings pitched by starters in the first two games of the CWS, the bullpen has been overtaxed.

Stopper Mitchell Lambson has thrown at least three innings in each of the team's games in Omaha.

• Mike Leake was leading Division I with a 1.24 ERA entering the NCAA tournament, but he has struggled in his past two starts.

After throwing complete games in five of seven starts since April 24, he failed to make it out of the fourth inning in Tuesday's game against Texas. During his past two games, Leake's ERA has risen from 1.23 to 1.65.

Posted by Ryan McGee

If you ask them why, they rarely mention baseball. They talk about the atmosphere, from the organ music and smoke that wafts through the rafters of Rosenblatt to the cold ice cream and even colder beverages along 13th Street, the main thoroughfare that borders the third-base side of The Blatt.

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Ryan McGee for ESPN.com

Stadium View is one of the staples of Omaha and the CWS.

The heart of 13th Street is Stadium View Sportscards, a red, white and blue house directly across the crosswalk from the stadium's main entrance (watch your step crossing the street; that's where police patrol on horseback). For nearly 20 years, fans have spent their between-game time ducking into the old store to buy souvenirs, check out the old-school College World Series memorabilia and enjoy a free beer.

Seriously. They've given away more than 30,000 of them since 1992.

Hanging out behind the counter is Greg Pivovar, owner of the store and a local attorney. As fans file through and grab a can of suds, he sips on a brew himself, carefully concealed in a CWS souvenir cup. He smiles, shakes hands with longtime return customers and welcomes new ones like he's known them forever.

In the past, the Stadium View regulars didn't have to walk to the back of the room to find the man they call "Piv." He either came blowing out of the back room to greet them or was standing out on the front step, working the curb with handshakes and a sharp running commentary.

But this year, Piv is bouncing back from a bout with throat cancer. A spring filled with chemo and surgery has sucked some of the trademark spring from his step, but missing the Series was never an option, not even as he heads into post-cancer radiation. His friends say the goal of getting well in time for the Series was exactly the kind of target Piv needed to focus on to keep his spirits high through the tough time.

"Yeah, I wear out a little quicker than normal," Piv said as he wrapped a can of free beer with a paper towel and handed it off. "But I wouldn't miss this. People would have come and gotten me and dragged me out here if I'd stayed home. The good news is that I'm cancer-free and feel great."

When the CWS comes back next year for its final go-round at Rosenblatt Stadium, Piv's people are anticipating Stadium View will be the epicenter of what is expected to be the goodbye celebration to end all goodbye celebrations. Two of this year's hottest sellers have been frame-ready photos of the store and T-shirts proclaiming "Two more years of college baseball, free beer and great memories."

"I want to have everyone who has ever been here to stop by and sign their name on the walls of the building. And we'll figure out some other stuff to do, too. Already this year, it's become pretty emotional for everyone here around the ballpark."

After all, the stadium itself will be only a small part of what fans will miss at the new downtown TD Ameritrade Stadium in 2011.

The void that will be hardest to fill will be the one currently occupied by the 13th Street neighborhood. And to so many, the beating heart of that neighborhood is Stadium View Sportscards.

Ryan McGee is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. His new book, "The Road To Omaha: Hits, Hopes and History at the College World Series," which chronicles the excitement and passion of the CWS, is now available.

Posted by David Albright

Thanks to a 4-3 win over Virginia in 12 innings Wednesday night at Rosenblatt Stadium, the Hogs move on to the Bracket One championship on Friday against the unbeaten Tigers (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2HD). But for Arkansas to advance to next week's CWS Championship Series, it will need to beat LSU on Friday and Saturday in this double-elimination format. The Tigers beat the Hogs 9-1 on Monday.

The game winner against the Cavs came on a double to left by Andrew Darr that scored Jarrod McKinney from second base. It was a 10-pitch at-bat for Darr against UVa reliever Andrew Carraway.

Virginia had led for most of the game, taking a 2-0 lead in the fifth before the Hogs trimmed that in half with a run in the seventh. The Cavs added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with two outs when Dan Grovatt sent a 0-1 pitch from reliever Mike Bolsinger over the wall in left center field for a 3-1 lead. But Arkansas' Brett Eibner mashed a 1-1 offering from closer Kevin Arico deep into the left-field stands for a two-run homer to tie the score at 3-3 after eight-and-a-half innings.

Virginia finished the 2009 season with a 49-15-1 record. And Arkansas (41-23) survived to play at least one more day.

Posted by David Albright

Danny Hultzen grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded just when it looked for sure as if the Hoos were going to rebound after surrendering a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth.

Arkansas is 6-1 in extra-inning games this season, and UVa is 0-2.

Posted by David Albright

The Cavs were one out from a date with LSU on Friday for the Bracket One championship when Arkansas' Brett Eibner mashed a 1-1 offering from closer Kevin Arico deep into the left-field stands for a two-run homer to tie Wednesday's CWS elimination game at 3-3 after eight-and-a-half innings.

Virginia led the entire game until the ninth, taking a 2-0 lead in the fifth before the Hogs trimmed that in half with a run in the seventh. The Cavs added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with two outs when Dan Grovatt sent an 0-1 pitch from reliever Mike Bolsinger over the wall in left center field for a 3-1 lead.

UVa still has a last turn at bat to try to end this game without going to extra innings.

Posted by David Albright

Arkansas, which has 15 wins this season when tied or trailing in the seventh inning or later, got on the board in the seventh to cut Virginia's lead to 2-1.

Bo Bigham reached on an error by third baseman Steven Proscia. Then Zack Cox doubled to left to give Arkansas runners at second and third.

That signaled the end of the night for UVa starting pitcher Danny Hultzen, who was replaced by righty Tyler Wilson. A sac fly to center by Brett Eibner scored Bigham from third to give the Hogs their first run of the game.

Hultzen will stay in the game as the Cavs' DH, but his night on the mound ended with the following line: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K on 96 pitches (64 strikes).

There might be just six outs to go in Arkansas' season as we head to the eighth inning, but Hultzen's being gone brings new life to the Hogs' bats, as the bullpens have been quite the adventure so far at The Blatt.

Posted by David Albright

Either way, the scoreless tie was broken in the bottom of the fifth when UVa first baseman John Hicks hit a 1-0 offering from Smyly just over the fence in left field for a 1-0 lead. It was Hicks' eighth homer of the season.

On the live play, the ball came back into the field of play and Hicks ended up on second base with what appeared to be a double. But Virginia skipper Brian O'Connor sprinted out of the third base dugout to complain. It took a minute for the four umpires to confer but they changed the original call and got it right. The replay clearly showed that the ball went in and out of a fan's glove in the first row of the bleachers and back into the field of play.

UVa extended its lead to 2-0 four batters later when Danny Hultzen -- the starting pitcher who is batting second in the Cavs' lineup -- doubled to left with two outs and scored John Barr from third base.

That signaled the end of the night for Smyly (4.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 84 pitches), who was replaced by righty Mike Bolsinger.

Posted by David Albright

Virginia had a chance to break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth. Phil Gosselin led off with a double deep to right and later advanced to third on a wild pitch to UVa starter Danny Hultzen. But a pair of strikeouts to end the inning left Gosselin stranded on third. The one to end the inning was the second of the game and the seventh of the CWS for center fielder Jarrett Parker, who is now 0-for-8 here in Omaha -- although he does have four walks.

The Hogs and the Hoos each have four hits and three left on base through 4½ innings at The Blatt.

A lot of attention is being paid to the local radar as several bands of thunderstorms have popped up in this part of the state. And there is a tornado watch -- not an uncommon thing on a hot summer night here in the heartland -- until 9 p.m. local time.

Posted by David Albright

Arkansas threatened in the top half of the third when James McCann led off with an infield single and then advanced to third on a pair of groundouts. But Ben Tschepikow couldn't pick up the RBI -- he went down swinging after starting out with a 3-0 count against Hultzen.

Hultzen's line through three innings: 2 H, 4 K on 44 pitches (30 strikes). Smyly has been equally effective in his three innings of work: 3 H, 5 K on 45 pitches (31 strikes). And each pitcher has faced 11 batters.

The Razorbacks and Cavaliers have each left two men on base so far.

Posted by David Albright

It's 5 p.m. local time, and the temperature is still in the low 90s, and there's a stiff breeze out to left field. Not sure whether that means we're in for a long and high-scoring affair, but don't say you haven't been warned.

Tonight's game between Arkansas and Virginia is another elimination affair, with the winner advancing to Friday to face unbeaten LSU (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2HD) -- and the loser heading back home for the summer.

With the win-or-go-home stakes in play, Virginia coach Brian O'Connor is giving the ball to lefty ace Danny Hultzen (9-1, 2.33 ERA). He was the starter in Saturday's CWS opener against the Bayou Tigers, a 9-5 loss. Hultzen's no-decision line from that game: 3 IP, 7H, 3ER, 1 BB, 5 K. He will face Arkansas lefty Drew Smyly (3-1, 4.73 ERA), who has yet to appear in the CWS.

Here are tonight's starting lineups:

Arkansas (40-23):
LF Chase Leavitt
SS Ben Tschepikow
DH Scott Lyons
1B Andy Wilkins
2B Bo Bigham
3B Zack Cox
CF Brett Eibner
C James McCann
RF Jarrod McKinney

P Drew Smyly (3-1, 4.73)

Virginia (49-14-1):
SS Tyler Cannon
P Danny Hultzen (9-1, 2.33)
2B Phil Gosselin
RF Dan Grovatt
3B Steven Proscia
CF Jarrett Parker
1B John Hicks
C Franco Valdes
LF John Barr

Umpires:
HP Jeff Henrichs
1B Steve Manders
2B Darrin Sealey
3B Tony Maners

Weather:
Partly Cloudy
92 degrees
19 mph winds, out to left

Posted by ESPN.com

Arkansas will meet Virginia for the first time in its history, and the stakes will be high for this elimination game (ESPN2/ESPN360, 7 p.m. ET). Here are some things to know heading into tonight:

• Virginia has leaned heavily on its bullpen in Omaha, as the Cavaliers' starters have gone just seven innings combined. While the 'pen was stronger against Fullerton than it was against LSU, it still hasn't lived up to its previous NCAA tournament performances.

• Virginia has staved off elimination three times in the NCAA tournament, winning two elimination games versus Ole Miss in the super regional and one versus Cal State Fullerton in Omaha.

• The Cavaliers hope to join the short list of teams that have won multiple games in their first trip to Omaha. Since 1980, only six teams have won two or more games in their first College World Series appearance.

• Arkansas has a 31-3 record when scoring six or more runs, but is just 9-20 when scoring five or less runs.

• Arkansas met an ACC team once before in Omaha. The Razorbacks defeated North Carolina 7-3 in 1989, their last CWS win before this year.

• Since 2005, the SEC and ACC have gone head-to-head in Omaha five times, including LSU and Virginia in Saturday's opening round. While neither conference has been dominant, there has been one common characteristic: The games haven't been close. None of the five games has been decided by fewer than three runs.

Posted by Ryan McGee

In the center of a municipal triangle formed by the still-new downtown hotels, the still-new Qwest Center arena and an almost-finished very long mural depicting the very long history of Omaha, there is a giant moon crater of a hole.

AP Photo/Nati Harnik

TD Ameritrade Park Omaha will open for CWS play in 2011.

In two years, that's the spot where the College World Series will be played. And the hole? It will have been swapped out, moved a few miles south to the corner of 13th Street and Bob Gibson Boulevard.

That's where Rosenblatt Stadium sits now.

"You try not to be all glum about it," admits CWS official scorer Lou Spry. Spry's right hand has recorded every CWS pitch, hit and run since 1981, from Miami's Grand Illusion to the end of Robin Ventura's 58-game hitting streak. "But I'm going to miss this old place, and if everyone here is honest with you, they are too -- even the folks who have pushed for the new stadium."

The new $128 million ballpark already has a name, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, thanks to a sponsorship deal with the locally based online stockbroker. Architectural drawings of the new park are all over Omaha, from a giant sign at the construction site to posters in hotel lobbies to a sparkling display at the Omaha Welcome Center that greets those arriving at Eppley Airfield.

Rising from the big downtown hole will be cascading staircases and a 32-foot brick veneer with "glazing" over the openings at street level so fans can see the action inside from the street. There will be 26 luxury suites, 1,000 club seats and a 360 degree walk-around concourse. There also will be better sight lines and, unlike Rosenblatt, the grandstands aren't likely to start taking on water like a leaky canoe every time it rains.

Sounds impressive. … Well, at least to some it does.

"How are they going to re-create this?"

The question is asked by Steve Rosenblatt, son of Johnny -- as in Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. The younger Blatt lives in Arizona now, but he always makes it back home to Omaha for the opening weekend of the CWS.

During his run as a longtime O-Town politician, he could see the end of his father's stadium coming long before it actually happened. Now he can't go anywhere without being asked about it.

"I have no doubts that the new stadium will be great," Steve Rosenblatt said. "But it won't be the same. The modern amenities will be fantastic, and after a while we'll get used to it. However, the atmosphere of this neighborhood will be impossible to replicate."

A big part of that atmosphere is provided by the 90-year-old fingers of organist Lambert Bartak, who has rocked The Blatt gently with his 1935 Hammond organ nearly since the ballpark first opened its doors as Municipal Stadium in 1949. During every seventh-inning stretch, Bartak rouses the crowd awake with yet another rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," and it rewards him every time with a hearty round of applause when his face pops up in the giant TV screen in left field.

"I don't know if they'll have room for an old man and his organ in the new stadium or not," Bartak said with a wink. "If they call, I'll show up. But perhaps they will forgive me if I accidentally drive out here to the south side of town for the first few games. It'll take a while to undo that habit."

Ryan McGee is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. His new book, "The Road To Omaha: Hits, Hopes and History at the College World Series," which chronicles the excitement and passion of the CWS, is now available.

Posted by Ryan McGee

They lined up three deep at the bend in the road at the southeast corner of the Rosenblatt Stadium parking lot, where College World Series Boulevard turns into 10th Street and the air is thick with grill smoke, laughter and classic rock.

The gatherers formed a circle around a row of pink plastic flamingos, just the like the ones in your least favorite aunt's front yard. Only these birds were emblazoned with the logos of the eight participating teams doing battle inside the old ballpark.

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Ryan McGee for ESPN.com

Three hooded flamingos during the 2008 CWS.

The crowd smiled, joked and drank away their excited anticipation. The adults ushered the youngsters to the front to make sure they could see firsthand what was about to happen, a time-honored College World Series tradition. Several of the children held bouquets of dead flowers. Soon a hush began to wash over the revelers like a wave.

"Here he comes … make way … there he is …"

As Mark Samstad made his way through the parting masses, he was careful not to spill his beer. Not yet, anyway. He waved to the people like a member of the British royal family as he walked along the line of flamingos until he reached the one at the end, the one draped in Cal State Fullerton paraphernalia.

Throughout the opening weekend of the Series, Titan fans had stopped by to adorn their chosen bird with towels, beads and stickers. Now they were nowhere to be found, replaced by gloating Texas, LSU and Arkansas fans.

Why?

Because exactly 30 minutes earlier, Fullerton had become the first team asked to depart Omaha and head home, having been eliminated by Virginia 7-5.

Now it was time to begin what all these fans had shown up to see.

It was time for the hooding ceremony.

"Cal State Fullerton, who would have thunk?" Samstad asked. The man with the Goose Gossage mustache is an Omaha native and self-proclaimed "professional tailgater" (he even has a business card to prove it). He has lived in Fort Lauderdale for three decades, but always returns home for the Series, and for his followers.

"They're gone. So, let's have a moment of silence for the Cal State Fullerton, what is that? Titans? Or Mutants?"

With that, he poured his beer over the flamingo's head as the children placed the dead flowers at its feet. And to the crowd he commanded, "Hit the 'Taps'!"

To a chorus of kazoos and a recording of a Marine Corps bugle, a specially chosen child -- a "professional tailgater" in training -- stepped forward and tied a black hood over the Cal State Fullerton head and season.

"As they say," Samstad shouted to his people, "two and barbecue!"

Later that evening, Fullerton's fowl was pulled from the ground and moved a few feet away to make sure it was separated from the flock of the living. Almost precisely 24 hours later, it finally had company, as the beer-soaked bird of Southern Miss was moved alongside.

"That one there looks like a flamingo, but it's not," Samstad said, stroking his mustache. "That's a Golden Eagle."

Ryan McGee is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. His new book, "The Road To Omaha: Hits, Hopes and History at the College World Series," which chronicles the excitement and passion of the CWS, is now available.

Posted by Elizabeth Merrill

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Crystal LoGiudice-US PRESSWIRE

Texas scored 10 unanswered runs to earn a comeback win against Arizona State at the College World Series.

The Longhorns knocked out All-America pitcher Mike Leake, and rallied for a 10-6 win over Arizona State in a four-hour-and-four-minute game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Arizona State looked as if it would run away with it in the third inning, when Carlos Ramirez took a chest-high pitch and crushed it more than 400 feet to give the Sun Devils a 4-0 lead. The Longhorns were imploding, and appeared moderately rattled. Catcher Cameron Rupp tried to throw out Matt Newman at second. There was nobody covering second. By the end of the inning, they'd fallen into a 6-0 hole.

But Texas, which needed late heroics to beat Southern Miss on Sunday, has proved to be resilient. The Longhorns turned around and put up six runs in the fourth behind Rupp's three-run homer, a perfect squeeze bunt by Travis Tucker, and a two-run single by Brandon Belt.

Leake, arguably the second-best pitcher in the nation, hadn't had a night anywhere close to this all year. He came into Tuesday 16-1 with a 1.36 ERA, and hadn't gone less than six innings in a start all season.

But the Big 12 has been unkind to him; his only loss of the year was against Kansas State.

Just as Leake lost control, Taylor Jungmann seized it for the Longhorns. The tall Texan pitched 5 2/3 stellar innings, holding the Sun Devils to two hits. Jungmann, a freshman, is normally in the starting rotation. But on a night like Tuesday, coach Augie Garrido wasn't going to take any chances.

Jungmann had two deep-ball scares at the end, when Ramirez lifted a ball to the left-field warning track in the eighth and slugger Kole Calhoun sent one to the center-field wall in the ninth. The Longhorns corralled both of them, putting Texas one game away from the best-of-three championship.

Arizona State heads to a rematch with North Carolina in an elimination game on Thursday (ESPN2, ESPN360, 7 p.m. ET). Texas advances to Friday's winner's bracket, where it awaits the winner of the Tar Heels and the Sun Devils (ESPN2, ESPN360, 7 p.m. ET).

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But with Taylor Jungmann shutting the door on on the Sun Devils, they may not need that much in the way of insurance. The freshman right-hander has been lights-out since heading to the mound in the bottom of the fourth, and collected his sixth strikeout of the game in a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

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Arizona State had no such luck in the bottom half of the inning. Jungmann continues to look sharp. The freshman has retired 11 of the 13 batters he's faced since coming on with one out in the bottom of the fourth.

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Heading into the seventh, we're tied at 6-6 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Much of the credit (or blame) for calming down an otherwise frenzied game goes to the insertion of Taylor Jungmann on the mound for Texas and Mitchell Lambson for Arizona State. Through two innings they're delivering the pitchers' duel we thought we were going to see with Mike Leake on the mound for the Sun Devils and Chance Ruffin for the Longhorns.

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Either that, or that must have been some speech.

Whatever Augie Garrido said to his Longhorns in the dugout as they prepared to face Mike Leake in the top of the fourth inning worked, as they cut Arizona State's lead in half with one swing of Cameron Rupp's bat. The catcher has had a couple of head-scratching errors so far this game, but made amends with a three-run shot off Mike Leake that scored Brandon Loy and Kevin Keyes.

From there it was back to small ball, as the Longhorns used a bevy of singles, bunts and an ASU error to chalk up three more runs to tie the game at 6-6, in the process forcing out Mike Leake. It will go down as the worst outing of the season for Leake, who hadn't given up more than three earned runs all season. And it couldn't have come at a worse time.

Jordan Swagerty came on in relief for Leake and got the Sun Devils out of the inning without going behind, but seeing a 6-0 lead evaporate and your star pitcher get rocked has to be an unsettling feeling.

What happens from here on out is anyone's guess at this rate.

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Through three innings, we've seen a passed ball, a routine grounder skip through the second baseman's legs and the Longhorns' catcher throw to no one at all at second base on a pick-off play. Oh yeah, and two solo home runs.

Add it all up and it spells a whole lotta trouble for the Longhorns. They trail Arizona State 6-0 after three, and are already warming up their third pitcher. The starter, Chance Ruffin, didn't last too long after giving up another solo shot -- this time to Carlos Ramirez to push ASU's lead to 4-0.

Austin Dicharry on for Ruffin, but couldn't get the Longhorns into the dugout before letting two more runs cross the plate.

Texas will need to find a way to stay positive if it's to make a game of this. That won't be easy with Mike Leake looking strong on the mound for Arizona State.

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Calhoun picked up where he left off against Texas in the second inning with a solo shot off Texas pitcher Chance Ruffin to give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead.

It got worse from there for Ruffin and the Longhorns, as singles from Matt Newman and Raoul Torrez put runners on first and third. A passed ball would score Newman, and Jared McDonald's single scored Torrez to give the Sun Devils a 3-0 lead.

In the top half of the inning, Arizona State pitcher Mike Leake faced baserunners on first and second for the second consecutive inning after Brandon Loy reached on an error and Cameron Rupp drew a walk on the next at-bat.

But just as he did in the first, Leake took care of the threat, striking out Preston Clark and Connor Rowe to end the inning.

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Texas' leadoff hitter Michael Torres snuck a double down the right-field line, just the 20th extra-base hit Leake's allowed this season, and Travis Tucker drew a walk on the subsequent at-bat.

But Leake isn't the two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year for nothing, as he struck out Brandon Belt on three pitches and got Russell Moldenhauer to hit into an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.

Texas starter Chance Ruffin -- whose father, Bruce, played on the Longhorns' 1983 CWS title team -- used an inning-ending double-play to get out of the bottom half of the inning, though his two outs came on the strike-'em-out (Carlos Ramirez), throw-'em-out (Jason Kipnis) variety.

It's deadlocked at 0-0 heading into the second in Omaha.

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TEXAS (47-14-1)

Michael Torres, 3B
Travis Tucker, 2B
Brandon Belt, 1B
Russell Moldenhauer, DH
Kevin Keyes, RF
Brandon Loy, SS
Cameron Rupp, C
Preston Clark, LF
Connor Rowe, CF
Chance Ruffin, P, (10-2, 3.02 ERA)

ARIZONA STATE (50-12)
Drew Maggi, SS
Jason Kipnis, CF
Carlos Ramirez, C
Kole Calhoun, LF
Johnny Ruettiger, DH
Matt Newman, RF
Raoul Torrez, 3B
Jared McDonald, 1B
Zack MacPhee, 2B
Mike Leake, P, (16-1, 1.36 ERA)

Series history: Texas leads the all-time series 25-18, but Arizona State is 5-4 in the NCAA tournament and 4-2 in Omaha.

What's at stake this time around? Since the event expanded to a 4-team, double-elimination format in 1949, 41 of the 60 champions started 2-0.

• Texas and Arizona State rank in the top three in nearly every category when it comes to CWS experience. They have combined for 54 appearances, 139 wins, and 11 titles.

• Both teams defied traditional logic by not starting their ace in their first CWS game, but it worked out for the best as they each won their opener (Arizona State started Josh Spence and Texas started Cole Green). That sets up a matchup between Mike Leake and Chance Ruffin on Tuesday evening.

• Arizona State has been great in tight games all season. With Sunday's win, they improved to 14-4 in games decided by one or two runs. They are also 46-0 when leading after seven innings.

• Despite blowing leads in the top of the eighth and ninth innings Sunday, the Longhorns remain perfect when leading late in games. They are 40-0-1 when leading after six innings, 39-0-1 when leading after seven and 38-0 when leading after eight.

• Arizona State's rotation has the best numbers of any of the eight staffs in this year's College World Series. When the Sun Devil starter goes at least 7 innings, the team is 28-1 this season.

• Texas continues to score early and often. With two runs in the first inning Sunday, the Longhorns have outscored their opponents 48-11 in the first inning and 104-26 over the first two innings. That's a lethal combination when combined with their 38-4 record when scoring first.

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• Garrett Gore tied a CWS career record with his 20th appearance on Tuesday, matching Daryl Arenstein's record for career games set between 1970-73.

• UNC's Dustin Ackley went 5-for-6 against Southern Miss, becoming the 16th player in CWS history to record at least five hits in a game. The last five-hit game in the CWS was by Cal State Fullerton's David Cooper, who went 5-for-5 against Clemson on June 20, 2006.

• Today marked Ackley's second career five-hit game, as the other came against VMI on Feb. 22, 2009

• Ackley's five hits upped his career CWS hit total to 27, making him the all-time hits leader at the CWS. He broke the previous mark of 24 set by Stanford's Sam Fuld from 2001 to 2003. Ackley is now hitting .429 (27-63) in his career at the CWS, a total which would rank ninth all-time.

• Ackley is now hitting .576 (19-for-33) with two homers and 12 RBIs during the 2009 NCAA tournament and is 7-for-11 in Omaha.

• North Carolina's senior class has now won a school-record and NCAA-best 212 games over the past four years.

• With today's win, North Carolina's Adam Warren improved his career record to 32-4 at North Carolina. He is second on UNC's career wins list -- trailing only Robert Woodward's 34 wins between 2004 and 2007. Warren's .889 career win percentage ties Scott Bankhead (24-3 from 1982-84) for first place on UNC's all-time career win percentage list.

• Head coach Corky Palmer finishes his coaching career with a 960-493 record, including a 458-281 mark in 12 seasons at Southern Miss. His 458 wins rank second on the Southern Miss career charts.

• The 23 hits were the most surrendered by USM this season. Its previous high was 22 against Cal State Fullerton on March 6.

Posted by Elizabeth Merrill

Seriously, Ackley is enjoying this.

Before he put on the very serious gaze Tuesday, then shifted to a bored look when cameras approached, Ackley was well aware that he was within reach of the College World Series career hits record.

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AP Photo/Ted Kirk

Dustin Ackley set a new College World Series record with 27 career hits.

He smashed it, peppering Southern Mississippi with singles to the left and the right, going 5-for-6 in North Carolina's 11-4 blasting of the Golden Eagles.

Ackley now has 27 hits in 14 CWS games, passing Stanford's Sam Fuld, whose 24 stood for six years. The Tar Heels also tied an Omaha record with 23 hits in the game.

"I think everybody saw today what everyone on our team has seen in the last three years in Dustin Ackley," Carolina coach Mike Fox said. "He's an unbelievable performer; he's one sensational player. And I'm glad the nation had a chance to see it. We needed it."

The Tar Heels survived an elimination game by rocking J.R. Ballinger for nine hits and six runs in 2 2/3 innings. Ackley had No. 25 by the third inning, with the game spiraling out of control for Southern Miss.

The junior, who was the No. 2 overall pick by the Seattle Mariners earlier this month, is known as one of the quietest players on the team. Fox said he's doubtful he'll ever coach another hitter like Ackley, who's gotten a hit in every NCAA tournament game he's ever played in -- all 21 of them.

By the seventh inning, when Ackley singled to right-center, the question wasn't about whether the Golden Eagles had the moxie to stage a huge comeback. It was, "Will Ackley get another at-bat?"

He did, and sent a deep fly ball that was caught near the warning track.

And so ended the first and last College World Series for Southern Miss coach Corky Palmer, whose team put together an inspired run to Omaha for the retiring 55-year-old. Some of Palmer's players bent down after the last out and grabbed a handful of dirt as a keepsake of the school's first CWS.

After the Golden Eagles burned through their pitching staff Sunday and almost beat Texas, Palmer worried about what would happen Tuesday. He saw seven left-handed Carolina hitters. He knew they had no answer.

"We had a magical season," he said. "You can't ask any more of what we've done in the last three weeks. I'm really glad these guys let me work a little longer. It was all them. I was just along for the ride."

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Southern Miss coach Corky Palmer and his Golden Eagles were eliminated from the College World Series on Tuesday in a 11-4 loss to North Carolina, sending the legendary leader into retirement.

Southern Miss got off to a good start in the top of the ninth, retiring Dustin Ackley for the first time in the game, off a fly ball to the left.

But Carolina one-upped the Golden Eagles -- literally.

Kyle Seager hit a long homer on the next at-bat, straight over the right center wall and deep into the bleachers to raise the Tar Heels' lead to 11-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, North Carolina got out Adam Doleac and Taylor Walker on a 5-4-3 double play for their first two outs. Bo Davis grounded out to third to end the game.

North Carolina's 23 hits tied for the most in a CWS game.

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With Colin Bates on the mound for North Carolina, Joey Archer got Southern Miss its first hit since the fourth inning -- a double way out to left field. He scored when Ryan Graepel made a throwing error in attempt to get Brian Dozier out at first. Southern Miss trails 10-4 after eight innings.

Carolina has 21 hits on the game as opposed to four by Southern Miss heading into the ninth inning at Rosenblatt.

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But the first batter Stanley faced, Mark Fleury, drove in another run to put the Heels up 10-3.

With Schlagel on the mound, Kyle Seager's single to the right scored Ben Bunting and moved Dustin Ackley to third. Stanley came into the game, and Fleury hit a sacrifice fly on which Ackley scored.

Ackley is 5-for-5 with four singles, a double and three RBIs. The Tar Heels have had two or more men on base in every inning of the game so far.

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Southern Miss' Cody Schlagel created space for that to change with a silly mistake.

Going after the third out, Schlagel caught Mike Cavasinni's ground ball and began chasing him to first base. It looked as if the pitcher could have tossed the ball to first baseman Joey Archer to get the out, but he instead ran for Cavasinni. Schlagel didn't make the tag early enough, and the first-base ump called the Tar Heel safe.

The Golden Eagles got out of the inning before the Tar Heels could capitalize.

UNC returned the favor by leaving Southern Miss scoreless in the sixth, retiring the Eagles' first three batters.

Quick fact: Ryan Graepel, who singled in the top of the sixth, has yet to be retired in the game.

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But as in the top of the third inning, the Golden Eagles let success get away from them in the fifth.

After Seth Baldwin struck out swinging and Kameron Brunty caught Ben Bunting's fly ball to left field, Dustin Ackley singled.

A throw over the head of first baseman Joey Archer in an attempt to pick off Ackley allowed the slugger to advance easily to third. Kyle Seager was walked to put men on first and third, but Mark Fleury popped out to right field to end the half-inning.

The Tar Heels responded with a quick three outs to hold their lead at 8-3.

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Vollmuth's blast over left field scored Corey Stevens and Michael Ewing, both of whom were walked by Adam Warren, to cut the Golden Eagles' deficit to 8-3.

Warren tied his career high for walks in a game with five -- three in the fourth inning.

Lucky for the pitcher, Carolina's offense just can't let an inning go by without scoring.

The Tar Heels added on two more runs in the top of the fourth to stretch their lead to 8-zip.

With Mark Fleury on third and Garrett Gore on second, Ryan Graepel hit a ball to shortstop that Vollmuth let slip right under his glove and into the outfield. Fleury and Gore scored for Graepel's second RBI on his second hit of the game.