If big bats carry the
day,
advantage Gamecocks
By TOM VINT
AP Sports Writer
When South Carolina tangles with Texas for the College World Series
title, it will be a contrasting matchup of power statistics.
Texas has one 20-homer player. First baseman Jeff Ontiveros hit a
school single-season record 20th at the CWS Thursday night. It was his
second of the tournament and a team-record 67th for the year.
Entering its Friday semifinal blowout of Palmetto State rival Clemson,
South Carolina had 122 homers. Yaron Peters topped the team with 29
and five others had 12 or more.
Double record
Clemson's Khalil Greene broke the NCAA career record for doubles in
his first at-bat in Friday's semifinal against South Carolina.
He hit one off the top of the left-center field fence for his 95th
career double. That broke the previous record of 94, set by Wichita
State's Phil Standiford from 1985-88.
Destiny or hard work?
OMAHA, NE — When Texas coach Augie Garrido tried to get philosophical
about his team reaching the championship game of the College World
Series, his players saw things differently.
Garrido described his Longhorns as a team of destiny. Left fielder
Dustin Majewski said it was the hard work that helped land Texas in
its first CWS championship appearance since 1989.
"I think we're a team that feels like we deserve to be here," Majewski
said. "We had a lot of guys work really hard to get here."
Then, freshman relief ace Huston Street drew a smile from his coach.
"I don't know if we're a team of destiny," Street said. "I don't know
what that means, but I know we've got 25 guys ready to go out every
day. We play for each other. Everybody is pulling for the next guy and
that's what makes this such a strong team."
Extra coaching
Garrido gave credit to one of his players for a pitching decision that
paid off in Thursday night's win against Stanford.
Majewski told Garrido to leave reliever Jesen Merle in to pitch to
Stanford's solid-hitting left-handers. Majewski was speaking from
experience — he's left-handed.
Garrido said Majewski said he couldn't hit Merle in practice, so why
would Stanford's hitters be much better? They weren't, as Merle
allowed only a bunt single in his four innings of relief.
Stat leaders
It apparently didn't pay to be the top-hitting or best-pitching teams
in the College World Series.
The two hottest-hitting teams were Georgia Tech (.392) and Nebraska
(.319). The Cornhuskers lost their first two games despite the top
slugging percentage and on-base percentage among the eight teams in
the tournament. Georgia Tech won its first game, then lost its next
two.
As for pitching, Rice and Notre Dame have the top two earned run
averages of the 2002 tournament. Rice also lost its first two games
despite its tourney ERA of 3.63. Notre Dame, like Georgia Tech, won
one game then lost a second to go home. Its team ERA was 4.15.
Rice, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Nebraska also were the top four
fielding teams. Texas, the only unbeaten team heading to Saturday's
title game, was last in fielding and seventh in hitting. The Longhorns
were third, however, in pitching.
Texas pitching
Texas entered the CWS with the top ERA among Division I teams at 2.73.
The Longhorns' ERA is 4.33 in the series, but they're 3-0 and in
Saturday's championship game.
The stars of the staff have been ace Justin Simmons, who won Game 1,
allowing five hits and one earned run in 7 1/3 innings in a 2-1 win
over Rice, and freshman reliever Huston Street, with three saves in
three chances at the CWS, keeping his perfect record intact.
Street has not blown a save in 13 tries this season, and his ERA is
1.93 at the CWS. Simmons' ERA is 1.23.
Coming into the tournament nine Texas pitchers had ERAs of 3.00 or
below.
Copyright 2002
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bonesville.net
contributed to this report.
