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News Nuggets, 06.18.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Omaha notebook: Wave's regional hero to start

OMAHA — Micah Owings is a big reason top-ranked Tulane is even in Omaha. After the Green Wave dropped the opener of its super regional to Rice, Owings pitched a three-hit shutout to even the series and then drove in the go-ahead run in a Game 3 victory that clinched the berth.

Now he'll head back to the mound Saturday when Tulane faces Oregon State in the first round at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Owings was 11-4 this season and batted .354 with 18 homers. He got the nod over Brian Bogusevic, who won 13 games and was a first-round choice of the Astros.

``I've been looking forward to it for quite some time,'' Owings said. ``For me to get the opportunity of all the guys on the staff, I'm just thankful.''

Tulane has dealt with the pressure of being No. 1 since the preseason.

``We've had a target on our back all year from a lot of clubs. Rice was just one of them. We had to play our best ball,'' Owings said.

``I think any team here could be a No. 1 Every team here is here for a reason and we're one of those.''

TAKING THE FIFTH: Baylor was 4-0 against Big 12 rival Texas this season and goes for a fifth Saturday when they meet again in the College World Series.

Bears coach Steve Smith said the earlier games will have little bearing.

``We played Texas four times and won three of them by one run,'' Smith said. The fourth victory came in the conference tournament when the Longhorns were banged up and without catcher Taylor Teagarden.

``They're completely a different team than the one we're going to face here in a couple of days,'' Smith said.

The Longhorns are in their fourth straight College World Series and fifth in six years, and for the 32nd time overall. Not making it to Omaha when you play for the Longhorns means the season is not a success.

``I think it's about relief and peace,'' said coach Augie Garrido. ``We're happy to be here, but there is a different point of view at Texas and that point of view is you got to go to the College World Series. That's where it starts.''

And once you arrive, what you've done in the past means very little, the veteran coach said.

``I don't think experience scores any runs for you,'' he said. ``Once you get here every team takes on a different personality.''

SHORT HOPS: Nebraska coach Mike Anderson once worked for a bat company at the College World Series and that's where he first encountered Texas coach Augie Garrido, who was then coach at Cal State Fullerton. ``I made sure Augie had the bats he needed for his team. And at the time the class and the dignity and the things he did for his team left my eyes wide open,'' Anderson said. ... — ... Arizona State freshman center fielder J.J. Sferra is back in the College World Series. How could that be? Sferra was the Sun Devils' bat boy when they made their last trip in 1998. His father, Jay, has been an assistant coach for 10 years. ... — ... Florida slugger Matt LaPorta, who hit 24 homers this season, was taken aback by his surroundings during a workout Thursday. ``It's sweet,'' he said, looking at Rosenblatt Stadium. ``I'm really still kind of like, 'Gosh, I can't believe we're here.' `` ... — ... Arizona coach Pat Murphy's sense of humor never ends. The Wildcats were 0-3 against top-ranked Tulane on the road and also lost two at LSU. ``The key is to avoid Louisiana. We were 0-5,'' Murphy said. ``We're glad the College World Series is not in Louisiana. We don't want any part of Louisiana.'' ... — ... Tulane coach Rick Jones said there is no better feeling or achievement at this level than making it to Omaha. ``You get to the top of the hill and you see that stadium and the kids say, `There it is.' It's special.'' ... Ole Miss didn't make it to Omaha, but the Rebels drew strong praise from coaches. Garrido, whose Longhorns had to beat the Rebels to get in, said Ole Miss was a potential national champion sitting at home. Tennessee coach Rod Delmonico said Ole Miss was the best team in the SEC, adding that the league was the most competitive in his 16 years. ... — ... Oregon State coach Pat Casey said years ago he was given a shirt from the College World Series. But he didn't unfold it until he got here Wednesday with his own team. OSU beat Southern Cal on Monday to make the CWS. ``It happened so fast. I haven't had time to think about it,'' he said. It is the Beavers' first trip to the World Series since 1952.

Scholarship limits open CWS door to all comers

OMAHA — Parity is this year's catch phrase at the College World Series, with Oregon State making it to Omaha for the first time since 1952 and Baylor for the first time since 1978.

It seems more teams have a real chance to make it to a tournament that traditionally has been dominated by Texas, Miami, Southern California, Oklahoma State, Arizona State and Florida State.

Only two of those six teams on the list of all-time CWS appearances — Texas and ASU — are in the field this year.

Longhorns coach Augie Garrido said the NCAA-mandated scholarship limit of 11.7 per team, which went into effect in 1991, is why.

``We all have the same kind of players,'' Garrido said. ``It ends up being about player development and who develops in the framework of the season because Major League Baseball attacks the player pool the way it does.''

Garrido remembers the days of unlimited scholarships in baseball, when coaching icon Rod Dedeaux would offer grants to the best pitchers in California and then have them all to himself at Southern California. Cliff Gustafson did the same thing at Texas, and the late Jim Brock did it at Arizona State.

Like football coaches who would stockpile quarterbacks and running backs, baseball coaches would do the same with pitchers.

``He may not start for Texas, but he's sure as heck not pitching against them,'' Garrido said. ``Being at Texas now, I'm several years late. I would have liked to have had the 37 scholarships.''

ASU coach Pat Murphy said Garrido has shown the ability to thrive in this era of parity. The Longhorns have been to the CWS four straight years.

``They don't have more scholarships. They don't have more games to play. They don't have more resources,'' Murphy said. ``The draft today crushes a program like the University of Texas because they know if Augie Garrido gives a kid a scholarship, he's done his research. It's difficult to keep kids from leaving for the draft. It's an amazing testament to the job his players have done.''

Three teams from the Big 12, two from the Southeastern Conference and two from the Pacific-10 made it to Omaha, but it's the top-seeded Tulane Green Wave from Conference USA who are favored to win their first national championship.

Though the traditional power conferences remain dominant, only Texas is back from the 2004 CWS.

``It's good to see the field starting to even out and that it's not just the same schools dominating every year,'' said Jeff Corsaletti of Florida, which is in the CWS for the first time since 1998.

Tulane will try to become the first No. 1 seed to win the championship since Miami in 1999. The Green Wave started the season ranked first in one of the major polls and have been a consensus No. 1 the last three weeks.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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