 "Photo: Paul Chouy/The Daily Texan")
OMAHA, Neb. — The Tigers look great. Dominant. Scary. In three College World Series games, they have scored 32 runs while giving up just 11. While the Longhorns, carried to Omaha by their pitching and defense, have committed seven errors, the Tigers have been perfect in the field. Really, they’ve been perfect everywhere.
“LSU has played the best baseball in this tournament,” Texas head coach Augie Garrido said. “If it’s about drama, we got that.”
While these two teams have scaled the mountain of Omaha’s first week undefeated, they don’t have much else in common on their rise to the top. Texas has survived. Louisiana State has dominated.
Texas has won two of their CWS games in the final at bat while it took what Garrido described as a miracle to stage a 10-run rally after digging an early 6-0 hole against Arizona State.
In conquering Bracket 1, LSU trailed for only half of an inning, responding to falling behind for the first time with a three-run rally against Virginia in the opening game, the only time this past week they had been tested.
Texas’ passage, of course, has been all about tests.
“Ours has been a bumpier ride,” Garrido said.
Now the question becomes, who has the advantage between two of baseball’s most historic programs that have dominated the CWS over the past 20 years?
Is it the thumping Tigers and their 103 home runs? Or is it Texas’ dramatics and penchant for winning games it has no business winning?
Both sides feel they are even despite the vast differences on paper.
“Not as talented?” LSU’s game 1 starter Louis Coleman repeated incredulously to a reporter’s question about the Longhorns at Sunday’s press conference. “They’re in the national championship game!”
Meanwhile, Tigers’ head coach Paul Mainieri was quick to point out the impact of the cavernous UFCU Disch-Falk outfield on Texas’ power numbers. The Longhorns have flourished on offense in Omaha, scoring 20 runs in three games while hitting five home runs, well above their regular-season rate.
While the Tigers boast a considerable advantage in the power game, with four players with double digit home runs on the season compared to Texas’ one, pitching depth is the main advantage in Texas’ favor.
“Will the magic continue? There’s a good reason for it not to. We’re playing the best team in the country,” Garrido said. “Baseball’s about the unexpected. Anything can happen.”
Be the first to comment on this article!