 "Photo: Matt Norris")
OMAHA, Neb. - As with any championship series, the 2005 College World Series title match-up between Florida and Texas needed a label.
And so it began on Friday, the day before the teams met for Game 1 at Rosenblatt Stadium, that the best-of-three series was publicized as No. 7 national seed Florida and its powerful bats against unseeded, experience-laden Texas and its dominant pitching staff.
Maybe that description was accurate in years past, but this pitching staff wasn't used to being complimented. And to the seven pitchers that saw significant action this season, it showed just how far they had come.
On February 2, the Longhorns' lone returning starter and projected ace Sam LeCure was declared academically ineligible for the season.
Sunday the Longhorns completed a five-game run through the CWS and a two-game masterpiece over high-powered Florida. Texas' pitching staff silenced the bats of every opponent in Omaha and gave up only seven earned runs in five consecutive wins for the national championship.
"This is a dream come true. That sounds kind of corny, but it's the truth," said Texas All-American closer J. Brent Cox, who pitched in all five CWS victories and provided stability for an inexperienced pitching staff all season. "We were looking pretty weak at times, like when we'd lose two straight in conference. But this means so much because we overcame that adversity."
The pitching staff that showed up in Omaha produced staggering results, including one of the lowest earned run averages (1.40) in CWS history. The starting pitcher in all five victories pitched into the sixth inning and allowed two runs or fewer. But the performances weren't always so polished this season.
With the news of LeCure's academic status, Texas coach Augie Garrido and pitching coach Tom Holliday were forced to adjust their pitching plans two days before the Longhorns' season opener against San Diego State. The coaches kept their pitchers taking baby steps for the first part of the season, limiting them to five innings and taking them out when they were ahead to instill confidence.
While the starters were finding their places, Texas' bullpen chewed up the end of games. Senior right-hander Clayton Stewart racked up nine victories as a middle reliever and bridged the gap to Cox, who routinely entered for two, and sometimes three, innings - unusual for a closer in today's specialized bullpen.
All the while, Texas' young starters were developing their repertoire. Adrian Alaniz learned to depend on his curve ball, his third-best pitch, in tight situations. And as he gradually went deeper into games, the redshirt-freshman flourished. A week after pitching seven innings for the first time at Nebraska, Alaniz threw a complete-game, no-hitter against Oklahoma on April 16.
Alaniz won two games in Omaha, shutting down Baylor in the series opener and throwing seven scoreless innings while allowing just three hits against Florida in Game 1 of the title series.
"Having that Baylor game under my belt gave me a lot of confidence [for Florida]," Alaniz said. "I wasn't even nervous. With the big crowd, that's kind of awkward. But I was so zoned in with [the catcher] that it was like tunnel vision."
Despite a series of injuries near the end of the season, the Longhorns knew there was light at the end of the tunnel. Kyle McCulloch recovered from a back injury and a loss to Arkansas at home in the Austin Regional to pitch twice in the super regional at Mississippi and twice more in Omaha.
McCulloch stifled the two best offenses in the CWS, shutting down top-seeded Tulane last Monday and later Florida in the deciding game.
"We did a very good job all week of getting ahead of hitters and then putting them away," McCulloch said. "After winning in a tough environment in Mississippi, we knew we could come in here, relax and pitch our own game. It worked out well."
Though it seems hard to believe, 6-foot-10-inch freshman Kenn Kasparek came out of nowhere this season, Weimar to be exact, and gave the Longhorns a fourth starter. With third starter Randy Boone giving up his starting spot in the postseason because the team needed another long reliever, Kasparek threw six strong innings against Baylor on Wednesday, and Texas advanced to the championship series with two days off to reset its rotation for Florida.
As for the Gators, they were left picking up the pieces of their shattered offense. With their Southeastern Conference philosophy of waiting for a big home run, the Gators are still waiting.
"I thought we were a better offensive team than we showed," Florida leadoff hitter Jeff Corsaletti said. "I'm disgusted at it, personally.
"We got away from our approach that we used all season. We were overly aggressive."
Under the bright lights of Rosenblatt Stadium, Florida's hitters blinked. For Texas' pitchers, it was a welcome sight.
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