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C-USA, ACC ditched in race to Omaha
From staff and wire
reports
A pair of programs from the Lone Star State victimized teams
from Conference USA and the Atlantic Coast Conference to emerge from the
final day of the NCAA baseball super regionals with berths in the College
World Series.
Texas (Big 12) knocked of top-seeded Florida State (ACC) to
earn an opportunity to defend the national championship it won last season,
while Rice (WAC) overcame cross-town rival Houston (C-USA) to advance to
Omaha for the fourth time in seven years.
Neither Conference USA nor the Atlantic Coast Conference
will be represented in the eight-team Omaha field.
The Longhorns and Owls join six other super regional
entrants which had already grabbed spots in the CWS: South Carolina (SEC),
Southwest Missouri State (Missouri Valley), Stanford (PAC-10), Miami
(Independent), Cal State Fullerton (Big West) and LSU (SEC).
Following are recaps of Monday's
games:
Texas 6, Florida State 5
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Augie Garrido became the winningest
baseball coach in Division I history, and defending national champion Texas
advanced to the College World Series with a 6-5 victory over top-seeded
Florida State on Monday night.
Garrido, who has coached four national championship teams
including three at Cal State-Fullerton and one at Texas passed former
Longhorns coach Cliff Gustafson with his 1,428th victory.
``It's about a number and a moment in time,'' said Garrido,
who downplayed his achievement. ``When you dig into it, it's about
relationships.''
Taylor Teagarden and Curtis Thigpen homered on consecutive
pitches in the third inning as the Longhorns (48-18) grabbed a 5-2 lead.
Huston Street, last year's CWS Most Outstanding Player, struck out three of
the first five hitters he faced and got Tony Richie to ground back to the
mound with two runners on for his 12th postseason save.
Richie homered and drove in three runs for the Seminoles
(54-13-1), who have never won a national title. They have also been
eliminated in three straight super regionals, including the last two at home
as the tournament's top-seeded team.
Texas will play Miami on Saturday in its first-round game at
Omaha, Neb. The Longhorns and Hurricanes join Rice, which beat Houston 5-2
earlier Monday, Southwest Missouri State, Louisiana State, Cal State
Fullerton, Stanford and South Carolina in the College World Series.
Rice 5, Houston 2
HOUSTON Wade Townsend struck out nine, and Dane
Bubela's two-run single helped Rice advance to the College World Series for
the fourth time in seven years.
The Owls (53-11) won the best-of-three series and will play
in the CWS for the second straight year. Rice, 1-6 in the CWS, was
eliminated with two straight losses last season.
Townsend (10-1) worked eight innings and allowed four hits,
including an RBI single by Travis Tully in the first inning. He walked two
and retired 11 straight during one stretch.
Bubela broke a 2-all tie in fourth with a two-out single,
and Justin Ruchti added an RBI single in the sixth.
Houston was trying to reach the CWS for the first time since
1967.
Copyright 2003
The Associated Press. Bonesville.net contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 10:44:45 AM
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