College World Series Tickets

Will the "north" rise again at College World Series?

When you start rattling off the names of teams that have won the College World Series, a pattern quickly develops: most of them are schools located in warm-weather regions of the country.

In fact, in the 61 years the College World Series has crowned a national champion, the vast majority of winners come from the south side of the Mason-Dixon line. In fact, until Oregon State won the first of its back-to-back titles in 2006, it had been 40 years since a true cool-climate school has left Rosenblatt Stadium with the title of College World Series champions.

During the first 20 years of the College World Series, the north held its own with the south. Thanks mostly to the dominance of the Big 10, northern schools won the College World Series seven times during the first two decades of the tournament.

The last northern school to win during that time was Ohio State, which beat Oklahoma State to take the title in 1966. Prior to that, Minnesota had won three times (1956, 1960, 1964) and Michigan took two titles (1953, 1962). Throw in Holy Cross' win over Missouri in the 1952 finals -- along with runner-up finishes by Yale (1947-1948), Wake Forest (1949), Washington State (1950), Western Michigan (1955), Penn State (1957) and Ohio State (1965) -- and you can see the cool-weather teams fared well for themselves.

Since that time, though, it's pretty much been warm-weather schools that have dominated the tournament. Schools from California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Florida and even Georgia celebrated on the pitcher's mound at Rosenblatt Stadium for much of the past 40 years before the Beavers' back-to-back title run the last two years.

In fact, only Southern Illinois (1968 and 1971) and Eastern Michigan (1976) have even reached the finals. Wichita State -- the closest thing to a cold-weather team -- won the 1989 title and was runner-up in 1982, 1991 and 1993, but that's as far north as it's been for cool-weather teams to reach the finals of the College World Series.

Oregon State's back-to-back titles of 2006 and 2007 could have been looked at as a start of a trend for cool-weather schools to be more competitive with their warm-weather brethren. As we inch toward the midway point of the 2008 season, though, it looks like the warm weather schools are back to dominating the college baseball scene.

Looking at the latest Baseball America rankings, only two schools from traditionally cold-weather climates are even in the top 25 rankings (No. 19 Nebraska and No. 25 Michigan). Missouri, which could go either way depending on your perception of United States geography, is the northernmost team in the rankings at No. 2. It may wind up falling on the Tigers to keep the cool-weather influence on the College World Series.

Who winds up making the trip to Rosenblatt Stadium this June remains to be seen, but no matter who plays, you'll get great seats to all the College World Series games by ordering your tickets through Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

College World Series to start a day later in 2008

The 2008 College World Series will start a day later than usual, with the first game set for Saturday, June 14 at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium.

Teams will continue playing in two four-team double-elimination brackets, with the bracket winners advancing to the best-of-three championship series starting Monday, June 23.

Starting times for all games will be at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. There will be two games each day except for the losers' bracket finals on Wednesday and Thursday. If a second game is needed in either bracket, those games will be played on Saturday, June 21.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Teams TBA, 1 p.m.
Game 2: Teams TBA, 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Teams TBA, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Teams TBA, 6 p.m.

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 9, 1 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 21
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Single-game tickets will be available, as well as all-tournament tickets. Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

City, MECA stadium negotiations hit a snag

There is trouble in paradise again regarding the possible building of a new downtown stadium in Omaha.

The board that oversees Qwest Center and its parking lots is on board with giving up two of its lots for the construction of a $140 million stadium northwest of Omaha's new arena. The problem, though, is that they want a guarantee from Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey that the city won't demand future construction on any other parking lots MECA has leased from the city.

It's a guarantee that, according to the city's legal team, no mayor can make.

The City of Omaha owns the property that includes the Qwest Center and its adjacent parking lots. It agreed to a 99-year lease with MECA, but the power of eminent domain still rests with the city on that property.

The Nebraska Legislature has granted cities power to assume eminent domain, and for Fahey to sign away that option would violate state law, attorneys for the city said in an Omaha World-Herald story.

Fahey has assured MECA that the city has no plans, either immediate or in the future, to develop the parking lots used by MECA, and the city will not develop or redevelop on those properties leased by MECA without first getting written consent from the board.

In an agreement submitted by Fahey, he urges future mayors and city councils not to use the city's power of eminent domain in regards to Qwest Center property. MECA board members David Sokol, however, wants it written in stone that such an event does not occur.

"If the mayor doesn't waive eminent domain," he said in the World-Herald, "it's not going to happen on lots C and E."

Those two lots, of course, are the lots the city would use to build the new stadium. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether this is a true deal-breaker or just a hiccup that will get worked out between the two entities.

Whatever the case, the city has until the end of April to make their final proposal to the NCAA on the future of the College World Series, which will continue at Rosenblatt Stadium through 2010. Fahey has gone on record as saying the College World Series will be played in a new stadium in 2011, either in Omaha or another city.

Arizona State heads Baseball American rankings

Arizona State lost its first game of the season, but maintaints its position as the No. 1 team in the Baseball America Top 25 rankings.

It was a volatile week in the rankings, as every team in the top 10 found themselves in a new position. The big winner was Missouri, which jumped past North Carolina into the No. 2 spot. Miami and Long Beach State also moved ahead two positions to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Ole Miss fell seven places and moved out of the top 10, dropping to No. 15.

The big loser this week was UCLA, which fell 12 spots after being swept by Long Beach State.

This week's Baseball America rankings are as follows (record and last week's ranking in parenthesis):

1. Arizona State (22-1, 1), 2. Missouri (18-2, 4), 3. North Carolina (18-4, 3), 4. Miami, Fla. (17-2, 6), 5. Long Beach State (16-3, 7),

6. Arizona (13-5, 2), 7. UC Irvine (16-2, 9), 8. Florida State (19-2, 10), 9. Vanderbilt (14-6, 5), 10. South Carolina (15-5, 13),

11. California (15-4, 12), 12. Rice (17-6, 15), 13. Texas (16-6, 18), 14. San Diego (16-7, 19), 15. Ole Miss (15-8, 8),

16. Wichita State (14-3, 20), 17. Stanford (9-5, 17), 18. Kentucky (20-2, 16), 19. Nebraska (17-3, 22), 20. Baylor (13-7, 14),

21. Virginia (19-4, 24), 22. Coastal Carolina (18-4, 21), 23. UCLA (10-8, 11), 24. Florida (17-4, NR), 25. Michigan (9-6, 25).

LSU trying to recapture glory years

Remember the days when the words "Geaux Tigers" could be heard and seen at Rosenblatt Stadium more often than a cotton candy vendor?

It's been a while since the fans who are arguably the best in all of college baseball were able to make the trip to Rosenblatt Stadium and cheer on their beloved LSU Tigers at the College World Series. The Tigers last graced Omaha with their presence in 2004 and have struggled in the past few seasons to get back into the discussion among the top baseball teams in the country.

After Skip Bertman retired, the Tigers struggled under longtime assistant coach Smoke Laval. In 2005, the Tigers failed to win an NCAA regional for the first time in nine years. A year later, the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament altogether for the first time in 18 years. Laval resigned and Paul Mainieri took over a young team in 2007, one that failed to even reach the Southeastern Conference tournament for the first time since 1984.

So there's really no place for the Tigers to go but up at this point -- and they seem to be heading in that direction early in the 2008 campaign.

LSU started the year 11-3 and are playing for the final time in historic Alex Box Stadium, where the Tigers have led the nation in baseball fan attendance for the last 12 years. This year, the Tigers are playing the kind of baseball LSU fans grew accustomed to while Bertman led the Tigers to five College World Series titles, the last coming in 2000.

Players like outfielder Jared Mitchell, second baseman Ryan Schimpf and catcher Sean Ochinko have helped guide this young, improving team. The addition of junior college transfers Matt Clark and Matt Gaudet has also sparked the Tiger offense early in the season.

LSU had long been one of the marquee teams in the SEC. The lackluster finishes of the previous two seasons has taken some of the sharpness out of their bite, but the Tigers appear to be back on the prowl and looking to be one of several teams in the conference who could be in the hunt for a trip to Omaha later this summer.

And if they make it back, it will seem like old times -- both for LSU fans and the people of Omaha who have long enjoyed sharing the good times of the College World Series with their friends from the Bayou.

Whether you're an LSU fan, or just a fan of college baseball, make sure you secure your tickets for the 2008 College World Series now with Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

FOUND finding support for new stadium

In just a few short days, a website started by Omaha resident Stephen Brennan is finding a lot of supporters who want to see a new downtown stadium built to replace Rosenblatt Stadium as the host site of the College World Series.

Brennan started the group known as Friends of Omaha United for a New Diamond (FOUND) in an effort to show the NCAA that there is support in Omaha for a new downtown stadium.

While most of the local media coverage has centered around those who are against the idea, a growing number of people in the community are voicing their support for the stadium through Brennan's website. As of Monday morning, over 1,600 people had commented in favor of the new stadium. Here are five samples from those who commented (minor grammatical changes made for editorial purposes):

"Its simple, the city must grow, or stagnate and die. Build it. Yes it will be difficult. Yes it will cost money, maybe some of mine. But as I am teaching my sons, anything good worth doing is hard and requires sacrifice for the positive end result."

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"I support the mayor and the new stadium proposal. Getting a new stadium, keeping taxes down and potentially increasing revenue for the city/state is what we want our mayor to be doing. We all love Rosenblatt, but it’s time to take the next step in the development of our great city. "

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"Spending time at the Qwest this weekend for the NCAA, I couldn’t help but overhear countless discussions about how great it will be when the Series moves to No Do."

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"I am proud to voice my support for the new stadium in downtown. Rosenblatt has provided fond memories for many people but it is outdated and needs to be replaced. A location downtown makes sense for a city trying to revitalize its downtown and win a long-term contact with the NCAA. A lot of the pro-Rosenblatt supporters are fighting to keep their ability to charge CWS fans ridiculous prices to park on the yards . . . Let’s give Omaha a great stadium in a great downtown location!"

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"I think it’s ridiculous that anyone would be against progress such as this. If for no other reason, we must pursue this new stadium with all our hearts because Omaha cannot afford to lose the College World Series. I think that there is a faction out there that is, on general principles alone, against any change in the status quo. I’m sure that many of those opposed to a new stadium were also against the building of the Qwest Center as a replacement for Civic Auditorium. These people need to realize that change is good and beneficial for a growing city such as Omaha. Just look at the Qwest Center as an example and all the revenue and positive changes and development it has initiated in downtown and Omaha as a whole. I’m all for the new stadium!!!"

Brennan's website can be found here.

NCAA claims it is neutral on stadium issue

The Omaha World-Herald reported recently that the NCAA has told Omaha officials it does not have a preference between keeping the College World Series in Omaha or playing it in a new downtown stadium.

In a letter sent two weeks before the city reported to the NCAA on the new stadium proposal, the NCAA said it would consider a "traditional hosting term of five or fewer years following the current agreement's conclusion in 2010."

The letter, written by Dennis Poppe of the NCAA, states that the organization is taking a neutral stance on the stadium issue and that it does not have a preference for a specific proposal.

Those who support construction of a new downtown stadium maintain that the College World Series will eventually be moved without a new stadium in place. Opponents maintain that renovation of the 60-year-old Rosenblatt Stadium would be enough to keep the College World Series in the same stadium it has been since 1950.

First ballpark-related vote could come soon

Later this spring, Omaha City Council members may get their first chance to vote on a measure related to the building of a new baseball stadium in downtown Omaha.

Mayor Mike Fahey is expected to ask for the approval of contracts that would demolish an old food processing plant near the potential site of a new stadium. That demolition project would be converted to parking space that, ultimately, would replace the two lots that would be used for the new stadium.

If the council does approve the building of a new stadium, the stadium could be ready by 2011 provided the NCAA enters into a long-term agreement with the city to keep the College World Series in Omaha. It has been at Rosenblatt Stadium since 1950.

Two council members, Chuck Sigerson and Dan Welch, recently told the Omaha World-Herald that they have no problem with tearing down the old building at 10th Street and Capitol Avenue. Welch said his biggest concern is that projected revenue sources will pay for the new stadium and no property taxes would be used.

Funding for the new $140 million stadium is expected to come from keno revenue, increases in hotel and car rental taxes and a variety of stadium revenue resources.

Sun Devils leapfrog in-state rivals in latest Baseball America Top 25 rankings

After its fourth straight undefeated week, Arizona State made the leap over their in-state rivals and are Baseball America's Top 25 rankings this week.

The Sun Devils, at 17-0, moved ahead of the Wildcats, who started the season as the publication's No. 1 team before dropping to No. 2 this week.

Three teams found their way into this week's rankings, as Coastal Carolina, Nebraska and East Carolina moved into the rankings on the heels of solid weekends. The Huskers were on a 13-game winning streak after their weekend sweep of Kansas State.

This week's Baseball America Top 25 is as follows (record and last week's ranking in parenthesis):

1. Arizona State (17-0, 2), 2. Arizona (12-2, 1), 3. North Carolina (14-3, 3), 4. Missouri (13-2, 4), 5. Vanderbilt (12-4),

6. Miami Fla. (13-2, 7), 7. Long Beach State (12-3, 9), 8. Mississippi (13-5, 5), 9. UC Irvine (14-1, 13), 10. Florida State (16-1, 14),

11. UCLA (10-5, 11), 12. California (13-2, 12), 13. South Carolina (11-5, 8), 14. Baylor (13-4, 10), 15. Rice (12-6, 15),

16. Kentucky (18-0, 17), 17. Stanford (8-4, 18), 18. Texas (12-5, 19), 19. San Diego (12-7, 21), 20. Wichita State (11-3, 24),

21. Coastal Carolina (15-2, NR), 22. Nebraska (14-2, NR), 23. East Carolina (13-4, NR), 24. Virginia (14-4, 16), 25. Michigan (8-6, 25).

Online petition available to show support for new stadium

With a petition already under way to recall Omaha's mayor, there's a new petition going around town that will be of interest to baseball fans.

Supporters of the new downtown ballpark proposal have started an online petition drive in an effort to show community support for the new project.

While most of the media coverage has centered around those who are against the proposal, the online petition drive is a chance for the "silent majority" to make their voice heard, according to organizer Stephen Brennan.

Brennan told the Omaha World-Herald that those who support the proposal have been intimidated by those against the proposal to speak out publicly. His hope is to collect enough signatures to give to the stadium organizing committee, which could then show the NCAA as a support that the plan has the widespread community support it has asked for.

Those interested in signing the online petition can do so by going to the Friends of Omaha United for a New Diamond (FOUND) website at www.ourfound.com.