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.