College World Series Tickets

CWS Feature: Rice Owls

There have been a number of programs that have risen to a high level of success in the past decade, and one of the teams that has made a big move up in recent times has been the Rice Owls.

Led by longtime coach Larry Graham, the Owls have reached the College World Series four times in the past six seasons, winning it all in 2003 when the tournament format changed to its current best-of-3 championship series.

The Owls started the 2008 season as one of the teams to keep an eye on, and after a sluggish start they have managed to put themselves into position to be among the top contenders to make it back to Rosenblatt Stadium this summer.

Rice has been on a roll during the month of April after getting off to a 20-10 start. During the month of April, the Owls went 15-2 with wins over Texas and a three-game sweep of East Carolina highlighting the month's effort.

The Owls are pretty solid up and down the lineup. Infield Diego Seastrunk is the team's leading hitter, batting .375 on the season with a team-best 44 RBI's. Catcher Adam Zornes leads the Owls with nine home runs on the season (to go with his 42 RBI's), and Rick Hague has even round-trippers and 41 RBI's. Jimmy Comerota has proven to be a threat on the basepaths with 10 stolen bases so far this season.

On the mound, the Owls weekend rotation of Ryan Berry (5-3, 3.10 ERA), Chris Kelley (5-1, 3.31) and Matt Langwell (4-0, 4.45) has not been overpowering, but has been dependable and kept the Owls in games this season. Cole St. Clair is also pitching well, going 7-2 with a 3.30 ERA and a team-high three saves.

Coach Graham has done a great job building the Owls program into one of the top teams in the country, and you can bet the Owls will be among the teams to watch in the battle for the 2008 College World Series.

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Three teams break Baseball America Top 10

The top two teams in the Baseball America Top 25 remain the same, but there was a lot of movement below Miami and North Carolina as three teams fell out of the top 10.

The biggest drop of the week came from Missouri, which fell 11 spots from No. 4 to No. 15 after being swept at Texas A&M. The three-game series win by the Aggies propelled them into the top 10, as they were the big mover up this week coming up eight spots from No. 18.

California was another big slip, as they dropped nine spots from No. 7 to No. 16 after being swept by Arizona State, which moved back up into the top five. Georgia fell one spot to No. 11, making room for San Diego and Oklahoma State to enter the top 10.

The Toreros were a preseason top 10 team that struggled early, but seem to be back in the groove now. Oklahoma State has been a pleasant surprise in giving the Big 12 Conference three teams in the top 10, joining No. 6 Nebraska and the Aggies.

Two-tim defending College World Series champion Oregon State is back in the ratings, coming in at No. 23. St. John's makes its first appearance of the year in the rankings, slipping in at No. 24.

This week's Baseball America Top 25 is as follows:

1. Miami (36-5, 1), 2. North Carolina (38-8, 2), 3. Stanford (25-13, 5), 4. Arizona State (35-7, 6), 5. Florida State (35-7, 3),

6. Nebraska (32-8, 8), 7. Rice (34-11, 9), 8. San Diego (35-11, 11), 9. Oklahoma State (32-11, 13),

10. Texas A&M (37-7, 18),11. Georgia (29-14, 10), 12. Cal State Fullerton (26-15, 15), 13. UC Irvine (28-10, 16), 14. Wichita State (33-9, 14), 15. Missouri (29-14, 4),

16. California (27-13, 7), 17. South Carolina (31-14, 12), 18. Kentucky (33-11, 22), 19. North Carolina State (30-13, 24), 20. Coastal Carolina (36-9, 20),

21. Michigan (30-10, 19), 22. Vanderbilt (31-13, 17), 23. Oregon State (20-14 2-1 NR), 24. St. John's (31-10, NR), 25. Long Beach State (26-15, 25).

Save Rosenblatt group looking at alternatives

It would appear that Rosenblatt Stadium's days are numbered.

The Save Rosenblatt group that was formed last summer to try and offset support for a new downtown stadium has pretty much resigned themselves to the fact that the stadium they want to keep around will soon become a memory in the city's history.

With progress continuing on a new stadium in downtown Omaha, the facility that has hosted the College World Series for the past six decades will soon become a target for a wrecking ball. If the plan goes through, the tournament will be moved to the new stadium, located northwest of the Qwest Center, and play will begin there in 2011.

As part of the financing for the stadium, a donor has committed to giving $12 million to retire the city's debt on the stadium, which came as a result of numerous renovations to the stadium over the years. As a condition of that donation, the stadium would be torn down and the land would be given to the Henry Doorly Zoo for future expansion.

Those in the south Omaha area hope that the zoo will expand and another tourist attraction would be built on the old stadium property. The Omaha World-Herald said that City Council representative Gary Gernandt would like to see something along the lines of the Great Wolf Lodge or a similar type of facility that would cater to families who visit the zoo.

For college baseball fans, it will certainly be a change not going to Rosenblatt Stadium after the 2010 edition of the College World Series. It will also be a big change for people living near the stadium, many of whom sold parking space on their lawns during the tournament to make a little extra money.

Time fast approaching for College World Series

It will be here before you know it, as the 2008 College World Series is fast approacing and the nation's top college baseball teams gather at Rosenblatt Stadium to battle for the national championship in NCAA Div. I.

The College World Series will kick off one day later this year, with the first pitch coming Saturday, June 14. FanFest activities will be held the day before on Friday, and the tournament will continue through the best-of-three championship series, which starts Monday, June 23.

This year's schedule is as follows:

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 are available for each game, 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.

Revenue sources in negotiation between Omaha, NCAA

Money is the major hurdle that stands between Omaha and the NCAA when it comes to the future of the College World Series.

Revenue generated from the proposed $140 million stadium would be split between the city and the NCAA. The city has built stadium revenue into its proposal for the new downtown stadium, while the NCAA seeks revenue to help take care of the costs it experiences with running a championship tournament.

Who gets what is something that will continue to be negotiated. Qwest Center president Roger Dixon told the Omaha World-Herald that it's possible that the naming rights for the stadium could be handled through the NCAA with one of its corporate benefactors. Among the NCAA's corporate benefactors are such companies as AT&T, Lowe's, State Farm Insurance and Pontiac. Since the stadium is being built on Qwest Center property, it would seem unlikely that AT&T would be able to attach its name to the stadium.

Stadium naming rights are one of several potential revenue streams that the city and NCAA would share. Other possible revenue opportunities would come from skyboxes and premium seating, among other things.

Omaha is looking for a long-term commitment from the NCAA to keep the College World Series in Omaha well past the current contract, which runs through 2010. Omaha officials are hoping for at least a 20-year agreement, and they are optimistic they can get a deal completed by the end of this month.

Fahey recall effort goes down in flames

In baseball, batting .377 will get you elected to the Hall of Fame.

If you're trying to recall a mayor in Nebraska, though, it won't even get you a cup of coffee.

The group trying to recall Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey over his handling of the issue of replacing Rosenblatt Stadium went down with barely a whimper Tuesday.

The April 22 deadline for securing enough petitions to force a special election to recall the two-term mayor went by with the group coming well short of the required 21,734 signatures needed to force a special election. In the end, the group collected 8,202 signatures, barely a third of the required number.

The result was of little surprise to those who have closely followed this story, as a lot of the angst and frustration over replacing Rosenblatt Stadium died down fairly quickly after the recall effort was announced.

In Wednesday's Omaha World-Herald, recall co-chairman Greg Lyons said a number of factors hurt the group's efforts. The group had just 30 days to collect signatures and didn't get any support from the Save Rosenblatt organization.

The bottom line, though, is that the vast majority of people in Omaha see the value in replacing Rosenblatt with a new downtown stadium, one that will guarantee to keep the College World Series in Omaha well into the 21st century. The 60-year-old Rosenblatt Stadium has reached the point where further additions would not be cost-effective, and there are greater revenue-producing options available with a new downtown stadium.

Omaha officials met with the NCAA earlier this week to begin hammering out a deal, and it is expected that an agreement will be reached by the end of this month, which would allow for the City Council to consider a variety of items that would get work on construction of the new stadium going by later this summer.

Meeting goes well on new stadium

Officials representing Omaha met with the NCAA to discuss the future of the College World Series, and officials on both sides expressed a positive response to Monday's meeting in Indianapolis.

The College World Series will stay at Rosenblatt Stadium through 2010, and with a new downtown stadium in the works the city of Omaha is hoping to get the NCAA to commit a long-term deal to keep the tournament in the city that has served as the host for over six decades.

While a commitment was not expected, both sides said that they are negotiating on how to split revenues generated during the two-week tournament. Omaha officials, obviously, are relying on revenue generated through concessions, skyboxes, premium seating and naming rights to help fund part of the $140 million stadium project and they will continue negotiating with the NCAA on a deal in that area.

NCAA officials are satisfied with the city's plan for the new 24,000-seat stadium, which would be built northwest of the Qwest Center in downtown Omaha. It is hoped that an agreement can be reached by the end of this month so that the Omaha City Council can vote on items relating to the construction in the next month or so. The goal is to have the stadium ready for the 2011 season and for the NCAA to continue using Omaha as the host site for the College World for 20 years or more.

Hurricanes still on top in Baseball America Top 25

Miami stays on top of the Baseball America Top 25 rankings after winning a big in-state rivalry with Florida State.

Despite losing two of three to the Hurricanes, the Seminoles don't move from their No. 3 ranking of a week ago. North Carolina, though, does leapfrog Florida State into the No. 2 spot after a weekend sweep of Boston College. Arizona State, the former No. 2 team, dropped to No. 6 after losing two of three at home to Oregon State.

Stanford made the big move up in the top 10 this week, jumping from 10th to No. 5, right behind Missouri, which gets a two-spot promotion. Rice and Georgia move into the top 10 as Wichita State and UC Irvine fell from their spots in the top 10. The Shockers fell seven spots, while the Anteaters took the big fall of the week with an 11-spot demotion to No. 16.

Oklahoma State moved up five spots as one of the big upward movers of the week. Arizona and Long Beach State re-entered the rankings at No. 23 and No. 25, respectively, while North Carolina State makes its first trip to the rankings at the No. 24 spot.

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

1. Miami (33-4, 1), 2. North Carolina (34-7, 4), 3. Florida State (34-5, 3), 4. Missouri (28-10, 6), 5. Stanford (21-12, 10),

6. Arizona State (31-6, 2), 7. California (26-10, 8), 8. Nebraska (28-7, 9), 9. Rice (31-10, 11), 10. Georgia (27-12, 13),

11. San Diego (31-11, 12), 12. South Carolina (29-11, 14), 13. Oklahoma State (27-11, 18), 14. Wichita State (30-7, 7), 15. Cal State Fullerton (23-13, 15),

16. UC Irvine (24-9, 5), 17. Vanderbilt (28-11, 17), 18. Texas A&M (33-7, 19), 19. Michigan (28-8, 21), 20. Coastal Carolina (33-7, 22),

21. Mississippi (25-15, 16), 22. Kentucky (30-9, 25), 23. Arizona (25-11, NR), 24. North Carolina State (27-12, NR), 25. Long Beach State (23-14, NR).

Omaha starting negotiations with NCAA

A group of people representing Omaha is meeting with the NCAA today in Indianapolis.

The subject -- the future of the College World Series.

Now that Mayor Mike Fahey has received the blessing of the Metropolitan Entertainment Convention Authority (MECA), the next step is to get negotiations going for a long-term contract that would keep the College World Series in Omaha.

The NCAA is under contract to keep the College World Series in Omaha through 2010, with games being played at Rosenblatt Stadium. With almost all the hurdles cleared for a new downtown stadium near Qwest Center that would replace Rosenblatt Stadium, Fahey and Omaha officials are meeting today to get the discussion going for a long-term commitment from the NCAA to play the College World Series in the new stadium.

An agreement is unlikely to be signed today, but Omaha officials are looking for a verbal commitment from the NCAA that would lead to the signing of a contract. It is expected that an agreement will be reached long before the start of this year's College World Series on Saturday, June 14.

Once an agreement is reached between Omaha and the NCAA, the final hurdle to clear will be the approval of several construction-related packages by the Omaha City Council. At this point, it is expected those will pass, but not without objection. At least two council members are on record saying they will vote against anything relating to this project, but it appears there are enough favorable votes on the board to pass the stadium through.

NCAA needs to keep College World Series in Omaha

Two years from now, a tradition over 60 years in the making is going to end -- the College World Series will play its last game at Rosenblatt Stadium in 2010.

If the NCAA is smart, though, it won't be the last College World Series game played in Omaha.

For over six decades, college baseball fans have made it a tradition to spend two weeks in Omaha. And while Rosenblatt Stadium has been the focal point of the fans who come to town, the fact is that Omaha makes the College World Series the event that it has become.

The NCAA has a rather easy decision, then, when it comes to whether or not it wants to continue having Omaha as the host city for the College World Series. And the decision is not going to be whether or not to keep the tournament in Omaha. Instead, the decision will come down to numbers -- and the numbers 20 and 30 leap to mind.

The number that the NCAA needs to decide on is the number of years it is willing to commit to play the College World Series at the proposed new stadium in downtown Omaha. After all, the NCAA has (although nobody will publicly admit to it) told the movers and shakers in Omaha that Rosenblatt Stadium has outlived its usefulness as far as the NCAA is concerned.

They have asked for -- and the city has delivered -- a new stadium. So now the question is how long the NCAA is willing to use the new stadium for the College World Series.

We would like to see the NCAA make a serious long-term commitment to the new stadium. The city and NCAA have been running on five-year agreements for several decades at Rosenblatt Stadium, even when the NCAA demanded upgrades to the old stadium on the hill. Omaha complied with every demand the NCAA made and Rosenblatt Stadium served the city and the tournament well for over six decades.

So now it's time for the NCAA to give a little after the city of Omaha has given so much to making the College World Series what it is. The NCAA is not going to get anything near what Omaha has to offer by moving this tournament to Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Orlando or wherever else they might find potentially suitable. It's the NCAA's tournament, to be sure, but it wouldn't be what it is without Omaha.

Omaha officials need to go in with a big number. A 20-year agreement should be an absolute minimum. The NCAA should commit to at least 30 years, and it would be a tremendous compliment to the city if it would match the 60 years it played at Rosenblatt Stadium with a 60-year deal (although, we'll admit, that might be a little too much to ask).

The NCAA can do what it wants with the College World Series. Whatever they do, though, they need to make sure they keep playing the Div. I college baseball championships in the city that helped make it the event it has become -- Omaha, Nebraska.