College World Series Tickets

Title matchup to be a battle of the Bulldogs

Well, it's official -- the College World Series has gone to the dogs.

To be precise, it will be an all-Bulldogs championship final as upstart Fresno State finished off North Carolina 6-1 on Sunday to win the second bracket and claim the school's first-ever trip to the national finals at Rosenblatt Stadium.

North Carolina had rallied twice to keep their hopes of a third straight championship series alive, but they ran out of comebacks Sunday night as the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

Tommy Mendoza got Fresno State on the board in the bottom of the third when he laced a two-run single to left, scoring Erik Wetzel and Steve Susdorf. Wetzel got the rally going with a single and was followed by an opposite-field double from Susdorf to put two in scoring position.

North Carolina cut the lead in half when Kyle Shelton drew a bases-loaded walk, but that's as close as the Tar Heels would get off Clay Allison, who pitched six innings and allowed six hits and three walks while striking out six.

Fresno got the run they gave up in the top of the fourth back in the bottom of the inning when Danny Muno singled home Jordan Ribera. They got some more insurance in the fifth when Mendonza drove in his third run of the night with a double, scoring Alan Ahmady. The Bulldogs tacked on two more in the sixth for good measure to become the lowest-seeded team ever to reach the championship round.

Fresno State won't get much time to rest up, though -- Georgia awaits in Monday's first game in the best-of-three championship series, and the southern Bulldogs will come in a lot fresher than their western counterparts, having wrapped up their shot at the title on Saturday by eliminating Stanford.

It's been five years since a seeded team claimed the College World Series title. Rice was the last seeded team to win it all, taking the title in 2003. Since then, Cal State Fullerton (2004), Texas (2005) and Oregon State (2006 and 2007) came to Omaha unseeded and left with the title of national champions. It will be interesting to see if a worn-out Fresno State team can keep that streak alive against a very solid Georgia squad.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Friday, June 20
Game 10: North Carolina 7, LSU 3 (LSU eliminated)

Saturday, June 21
Game 11: Georgia 10, Stanford 8 (Stanford eliminated)
Game 12: North Carolina 4, Fresno State 3

Sunday, June 22
Game 14: Fresno State 6, North Carolina 1 (North Carolina eliminated)

Championship Series

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

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Georgia (44-23-1) vs. Fresno State (45-30)

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Georgia vs. Fresno State

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Georgia vs. Fresno State (if necessary)

You can still get great College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Georgia reaches finals, await Fresno-UNC winner

Georgia has a chance to win its first national title since 1990, while North Carolina avoided elimination with another dramatic come-from-behind win Saturday at the College World Series.

The Bulldogs jumped on Stanford early and looked to be in cruise control, but the unseeded Cardinal made the eighth-seeded Bulldogs earn their first trip to the finals in almost two decades as Stanford scored four in the ninth before seeing their season end with a 10-8 loss.

Rich Poythress had a huge four-hit day for the 44-23-1 Bulldogs, tying a CWS record with three doubles. He helped spur the Bulldogs to a big lead, and Ryan Peisel's three-run bomb in the fifth put Georgia in the driver's seat with a 9-3 advantage.

Georgia led 10-4 in the ninth and looked to have things in control with All-American relief pitcher Josh Fields on the mounds, but Stanford decided it wasn't going to go away quietly. Ben Clowe came off the bench to hit a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left for a three-run homer, helping pull Stanford to within two runs before a flyout ended the rally.

It's an amazing turnaround for the Bulldogs, who became the first team to reach the CWS finals one year after finishing with a sub-.500 record. And it looked like it was going to be an all-Bulldog final before North Carolina decided it wanted to hang around for one more day.

Fresno State was clinging to a one-run lead in the eighth, but for the second time in as many games the Tar Heels -- the two-time defending CWS runners-up -- got a late home run to turn the tables and keep their title hopes alive.

This time, the magic bat was being held by Chad Flack, who launched a 3-2 pitch about halfway toward the site where the new downtown stadium will be three years from now. The shot just missed hitting the scoreboard in left field and gave North Carolina a 4-3 win, forcing Sunday's winner-take-all game at 6 p.m.

Fresno State dodged several bullets early in the game, as North Carolina left runners in scoring position in each of the four innings. The Bulldogs' dance around the land mines stood until the eighth, when reliever Justin Miller left one out over the plate that Flack tattooed into the cool June Nebraska night.

So Georgia must wait again. After a four-day layoff before beating Stanford Saturday, they'll get another day of rest to see whether or not North Carolina or Fresno State winds up playing in the championship series, which begins Monday at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Friday, June 20
Game 10: North Carolina 7, LSU 3 (LSU eliminated)

Saturday, June 21
Game 11: Georgia 10, Stanford 8 (Stanford eliminated)
Game 12: North Carolina 4, Fresno State 3

Sunday, June 22
Game 14: North Carolina (54-13) vs. Fresno State (44-30), 6 p.m.

Championship Series

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

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Georgia (44-23-1) vs. Bracket Two winner

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Georgia (44-23-1) vs. Bracket Two winner

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Georgia (44-23-1) vs. Bracket Two winner (if necessary)

You can still get great College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Ninth-inning grand slam lifts Tar Heels past LSU

Tim Federowicz was a hero Friday night for North Carolina, coming through with a two-out grand slam home run in the top of the ninth to lift the Tar Heels to a 7-3 win over LSU at the College World Series.

The dramatic finish brought a heartbreaking close to LSU's season, while the Tar Heels move on to the bracket championship against Fresno State, who beat North Carolina 5-3 in their first meeting earlier this week.

The Tar Heels had two on and two out when LSU coach Paul Mainieri chose to have Dustin Ackley intentionally walked. Ackley had reached base four times in the game, Mainieri instructed reliever Louis Coleman to put him on base and pitch to Federowicz.

The move turned out to be the wrong one, as Federowicz turned on a 1-1 inside pitch and launched a bomb to left field, the first grand slam at the CWS since 2001, to break the 3-3 tie and send North Carolina to the amazing victory.

LSU was trailing 3-1 and tied the game in the seventh when Matt Clark hit his 28th home run of the season in the sixth inning to forge a 3-3 deadlock. It would remain that way until Federowicz's tiebreaking blast.

The game actually started Thursday evening, and North Carolina had a 2-0 lead when rain stopped the game. Rain caused two more delays Friday night before the skies cleared.

So now we are left with baseball's version of the "final four" as Georgia meets Stanford in Saturday's 1 p.m. Bracket One final, while the Tar Heels and Fresno State clash in the Bracket Two final tonight at 6 p.m.

If either Stanford or North Carolina win, an "if necessary" game will be played Sunday. If both Georgia and Fresno State win, teams will have a day off before the best-of-three championship series begins on Monday at 6 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Friday, June 20
Game 10: North Carolina 7, LSU 3 (LSU eliminated)

Saturday, June 21
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Stanford (41-23-2), 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) vs. North Carolina (53-13), 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 22
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)

You can still get great College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Mother Nature intervenes on CWS game

For the first time since 2000, Mother Nature kept things from moving forward at the College World Series.

North Carolina was leading LSU 2-0 in the top of the first when the rains came, and the NCAA determined after a three-hour delay that it would be in the best interests to move things back a day. The LSU-UNC game will be picked up where it left off when the two teams get together again Friday at 6 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Friday, June 20
Game 10: Game resumes at 6 p.m. with North Carolina leading LSU 2-0 in top of first.

Saturday, June 21
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Stanford (41-23-2), 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) vs. LSU/North Carolina winner, 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 22
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)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Miami ousted from College World Series

One more team is out at the 2008 College World Series. Here's a recap of Wednesday's action:

Stanford sends top seed home

The unseeded teams are making life difficult for their seeded brethren, as Stanford dominated top-seeded Miami and sent the Hurricanes home Wednesday with an 8-3 win, putting them in the bracket finals against Georgia on Friday.

Danny Sandbrink and Erik Davis combined to slow down the high-powered Miami offense, marking the second straight game in which the Cardinal arms beat back strong offensive teams, following up their first-round win over Florida State.

Stanford made their key run in the fifth, scoring four times. Sean Ratliff hit his 22nd homer of the year and Cord Phelps had a two-run triple to highlight the rally.

Miami, meanwhile, could not figure out Sandbrink until the middle of the game, when Davis came on in relief and shut the door on any Hurricane comeback.

Miami's departure marks the ninth straight year that the top seed has failed to win the College World Series.

Tonight, baseball's version of the final four will be completed when North Carolina takes on LSU. The survivor plays the tournament's Cinderella team, Fresno State, in the other bracket final Friday night. Stanford will battle Georgia in the first bracket final game Friday afternoon.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: LSU (49-18-1) vs. North Carolina (52-13), 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Stanford (41-23-2), 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) 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)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Fresno State upsets Tar Heels, LSU comes from behind

Fresno State continued its miracle playoff run and LSU kept their CWS title hopes alive in a ninth-inning comeback as action continued at the College World Series. Here is a recap of Tuesday's matchups:

LSU rebounds late, bounces Rice from CWS

LSU was all but dead in the bottom of the ninth, but erupted for four runs to steal a 6-5 win over Rice and send the Owls packing as the second team eliminated from the 2008 CWS.

The Tigers were trailing 5-2 and had one out when Michael Hollander singled home a run to cut the lead to 5-3. It looked like Rice was going to get out of the jam, but shortstop Rick Hauge bobbled a potential game-ending double play grounder that loaded the bases, and designated hitter Blake Dean followed with a bases-clearing double to right-center that gave the Tigers the win.

Rice looked to be in good position, leading 5-0 after the top of the seventh. Hauge singled home a pair of runs in the second to get the Owls on the board, and they continued to build their lead until LSU came back.

Fresno State in bracket finals with upset win

These Bulldogs are no underdogs, and the most unlikely of the eight teams to get this far in the College World Series are now one win away from the finals after a 5-3 win over second-seeded North Carolina Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs made good use of five pitchers to frustrate the Tar Heels' bats and got a two-run single from Alan Ahmady in the fifth to come back from a 3-2 deficit. They added an insurance run in the eighth and will now wait for Thursday's survivor between North Carolina and LSU to play for a shot at the championship.

North Carolina scored three times off starter Justin Miller, getting an RBI triple from Tim Fedroff, a run-scoring double by Kyle Seager and an RBI single by Chad Flack to take a 3-1 advantage. Steve Susdorf -- who caught the fly ball that helped Fresno State upset Arizona State to reach the CWS -- homered in the fourth to get the Bulldogs within a run.

North Carolina had several chances to get back in the game, but left runners in scoring position three times in the last five innings.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Miami (53-10) vs. Stanford (40-23-2), 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: LSU (49-18-1) vs. North Carolina (52-13), 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Winner Game 9, 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) 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)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Georgia wins second, Florida State eliminated

One team has gone home and Georgia is one win away from the finals after Monday's action at the 2008 College World Series.

Hurricanes send in-state rivals packing

Some thought the battle of Florida might come in the bracket final, not in the first elimination round.

Miami bounced back from its first-round upset at the hands of Georgia and rode the strong pitching of Eric Erickson to a 7-5 win over in-state rival Florida State in Monday's elimination game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The Seminoles jumped out to an early lead in the first when Dennis Guinn doubled home Buster Posey, who started the rally with a two-out single.

Miami countered with four runs in the fourth, two coming on a two-run homer by Jemile Weeks. Dennis Raben added a two-run single to stake the top-seeded Hurricanes to a 4-1 lead.

Miami added two more in the seventh and led 7-2 going to the ninth. Florida State rallied for three runs, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Miami effort, ending Florida State's season at 54-14.

Bulldogs come from behind to beat Stanford

Matt Cerione got Georgia a three-day vacation with his bat in his glove to help the Bulldogs edge Stanford 4-3 Monday night to move to 2-0 in bracket play.

The Bulldogs (43-23-1) trailed 3-2 in the seventh when Cerione came through with the bases loaded, stroking a two-out single to center to give Georgia the lead. He then came up with the game-ending play, starting a 6-4-3 double play to give the nation's leading closer, Joshua Field, his 17th save of the year.

Stanford (40-23-2) scored three runs in the third to take the lead and got good pitching from Jeff Inman and Austin Yount, but they couldn't hold off the Bulldogs down the stretch. The Cardinal fall into the losers bracket, where they came back to reach the finals in 2003 by winning three straight before losing to Rice in the championship series.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: Rice (47-14) vs. LSU (48-18-1), 1 p.m.
Game 8: Fresno State (43-29) vs. North Carolina (52-12), 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Miami (53-10) vs. Stanford (40-23-2), 6 p.m.

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

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) 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)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Tar Heels, Bulldogs pick up CWS wins

The first round of the College World Series is complete, and one of the higher-seeded teams actually won a first-round game. Here's a recap of Sunday's action:

Fresno State jumps on Rice

Few figured on Fresno State getting out of their regional, and almost nobody picked them to beat Arizona State in super regionals. Anybody who continues to doubt the Bulldogs, though, may be convinced after Sunday's 17-5 thumping of sixth-seeded Rice.

The Bulldogs scored seven runs in the fourth inning to take command of the game, thanks to three-run homers by Danny Muno and Alan Ahmady. Muno had five RBI's on the day for the Bulldogs. Jordan Ribera also launched a three-run bomb to help the upstart Bulldogs to the easy win.

Ryan Berry was shelled in 3 1/3 innings of work, giving up nine runs on seven hits, with five runs being earned. The loss drops the Owls into the losers bracket on Tuesday.

Tar Heels tame Tigers

North Carolina evidently didn't get the memo regarding higher seeds losing in the first round, as they handled LSU 8-4 to move into Tuesday's matchup with Fresno State.

The Tar Heels played small ball against the red-hot Tigers, putting together three straight singles to jump out to a 3-1 lead that they never relinquished. LSU got home runs from Michael Holander and Matt Clark to lead off the first two innings, but North Carolina pitcher Alex White shut the Tigers down after that in pitching seven strong innings.

Here's how the 2008 College World Series schedule looks so far:

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Florida State (54-13) vs. Miami (52-10), 1 p.m.
Game 6: Stanford (40-22-2) vs. Georgia (42-23-1), 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: Rice (47-14) vs. LSU (48-18-1), 1 p.m.
Game 8: Fresno State (43-29) vs. North Carolina (52-12), 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)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Stanford, Georgia get CWS victories

Sunny skies greeted fans and teams as the 2008 College World Series got underway Saturday, and Stanford and Georgia pulled off upsets to highlight the first day of play at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Stanford explodes late for win

Florida State had battled back from a three-run deficit to tie the game at 5-5 going into the ninth, but Stanford exploded for a record-tying 11 runs in the ninth to send the Seminoles to the losers bracket with a 16-5 victory in Saturday's series opener.

A three-run homer by Brent Milleville highlighted the late outburst for the Cardinal (40-22-2), who moved into Monday night's winners' bracket game against Georgia. The 11-run outburst was the most since Cal State Fullerton scored 11 runs in the first inning of their 1994 CWS game against LSU. The game lasted four hours and 11 minutes, the third longest nine-inning game in CWS history.

Florida State trailed 5-2 in the eighth when Jason Stidham hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 5-5. Stanford's pitching, led by a strong starting effort from lefthander Jeremy Bleich, had kept the explosive Seminoles in check until late and held Florida State well under the 11 runs a game they have averaged during the NCAA tournament.

The loss puts the Seminoles (54-13) in a familiar position this postseason. They won four in a row to take their regional after losing the opener to Bucknell, then spotted WIchita State a game before winning two in a row to take the super regional and qualify for the CWS.

Late mistakes cost Miami

Miami has been untouchable when holding the lead in the ninth inning, but Georgia (42-23-1) found a way to come from behind to take a 7-4 win with four runs in the ninth inning.

Unfortunately for the top-seeded Hurricanes, the reason for their first blown save of the season was an untimely throwing error by relief pitcher Carlos Gutierrez, who tried to throw a runner out at first and wound up throwing wild, allowing two Georgia runs to cross the plate and break a 4-4 tie.

Bryce Massanari singled to lead off the ninth for the Bulldogs, and after pinch-runner Adam Fuller advanced on a sacrifice, Robbie O'Bryan reached on a wild third strike to give Georgia runners on the corners. Lyle Allen singled home the tying run and David Thoms followed with an infielder grounder that Gutierrez fielded and threw wildly past first.

Blake Tekotte hit a two-run homer in the third to give Miami a 3-1 advantage and withstood a Georgia rally in the seventh to hang on to a 4-3 lead going to the ninth. The Hurricanes (52-10) were 46-0 when leading going to the ninth inning, but suffered their first such setback this season to drop into the losers bracket against in-state rival Florida State.

Here's how the 2008 College World Series schedule looks so far:

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Rice (47-13) vs. Fresno State (42-29), 1 p.m.
Game 4: North Carolina (51-12) vs. LSU (48-17-1), 6 p.m.

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Florida State (54-13) vs. Miami (52-10), 1 p.m.
Game 6: Stanford (40-22-2) vs. Georgia (42-23-1), 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)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Our predictions for the 2008 College World Series

Here's how we think the 2008 College World series is going to shake out:

Bracket One

First Round: Florida State over Stanford, Miami over Georgia
Second Round: Georgia over Stanford (Stanford eliminated), Miami over Florida State
Third Round: Florida State over Georgia (Georgia eliminated)
Final: Miami over Florida State (Florida State eliminated)
BRACKET CHAMPION -- Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes

Bracket Two

First Round: Rice over Fresno State, North Carolina over LSU
Second Round: LSU over Fresno State (Fresno State eliminated), North Carolina over Rice
Third Round: LSU over Rice (Rice eliminated)
Final: LSU over North Carolina, North Carolina over LSU (LSU eliminated)
BRACKET CHAMPION -- North Carolina Tar Heels

Championship Series

Game One: North Carolina over Miami
Game Two: Miami over North Carolina
Game Three: North Carolina over Miami
2008 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS -- North Carolina Tar Heels

College World Series schedule

The 2008 College World Series starts Saturday as the nation's top college baseball teams gather at Rosenblatt Stadium to battle for the national championship in NCAA Div. I.

This year's schedule is as follows:

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford (39-22-2) vs. Florida State (54-12), 1 p.m.
Game 2: Miami (52-9) vs. Georgia (41-23-1), 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Rice (47-13) vs. Fresno State (42-29), 1 p.m.
Game 4: North Carolina (51-12) vs. LSU (48-17-1), 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)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Omaha business wants naming right to new stadium

An Omaha financial company has expressed an interest in securing the naming rights to the new downtown baseball stadium that will replace Rosenblatt Stadium as the host site for the College World Series beginning in 2011.

The Omaha World-Herald reported Wednesday that TD Ameritrade has made their interest known in a letter to David Sokol, chairman of the Metrpolitan Entertainment Convention Authority (MECA). MECA is handling all aspects of the new stadium, including naming rights, as part of its management agreement with the city.

TD Ameritrade CEO Joe Moglia told the newspaper that the company is hoping to get the naming rights, and when asked if the company was willing to pay the estimated $750,000 that is being projected as the asking price for naming rights, he told the World-Herald that the figure is in the neighborhood.

The World-Herald also reported that if TD Ameritrade secures the naming rights, they would be willing to make a contribution toward the $43 million in private fundraising that would help pay for construction of the $140 million stadium.

Omaha, NCAA to sign CWS contract today

The 2008 College World Series is on the minds of most Omahans today, but Mayor Mike Fahey will be looking ahead to the future of the tournament today.

The city of Omaha and the NCAA are expected to formally sign an agreement today that will keep the College World Series in OMaha through 2035, with the tournament being played in a new stadium downtown near the Qwest Center beginning in 2011.

Additionally, the Omaha City Council is expected to ratify an agreement with the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) to build and run the new downtown stadium. The council is also expected to approve several measures regarding the new stadium, including the approval of increases in the city's car rental fees and hotel tax, which would help fund the new $140 million stadium.

LSU, Fresno State are final two in College World Series

The two remaining super regionals wrapped up Monday night, as LSU and Fresno State will join Miami (Fla.), Georgia, Stanford, Florida State, North Carolina and Rice in the 2008 College World Series.

Here's a wrap-up of Monday's super regional finales:

LSU blows out UC Irvine

LSU exploded for six runs and never let UC Irvine even think about a late rally, blowing out the Anteaters 21-7 to earn a trip to the College World Series.

LSU came back from the dead in Sunday's second game, and that momentum carried over into the start of Monday's game. Ryan Schimpf hit a pair of home runs and had five RBI's, and Blake Dean went 5-for-5 with a home run and three RBI's to highlight the Tiger explosion.

Jordan Brown got the win in relief for LSU, which played its last game in its old Alex Box Stadium to a record crowd of 8,173.

Bulldogs pull off historical upset

Fresno State made history Monday night, becoming the first No. 4 seed from a regional to advance to the College World Series.

It wasn't easy, though -- the Bulldogs saw a seven-run lead trimmed to the point where Matt Newman came to the plate as the winning run, and Fresno State got out of the bases-loaded jam to win 12-9 and earn a trip to the College World Series.

Newman hit a pair of home runs for the Sun Devils, the second giving Arizona State a 5-4 lead in the fifth. Fresno State tied the game in the sixth, then exploded for six runs in the seventh, capped by a bases-clearing double by Erik Wetzel and a two-run bomb by Steve Susdorf, to take a seemingly-insurmountable 12-5 advantage into the ninth.

The Sun Devils rallied, but it wasn't enough as they lost a regional series at home for the first time since 2001.

The 2008 College World Series gets underway Saturday, June 14 with opening-round games in the double-elimination tournament Saturday and Sunday. First-round games and start times (times are Central) are as follows:

Saturday, June 15 -- GAME 1: Stanford (39-22-2) vs. Florida State (54-12), 1 p.m.; GAME 2: Miami Fla. (52-9) vs. Georgia (41-23-1), 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 16 -- GAME 3: North Carolina (51-12) vs. LSU (48-17-1), 1 p.m.; GAME 4: Rice (47-13) vs. Fresno State (42-29), 6 p.m.

You can order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Stanford advances to College World Series

Stanford is the first team to punch their ticket to the 2008 College World Series, and three super regional series will need a third game to decide the champion. Here's a rundown of Saturday's results:

Left Bracket

Stanford sweeps Titans

A three-run rally in the sixth inning helped Stanford hold off a Cal State Fullerton comeback, giving the Cardinal an 8-5 win and a trip to the College World Series.

Stanford, which swept the Titans in an earlier series this year, got a big lift from Jason Castro, who hit a bases-clearing double in the sixth to give Stanford the lead for good. The hit came after Cal State Fullerton tied the game in the top of the inning on an RBI double by Erik Komatsu.

The loss was only the second time Cal State Fullerton lost a super regional in its history and the first time they were swept in 30 super regional appearances.

Wolfpack ties series with Georgia

A four-run seventh inning helped North Carolina State avoid elimination with a 10-6 win over Georgia Saturday.

The Wolfpack got two RBIs each from Jeremy Synan, Ryan Pond, Tommy Foschi and Russell Wilson to make a Sunday winner-take-all game neccessary.

Georgia has never lost a regional or super regional at home. North Carolina State is trying for their first CWS appearance since 1968.

Seminoles bounce back again

Last week, Florida State was shut out in its regional opener, then exploded for over 50 runs to win their regional.

They did it again Saturday, bouncing back from a first-game defeat to pound Wichita State 14-4 and require a third game in the super regional Sunday.

Matt Fairel threw eight innings of solid ball for the host Seminoles and ended Wichita State's 10-game winning streak. Dennis Guinn's two-run single sparked a five-run third inning that broke a 3-3 tie.

Miami hangs on against Arizona

Facing elimination at home, Miami hung on down the stretch and outscored Arizona 14-10 to tie their super regional series at 1-1.

Mark Sobolewski homered in the sixth to spark a four-run inning that gave Miami the lead for good. Miami trailed 4-1 going into the fourth and scored six to take the lead, but Arizona answered with three runs of their own to tie the game at 7-7 after four innings.

Right Bracket

Anteaters snap Tigers' winning streak

UC Irvine has no problem going on the road to earn a trip to the College World Series, and they proved it by beating LSU 11-5 in their super regional opener Saturday.

The win is a huge one, as it not only moves the Anteaters to within one game of a second straight CWS appearance, but it ended LSU's nation-leading 23-game win streak.

Sean Madigan and Brock Bardeen both homered for the Anteaters, who broke the game open with eight runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

UNC takes advantage of errors

North Carolina made the most of six Coastal Carolina miscues to post a 9-4 win in their regional opener on Saturday.

Kyle Seager, Kyle Shelton and Seth Williams each drove in a pair of runs to move the second-seeded Tar Heels to within a game of a third straight CWS trip. Alex White pitched well in the winning effort, striking out six and scattering eight hits over seven innings.

Owls hold off Texas A&M

Cole St. Clair pitched very well in relief and got some timely hitting to help Rice beat Texas A&M 9-7 in their first super regional matchup Saturday.

Jordan Dodson drove in four runs, two coming on a double in the fifth inning. He later came home on an error to help Rice regain the momentum after the Aggies tied the game at 5-5 with three in the top of the fifth.

Rice is one win away from their seventh CWS appearance in the last 12 seasons. They haven't lost a regional or super regional game since 2006.

Sun Devils have no problems

Arizona State took command early and got a pair of homers from Ryan Sontag to blast Fresno State 12-4 in their first super regional matchup.

The Sun Devils have been in double digits three times in four postseason games. Petey Paramore had a pair of RBIs and Jason Kipnis and Brett Wallace each had three hits for the Sun Devils.

Concerns raised over ballpark's orientation

The building of a new baseball stadium in downtown Omaha may be all but a formality, but that hasn't stopped some people from nitpicking over details of the new stadium.

At the Omaha City Council meeting Tuesday, a small handful of people attended to speak out against the stadium as the city board began considering items that will lead to the building of the stadium.

Most dubious among those criticisms was the orientation of the new park, or the line of sight from home plate to center field. The new design calls for a southeast orientation, which would provide for a view of the downtown skyline.

Critics, though, feel that the stadium should be facing to the northeast, the same way Rosenblatt Stadium now faces. One critic was quoted in the Omaha World-Herald saying "We will regret it forever if we don't face it in the right direction." Others claim that fans would be overly exposed to the sun with a southeast-facing ballpark.

Councilman Franklin Thompson pointed out that not every stadium faces to the northeast. In fact, Haymarket Park -- home of the Nebraska Cornhusker baseball team -- also faces to the southeast and provides a view of Memorial Stadium as well as the Lincoln downtown skyline. Thompson also said that engineers working on the project noted that the southeast-facing design would allow for an angle at which the sun shines on Omaha that would eliminate any sun problems.

Other concners were raised regarding the proposed increase in rental car taxes and keno revenue, but city officials quashed those concerns as well.

The World-Herald reported that city attorney Paul Kratz said that a final design has not been created, but that the public would have "zero official input" in the design process.

A sudden change of heart over hotel tax rates

As human beings, we have the opportunity to form an opinion on a subject, with the option of reassessing and even changing our belief based on new information.

This, however, is simply amazing.

Three months ago, as the concept for a new downtown stadium in Omaha was gaining ground, Mayor Mike Fahey said that part of the funding for Rosenblatt Stadium's replacement would come from a 1 percent increase in hotel taxes.

Judging from the response at that time by the Metropolitan Hospitality Association, you would have thought the end of the world would arrive if this tax increase went through. Omaha already has one of the highest hotel tax rates in the country, they said. It would drive convention business away from the city, they worried. It would make other cities more attractive to people looking to grow their business in bigger markets, they claimed.

Three months later, the Omaha World-Herald reported that the MHA had decided that the hotel tax wasn't such a bad idea after all. In fact, it was such a GOOD idea that they asked the mayor to increase it by an ADDITIONAL half-point, with the revenue from that extra increase going to the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau to fund promotion of Omaha as a destination point.

Good heavens -- somebody could sprain something doing a 180-degree turn that quickly. Are you kidding? The MHA has gone from being AGAINST a 1 percent increase in the hotel tax to being IN FAVOR of an increase that is actually HIGHER than the original suggestion?

Of course, the hotel tax is a good idea in that it would help eliminate the need to raise property taxes in a city that is already taxed out. People who were initially against the new stadium worried about the effect it would have on property taxes, but the stadium funding will come from hotel and car rental taxes, keno revenue and stadium revenue.

We just find it strange that an organization that was so adamantly opposed to a hotel tax increase, suddenly, is now not only in favor of it, but wants to see it raised higher than originally announced. We wonder what would cause such an immediate 180-degree turn in the thinking of the MHA.

New stadium may lose old tenant

One of the assumptions with building a new stadium to replace Rosenblatt Stadium has been that the Omaha Royals would play in the new stadium when the College World Series isn't in town, as they have throughout their history.

That may not be the case, though. In fact, there is concern that the Royals may leave Omaha for a new home.

Recently, the Omaha World-Herald reported that the team's management was not commenting on reports that the team has drawn the interest of suitors in the Texas cities of Sugar Land, Katy and McAllen, as well as Vancouver, British Columbia.

Team president Alan Stein told the newspaper that the only entity the team is negotiating with is the Metropolitain Entertainment Convention Authority, which will run the new downtown stadium in Omaha. They have had no formal or informal negotiations with any other city or group interested in bringing the Royals to their city.

Having the Royals as a tenant at the new stadium was part of the financial plan set forth in the new stadium agreement. How a Royals departure would affect the new stadium's plans remains to be seen, but there is always the possibility the city could lure another minor league club. They could also field a team in the American Association, which includes franchises in Lincoln, Sioux City, Sioux Falls and other area cities.

New stadium is a done deal with 25-year agreement

The people of Omaha can exhale now -- the College World Series won't be going anywhere until 2035.

It's hard to imagine what the game of baseball will be like a quarter of a century down the road. When you think about it, 25 years ago from now was 1983. Back then, we saw some tremendous talent play in Rosenblatt Stadium that would eventually wind up in the big leagues. Some of the guys on the all-tournament team that year are names you no doubt remember in big-league uniforms -- Dave Magadan (Alabama), Chris Sabo (Michigan), Barry Bonds (Arizona State), Pete Incaviglia (Oklahoma State) and Calvin Schiraldi (Texas) all made names for themselves in Major League Baseball after showcasing their talents at the College World Series in 1983.

The tournament will remain at Rosenblatt Stadium until 2010, when the current agreement between the city of Omaha and the NCAA runs out. In the summer of 2011, the tournament will move up 13th Street a few miles to a brand new stadium that will be built just a Bob Horner moon shot away from the Qwest Center in downtown Omaha.

There are so many memories college baseball fans have of Rosenblatt Stadium, memories that will no doubt be hard to replace even after "The Johnny" is torn down after the 2010 College World Series. As it always is, though, the memories of days gone by will be the foundation for new memories that will no doubt be created in a brand new 24,000-seat facility that will be built with this tournament's best interests in mind.

Omaha has been the perfect host for this tournament. With its central location and the timing of the season, there is no better place on this planet for a tournament as unique as the College World Series. The NCAA recognized this and went beyond its comfort zone of short-term agreements to keep the College World Series in a city that has treated the NCAA very, very well over the years.

The College World Series has also served as a calling card for the city in helping to bring other NCAA tournaments to town. Omaha hosted the NCAA volleyball tournament in 2006 and will do so again later this year. Earlier this year, it hosted an NCAA basketball regional for the first time in over three decades. Two years from now the NCAA Div. I wrestling championships will come to Omaha.

The last hurdle to the process will be approval by the Omaha City Council, and that is not expected to be a problem despite the fact there is at least one member on the seven-member board who has said he will vote against any and all stadium-related issues. The 25-year agreement the NCAA will sign later this spring makes this a done deal, and it will be great for baseball fans to continue coming to Omaha to see the College World Series well into the 21st century.

Team Feature: Nebraska Cornhuskers

One team that has been a big surprise during the 2008 season has been the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Huskers saw a talented team tank late last season, and there were a lot of question marks headed into the 2008 campaign. Those questions appear to have been answered, as the Huskers are playing very well and look to be a regional host and a potential top-eight seed for the NCAA tournament.

At 36-8-1, the Huskers have won 12 of their last 14 and had a 14-game winning streak early in the year after opening with a series loss at Stanford. They have posted some impressive series wins over teams like UC Riverside, Texas, Creighton and Baylor, and will get a big test this weekend when they host Big 12 Conference leader Texas A&M.

The Huskers have done it with solid pitching and timely hitting this year. On the mound, the Huskers are led by senior Johnny Dorn, who has a 5-1 record with a 2.69 ERA and a team-best 84 strikeouts. Thad Weber (8-2, 3.75) has been a pleasant surprise for coach Mike Anderson, and the Huskers found a couple of dependable starters in Aaron Pribanic and Dan Jennings, who has gone 5-0 with four saves this year.

Offensively, the Huskers have several players they can rely on, including catcher Mitch Abeita, who leads the team with a .360 average and seven home runs. Other solid performances have been turned in by people like Jake Opitz (team-leading 40 RBI's), Nick Sullivan, Bryce Nimmo and Craig Corriston.

The Huskers have played the last couple of weeks without Corriston at first base, who was sidelined for a few weeks for arthorscopic knee surgery. Anderson feels he will be back for the Big 12 tournament later this month, and will certainly be available for regional play at the end of the month.

The Huskers haven't been to the College World Series since 2005, but with their close proximity to Rosenblatt Stadium, you can bet the place will be buzzing if Nebraska can get through regionals and super regionals and make their fourth trip to the College World Series later this summer.

Proposed streetcar system would go by new stadium

With a new stadium to replace Rosenblatt Stadium all but a done deal, the big concern for College World Series fans might be centered around parking.

While parking at Rosenblatt Stadium is nothing short of a nightmare -- unless you want to pay $20 to park in somebody's back yard -- the situation at a new stadium will be helped with more available spaces and could be further improved with a streetcar system that is being touted by Mayor Mike Fahey.

Fahey has plans to build a $55 million streetcar loop that would run through the Old Market, the north downtown area and Creighton University. The proposed loop would also bring the streetcar near the front entrance of the new stadium.

It's an idea Fahey has proposed several times, and he actually received a privately-funded proposal in 2006, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Fahey tabled the idea to spend more time securing a long-term agreement to keep the College World Series in Omaha, which resulted in the proposed new stadium that has resulted in a minimum 20-year agreement for the NCAA to continue using Omaha as the host site for the College World Series.

There are a number of hoops that must be cleared before this streetcar system becomes a reality, including how a system would be funded. The streetcar loop would be built into current traffic lanes on streets along the proposed route, and vehicles could still use the lane for traffic.

NCAA agrees to 25-year deal with Omaha

The College World Series won't be leaving Omaha for a long, long time.

Tuesday afternoon, the College World Series of Omaha Inc. organization announced it had reached an agreement with the NCAA that will keep the college baseball tournament in Omaha through 2035.

Last week, a memorandum of agreement between the two sides noted that the College World Series would stay in Omaha for at least 20 years, but now it will be 25 years before Omaha has to worry about negotiating with the NCAA.

Under the agreement, the majority of revenue that comes from the two-week tournament will go to take care of the city's stadium construction debt, which is expected to be about $140 million. The remaining funds will go to stadium operation expenses and upkeep, reserve funding for stadium expenses and the NCAA.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, the stadium is projected to bring in about $16 million in 2011, the first year it is open. Of that revenue, $6.5 million would go to settle construction debt, the NCAA would get $5 million and another $3.5 million would go to operating expenses. The remaining $1 million would be split between the city and NCAA, with the NCAA receiving 80 percent.

Currently, the NCAA is under contract to hold the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium through 2010. Under the current deal, the NCAA receives about $3.3 million from Omaha, so the new deal will be an increase of over 50 percent for the collegiate governing body.

The stadium will be run by the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA), which also oversees the Qwest Center, located just southeast of the new stadium site. MECA will work with the NCAA on securing stadium naming rights, which could bring in close to $1 million annually.

New stadium to be huge lift for Omaha, CWS

College baseball fans can breathe a little easier now, knowing they aren't going to have to worry about finding different hotels, restaurants and watering holes to hang out at during the College World Series.

The "memorandum of understanding" that was signed between the NCAA and Omaha officials means that the College World Series will stay in Omaha well into the 21st century. The current agreement will have the tournament at Rosenblatt Stadium through 2010, with the tournament moving to a new downtown stadium for a 20-year run that will keep it in Omaha until 2030.

It has been an interesting 12 months since discussion of a new downtown stadium first started. With cost estimates, controversy surrounding the city's reluctance to give out any details about the stadium and all the behind-the-scenes work that goes with such a project, it's a relief to see that the NCAA has come to realize the crown jewel it has by keeping the College World Series in the same city that has served as the tournament's host for almost 60 years.

This is a unique situation for the NCAA. Normally, their national championship tournaments rotate from city to city, with cities usually getting the tournament for no more than two or three years in a row. The Final Four in both men's and women's college basketball is in a different location each year. The NCAA Div. I wrestling tournament has had its tournament in St. Louis the past two years, but normally rotates it around the country as well. Only the Div. I College World Series stays in the same location every year, and much of that is a testament to what the people of Omaha bring to the table every year and the enjoyment fans have in coming to the middle of the country every year to cheer on their favorite teams.

Certainly, moving to a new stadium is going to be met with some resistance. The people living around the stadium are going to miss out on charging $20 to allow fans to park in their front yards, and some of the traditional atmosphere will be lost in a new stadium. But the positives -- improved parking, better access to hotels and the overall downtown atmosphere near the stadium in the Old Market -- is going to bring a new, exciting vibe to what is arguably college sports' biggest event.

The new stadium will provide a much-needed lift to Omaha's revitalized downtown region and will be a nice complement to the Qwest Center, which was built just a few years ago and is already becoming a top-notch facility in its own right. This is going to be a huge lift, not just for the city of Omaha, but for the College World Series as it continues its long, storied tradition in Omaha, Nebraska.

It's official: College World Series in new stadium

The i's have been dotted and the t's are crossed -- the College World Series will stay in Omaha.

The NCAA and Omaha officials announced late Wednesday that they have put the finishing touches on a memorandum of understanding that will keep the College World Series in Omaha through 2030. The two-week national tournament will be played in a new stadium that will be built in downtown Omaha in two parking lots located just northwest of the Qwest Center.

Currently, the NCAA is holding the College World Series in Rosenblatt Stadium. A five-year agreement that runs through 2010 will mean the tournament will have been played in the same location for 61 years when the contract runs out. The first tournament in Omaha took place in 1950.

By 2011, the new $140 million downtown stadium will be ready and the College World Series will move to its new location. The NCAA agreed that it will keep the College World Series in Omaha for 20 years. There had been speculation that the agreement would be for 25 years, but Omaha officials are happy to get a 20-year agreement.

The last sticking point between Omaha and the NCAA was how the money would be split up. This ultimately went Omaha's way, as they agreed that revenue generated by the new stadium would be used in the following priority:

1. annual payments on construction debt

2. stadium and CWS operating expenses

3. payments to a capital improvement fund for future stadium repairs

4. leftover funds would go to the NCAA.

The city hopes to pay the new stadium debt off in about 20 years, using a combination of stadium receipts, private funding and increases in hotel and car rental taxes.

The two sides spent the better part of two days negotiating the final terms in Omaha earlier this week. NCAA president Myles Brand is expected to sign the agreement in a few days, and the Omaha City Council will have to approve construction contracts and agreements within the next six weeks.

NCAA in town to talk about new stadium deal

Last week, Omaha representatives traveled to Indianapolis to talk with the NCAA about plans for a new downtown stadium.

This week, it was the NCAA's turn to go on the road, and they have been in Omaha the past few days negotiating with Mayor Mike Fahey and city officials over plans to keep the College World Series in Omaha past 2010.

Rosenblatt Stadium has been the host site for over six decades, but plans are in the works to build a new stadium just northwest of the Qwest Center and tear down the 62-year-old stadium in south Omaha, most likely for future use by the nearby Henry Doorly Zoo.

The goal this week is to have a memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides. This would, in essence, be the next step toward securing a final long-term deal that would keep the College World Series in Omaha for at least 25 years.

Mayor Fahey has told the local media that they are going to try and get all the remaining issues worked out and were hoping to have an agreement signed by the deadline of Wednesday, April 30. If an agreement is not reached, Omaha can ask the NCAA for an extension. It is likely that an extension would be granted, which would prevent other cities from potentially stealing the College World Series away from Omaha.