College World Series Tickets

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.

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.

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.

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.

A tough call, but new stadium is needed

Change is such a small word that has such a huge impact on how people live their lives.

Nowhere has that become more evident than when you talk to people in Omaha about the proposed downtown stadium that would replace Rosenblatt Stadium as the home for the College World Series.

Those that are in support of the new stadium talk about keeping the CWS in Omaha for a long time to come and getting a facility built that will be easier to access. Those that are opposed talk about the tradition and that the stadium, even at 60 years of age, still has a lot of life left in it.

It's a tough situation to be in, especially if you're Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey. Nobody wants to be known as the mayor who allowed college athletics' longest-running festival of fun to leave town, yet at the same time he is calling for the abandonment of a time-honored city treasure that college baseball fans know as "The Johnny" or, simply put, "Rosenblatt."

At the news conference Wednesday, stadium committee officials and Fahey spent over 90 minutes talking with the media about the proposal. There are still questions that need to be answered, and you aren't going to get everybody on board with this no matter how hard you try. But the bottom line is that, if Omaha wants to maintain its hold on the College World Series (which will be 60 years when the contract runs out in 2010), a new stadium is the best, and only, option available.

Rosenblatt Stadium has undergone countless renovations during its 60-year run. Cost estimates on properly renovating the facility would run in the $60-70 million range. In addition, the renovation would require much more than simply slapping a few coats of paint on and installing new seats -- the stadium itself would have to be completely reconstructed to create concourse space, and such construction isn't done overnight. In fact, the committee estimated that the CWS would actually have to be played somewhere else for one year, and the Omaha Royals would have to find a temporary home somewhere else for parts of two seasons.

In addition, the city would have to negotiate with homeowners along 13th Street to buy their property so a "clean zone" could be built around a "new" Rosenblatt. And I'm no expert on the neighborhood, but if you think those people are going to willingly sell their property and move, you're completely out of your mind.

Although the projected cost of the new stadium is in the $128 million neighborhood, the funding for the stadium actually makes sense. A little over a third of the funding would come from private sources. Another $20 million or so will come from stadium revenue, naming rights, parking fees, etc. And about $58 million would come from hotel and car rental taxes as well as local keno revenue. For local taxpayers, the fact that they won't see any city property tax increases should be looked at as a good thing.

The NCAA is telling the public that they have had no input on this situation (and if you know how the NCAA works, you know that this is rubbish). But you can bet that the NCAA is keeping a very close eye on what goes on in Omaha with the debate on this construction. The NCAA might -- might -- sign on for another five years if things aren't settled soon and more time is needed. They are more likely, though, to take the College World Series to someplace like the city where their current headquarters is located, Indianapolis (try saying "The Road To Indianapolis" -- it just doesn't sound right).

Ultimately, the building of a new stadium and the abandoning of a stadium that has served the city and all of college baseball well over the past six decades is not an easy one to accept, nor is it easy to put together. What it will lose in charm and tradition it will gain in a fresh look and a guarantee that it won't be moving out of Omaha for 20 years or more.

But if Omaha REALLY wants to keep the College World Series in Omaha, then a new stadium is something they must do, regardless of what the NCAA is saying about the organization not holding anyone's feet to the fire. It's a tough call and it's going to be hard for some in Omaha to accept change, but the bottom line is that a new stadium is the way to go if we want to continue seeing the nation's best college baseball players look to Omaha as their ultimate destination.

(NOTE: To see complete comprehensive details of the plans for a new downtown stadium, check out the Omaha Stadium website.)

New stadium proposal made public

The proposal for a new downtown stadium that would replace Rosenblatt Stadium as the host site for the College World Series was unveiled Wednesday afternoon in Omaha.

Mayor Mike Fahey and members of the committee that looked into the stadium issue presented their findings to the public, one day after making a similar presentation to the NCAA in Indianapolis.

The proposal presented will take up two parking lots located northwest of the Qwest Center in downtown Omaha. The $128 million facility would seat 24,000 fans with options to expand capacity to as many as 35,000 and, if all goes according to plan, would be built to be ready for the 2011 College World Series.

The group provided answers to a lot of questions surrounding the proposed new stadium, as well as providing reasons why 60-year-old Rosenblatt Stadium has, for all intents and purposes, outlived its usefulness as a host site for the NCAA's Div. I baseball championship tournament after almost 60 years.

The new state-of-the-art stadium would have an open concourse with the capability for fans to walk all the way around the stadium with a continuous view of the field. Seating would be wider with more legroom than at Rosenblatt and would be closer in proximity to the field, and there would be more premium seating for club and field level view, more and better suites and an overall better fan experience, according to the committee.

The biggest concern, among Omaha taxpayers, was how much a new stadium was going to raise property taxes. That concern was addressed by Ken Stinson, chairman of the stadium committee, as he outlined how the new stadium would be paid for.

Three sources would be used to finance the new stadium -- private contributions, stadium revenue and public funding. Stinson said that $43 million in private contributions would be used, with $12 million going to retire debt on previous Rosenblatt expansion projects; revenue from the stadium for premium seating, naming rights, seat taxes, parking revenue and other related renue would bring in $37.5 million over a 20-year period. The remaining money, about $59 million, would come from a 1 percent increase in the hotel tax rate, a $2 per rental increase in the car rental tax and the application of keno proceeds the city of Omaha will assume from Douglas County beginning in 2011.

Stinson said renovation of Rosenblatt was still under consideration until the end of the study, but the cost of an extensive renovation of the stadium not only would require as much public funding as a new stadium, but would displace the College World Series for one year and the Omaha Royals for parts of two seasons. Additionally, there would be extensive time and money involved in acquiring individual property west of the stadium for a "clean zone" that would make such a renovation cost-prohibitive.

And while the assumption of two parking lots near the Qwest Center would take out over 900 parking spots, the proposal noted that 3,000 parking spaces would be available near the stadium, along with the 1,500 still available at the Qwest Center.

Committee officials and Mayor Mike Fahey all acknowledged that there have been a lot of concerns and criticism of the proposal to vacate Rosenblatt Stadium in favor of a new downtown stadium and that they must convince the public that this is the best option to keep the College World Series in Omaha beyond 2010. A series of public forums is being planned for the first part of March to help answer questions and hear concerns from the public about the stadium.

We will have more insight and opinion regarding the stadium proposal in the days ahead.

New stadium proposal info released today

Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey will have a news conference Wednesday afternoon to publicly release plans for a new downtown stadium that would serve as the future host of the College World Series.

Fahey met with NCAA officials Tuesday in Indianapolis, and the Omaha World-Herald reported that NCAA officials were impressed with the two-hour presentation made by Fahey and several other Omaha officials, including College World Series Inc. president Jack Diesing Jr.

According to reports, discussion Tuesday focused exclusively on plans to build a stadium on two parking lots north of Qwest Center Omaha, meaning any discussion of plans to renovate Rosenblatt Stadium – the College World Series home site since 1950 – are all but dead in the water.

What is known about the new stadium plans are that it will be a 24,000-seat stadium with open concourses. The area will include fan festival areas and will provide a riverfront view for fans.

It also appears the NCAA is willing to give Omaha some extra time to finalize plans. Originally, the city had until April 30 to come up with an offer beyond the current contract, which runs out in 2010.

NCAA officials said the Omaha group needs to do two things together if they want to secure a long-term contract to keep the College World Series in Omaha. NCAA executive vice president Tom Jernstedt said the Omaha group’s focus now must center around coming up with a financing plan for a stadium that could cost upwards of $140 million and get “broad-based support” from the people of Omaha.

Both Fahey and Diesing reportedly told the NCAA that achieving both tasks is all but a sure thing, and the first step toward that goal is today’s news conference to release details of the proposed plan. Town hall meetings are also scheduled for March 6, 8 and 10, and a website will be activated offering details of the stadium proposal online.

That might be easier said than done, though. There are a lot of questions being asked and a wide range of criticism being directed at Mayor Fahey and those involved in pushing the downtown stadium proposal through, and the Metropolitan Entertainment Convention Authority (MECA) is not exactly thrilled with the idea of having two significant pieces of parking space gobbled up by a new stadium.

More information on the new stadium proposal will be made available, and we will have further updates and opinions about the new stadium proposal in the days ahead.

Omaha mayor, NCAA to meet on College World Series

Omaha's mayor will be meeting with officials from the NCAA next week to discuss the future of the College World Series.

Nothing is expected to come of Tuesday's meeting in Indianapolis, as Mayor Mike Fahey will be updating the NCAA on the city's proposal to build a new baseball stadium on two parking lots north of the Qwest Center. The presentation to the NCAA will be made before details are released to the public later in the week, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Fahey reportedly will discuss the proposal presented by the stadium oversight committee, which looked at eight different downtown sites and three proposed renovation plans for Rosenblatt Stadium, which has hosted the College World Series since 1950.

Tuesday's presentation will include details of the stadium, proposed amenities and the city's plan to finance the stadium, which current estimates put in the $140 million range. Fahey, who will be traveling with Ken Stinson of the stadium oversight committee and CWS of Omaha president Jack Diesing. will also discuss the ongoing negotiations between the City of Omaha and the Metropolitan Entertainment Convention Authority (MECA). MECA has opposed using its parking lots for the stadium, but seem to be softening their position after Fahey announced that MECA would run the stadium as it does now with the Qwest Center.

Ultimately, Omaha hopes to secure a long-term deal with the NCAA to keep the College World Series in Omaha well into the 21st century. Critics of Fahey's plan would like to see the NCAA agree to a five-year extension past the current contract's 2010 end date to allow more time to come up with a better proposal. Fahey hopes that a new downtown stadium would encourage the NCAA to agree to an extension of 20 years or more.