UCLA Has Motivation on Its Side in Opener

The theme for UCLA’s first trip to the College World Series since 1969 was revealed Monday, as was the Bruins’ first-round opponent.

One came from the NCAA, the other from the Bruins’ likely starting pitcher.

“Vengeance,” said UCLA’s Jim Parque about a matchup Saturday against Miami at Omaha, Neb. “Last year they took us out, but they’re not going to take us out this year.”

The Bruins, seeded fourth, will play the fifth-seeded Hurricanes in a rematch of last year’s Central I Regional final won by Miami, 8-4, at Austin, Texas.

“Of the teams on that list that was the one team we wanted to play,” said Parque, who said he expects to start the game, which will be televised live by CBS at noon PDT. “This is just a dream come true.”

The eight-team, double elimination tournament begins Friday with third-seeded Stanford playing sixth-seeded Auburn.

A record four teams--Louisiana State, Alabama, Mississippi State and Auburn--represent the Southeastern Conference, and Alabama became the first team to earn the top seeding in consecutive seasons.

“I’m very happy to see the league get the recognition, although the competition is tough,” LSU Coach Skip Bertman said.

The Bruins may have had a case for being seeded ahead of the Cardinal. Although UCLA finished behind Stanford in the Pac-10’s Southern Division, they won four of six against the Cardinal and won a regional tournament, the Midwest at Oklahoma State, on the road. Stanford, meanwhile, hosted the West Regional.

“Stanford won the regular season and we put some strength in that,” said Ron Maestri, chairman of the NCAA committee that determined the pairings late Monday night. “We also looked at nonconference [Ratings Percentage Index] and Stanford’s RPI was higher than UCLA’s.”

Miami, the only independent among the eight, returns for the 16th time since 1974.

Last season, the Hurricanes lost to LSU in the championship game, 9-8, when LSU’s Warren Morris’ hit a dramatic homer in the ninth inning.

The Hurricanes won the Atlantic Regional on Sunday at Coral Gables, Fla. with a pair of one-run victories over Arizona State.

“I think now [with the pairings announced] it is finally sinking in that we made it,” said Parque. “Driving back to the airport on the bus on Sunday if felt like our season was over, but then [senior pitcher] Nick St. George screamed out, ‘We’re going to Omaha,’ and I just smiled. It was hard to believe at first.”

LSU, seeded second, was the last team to make this year’s field, winning the South I Regional at Baton Rouge, La., on Monday with a pair of victories--14-4 and 15-4--over South Alabama.

The Wildcats play seventh-seeded Rice in Friday’s second game.

Following UCLA-Miami on Saturday is Alabama vs. eighth-seeded Mississippi State, which advanced with a 4-3 victory over Washington in the Mideast Regional at Starkville, Miss.,Monday.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

At Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha Friday though June 7

FRIDAY

* No. 3 Stanford (43-18) vs. No. 6 Auburn (49-15), 12:30 p.m.

* No. 2 Louisiana State (53-13) vs. No. 7 Rice (47-14), 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

* No. 4 UCLA (45-19-1) vs. No. 5 Miami (49-16), Noon

* No. 1 Alabama (52-12) vs. No. 8 Mississippi State (46-19), 4:30 p.m.