Trojans Pick Up Where They Left Off in Omaha

Most of USC’s baseball players routinely dismiss talk of winning streaks and auras of invincibility.

But the Trojans keep playing like a team that refuses to be defeated.

USC did it again Saturday, holding off Florida State for a 6-4 victory in its opening game of the College World Series before 19,516 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

USC extended its nation-leading winning streak to 16 games with solid pitching from Rik Currier and Ronald Flores, home runs from catcher Beau Craig and second baseman Anthony Lunetta and dazzling defensive plays by Lunetta and shortstop Seth Davidson.

“Hopefully we can get it to 19 games and we can get out of here with a national championship,” said Flores, who pitched 1 1/3 innings for the save and benefited from a spectacular game-ending double play by Davidson.

In a winners’ bracket game on Monday, USC (44-18) will play Louisiana State, a 13-5 winner over Texas.

USC has won six consecutive games in Omaha, dating to a 1998 victory over Florida that followed a series-opening loss to LSU and started the Trojans on their way to their record 12th national title. USC also lost its opener in the 1995 World Series and advanced to the final before losing to Cal State Fullerton.

“Hopefully, we can go the short route [to the title] this time,” said Currier (15-3), who gave up four runs, six hits and struck out four in 7 2/3 innings. “It’s good to be in the winners’ bracket.”

USC chased Florida State starter Blair Varnes (11-3) after 3 1/3 innings and had 16 hits against five Seminole pitchers. The Trojans have banged out 10 or more hits in 14 of their last 16 games, including all six postseason victories.

“They did everything they needed to do to win,” Florida State Coach Mike Martin said.

USC could have made it easier on itself. Trojan batters stranded 14 runners, going three for 16 with runners in scoring position.

“We had the opportunity to break the game open and either we didn’t execute or they made great pitches,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie said. “I was disappointed in some [of the results] of our at-bats, much like they [the Seminoles] were in their last at-bat.”

Davidson helped end Florida State’s hopes with two stellar defensive plays in the final three innings, both on balls hit by Seminole catcher Blair McCaleb.

With two out and the bases empty in the seventh, McCaleb hit a ground ball up the middle. Lunetta, who missed two days of practice because of strep throat, gloved it while running toward center field and flipped the ball to Davidson, who pirouetted before firing the ball to first for the out.

“Coach Gillespie talks about that play all the time,” Davidson said. “He’s been waiting for the day it would happen.”

With one out and runners at first and second in the bottom of the ninth, McCaleb lined a shot toward left-center field that looked like a possible game-tying double.

Davidson leaped, stretched and felt the ball slam into his glove. He cradled the ball while landing, then ended the game by flipping it to Lunetta at second as Florida State’s Brett Groves tried to scramble back to the bag.

“It scorched my glove,” Davidson said. “The [ball] was trying to come out and I had to make sure I caught it before I threw to second. It almost put a hole in my glove.”

Florida State first baseman Ryan Barthelemy hit solo home runs against Currier in the third and sixth innings and drove in the Seminoles’ final run with a single against Flores with two out in the eighth.

Currier walked in a run in the second inning and Barthelemy’s homer in the third put the Seminoles ahead, 2-0. But USC answered in the top half of the fourth with Lunetta’s 12th homer and run-scoring singles by Abel Montanez and Davidson.

USC added two runs in the fourth on Craig’s 17th homer and an RBI-single by Alberto Concepcion. Both players finished with three hits.

After Florida State made it 5-4 on Barthelemy’s eighth-inning single, Concepcion started the USC ninth with a double. Josh Self was inserted as a pinch-runner and Brian Barre advanced him to third with a sacrifice bunt.

Davidson gave the Trojans their final margin with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Self.

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College World Series

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

* USC 6, Florida State 4

* Louisiana State 13, Texas 5

TODAY’S GAMES

* Stanford vs Clemson, noon

* San Jose State vs. Louisiana Lafayette, 4 p.m.

All times Pacific