Omaha Favorites Next For Titans

Cal State Fullerton is the top-seeded team in the College World Series, a designation it earned with outstanding play during the regular season and lived up to by winning an NCAA regional and super regional.

The Titans’ reward?

An opener against Nebraska before what promises to be the most raucous and one-sided crowd in World Series history.

On Monday, the NCAA baseball committee announced the World Series schedule. Fullerton (46-16) plays the No. 8 Cornhuskers (50-14) Friday at 4 p.m. PDT after No. 4 Stanford (48-16) plays No. 5 Tulane (55-11).

In the other bracket, third-seeded USC (44-17) begins its 21st series appearance Saturday at 10:30 a.m. against No. 6 Georgia (47-20), which won a rain-delayed super regional against Florida State on Monday at Athens, Ga. Second-seeded Miami (49-12) plays unseeded Tennessee (46-18) Saturday night.

Teams play a double-elimination tournament within their brackets with winners advancing to the national title game on June 16.

President Bush is expected to be on hand for the first day of the series, though his schedule of activities is not final, said Dennis Poppe, the NCAA’s director of baseball championships.

The USC-Georgia game and the national championship game will be televised by CBS. All other games are on ESPN or ESPN2.

Fullerton, winner of three national titles, knew from the time the seedings and brackets were announced for the 64-team playoffs on May 21 that it could meet Nebraska in its first game in Omaha. When both won super regionals at home last weekend, the prospect became reality.

Fullerton Coach George Horton said he anticipates a crowd like no other at Rosenblatt Stadium, where a standing-room-only crowd of more than 25,000 is expected to see the Cornhuskers in their first World Series appearance.

Creighton, located in Omaha, made the only other appearance by a Nebraska school, in 1991. But even the reception for the Blue Jays would pale compared to the support Nebraska is expected to receive.

“Instead of playing in front of a neutral crowd in a normal College World Series game, you have the added stress and challenge of playing in front of all but about 300 Nebraska fans,” said Horton, who guided Fullerton to its 11th trip to the World Series, its second in three years. “It will be interesting to see how we handle it.”

USC Coach Mike Gillespie, whose team is making its second consecutive World Series appearance and third in four years, anticipates that Fullerton will be up to the task. Fullerton was seeded No. 1 in 1995--when teams were seeded after they reached the series rather than before the playoffs began--and defeated USC for the title.

“Fullerton is always ornery anyway, it’s part of their swagger,” Gillespie said. “I think they can deal with 200 people yelling for them and 25,000 screaming against them as well as anyone. But there’s no doubt, it’s going to be nuts.”

Horton said he is still in the process of gathering information about Nebraska, which defeated Rice in a super regional.

“I know they have two good pitchers and I understand they are very good offensively and get by on defense,” Horton said. “I don’t think there’s any question that with their talent and crowd, we are going to have our hands full.”

Georgia is making its third World Series, its first since winning the title in 1990. The Bulldogs have flourished under second-year Coach Ron Polk, who built Mississippi State into a national power.

“I know they can hit because Florida State can pitch,” Gillespie said. “And with Polk’s background, you know they will be ready to play.”

Stanford, the NCAA champion in 1987 and 1988, is making its 13th appearance--its third in a row and fourth in five years. The Cardinal lost to Louisiana State in last year’s final. Stanford finished second to USC in the Pacific 10 Conference and advanced by defeating South Carolina in a super regional at home.

Three-time champion Miami advanced to its 19th World Series by defeating Clemson in a super regional at Coral Gables, Fla. After a one-year absence, the Hurricanes are back for the sixth time in seven years.

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College World

Series Glance

DOUBLE ELIMINATION

FRIDAY

* Game 1--Stanford (48-16) vs. Tulane (55-11), Noon

* Game 2--Cal State Fullerton (46-16) vs. Nebraska (50-14), 4 p.m.

SATURDAY

* Game 3--USC (44-17) vs. Georgia (47-20), 10:30 a.m.

* Game 4--Miami (49-12) vs. Tennessee (46-18), 4:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

* Game 5--Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Noon

* Game 6--Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 4 p.m.

MONDAY

* Game 7--Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, Noon

* Game 8--Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 4 p.m.

JUNE 12

* Game 9--Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 winner, Noon

* Game 10--Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 winner, 4 p.m.

JUNE 13

* Game 11--Game 5 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 4 p.m.

JUNE 14

* Game 12--Game 7 winner vs. Game 10 winner, Noon

JUNE 15

* Game 13--Pairings TBA, 11 a.m.*

* Game 14--Pairings TBA, 3 p.m.*

JUNE 16 -- CHAMPIONSHIP

* Game 15--Pairings TBA, 10 a.m.

*-if necessary