By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer
A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. (coaches’ records at current schools through super regionals):
NOTRE DAME (49-16)
CWS Seed: 1.
Coach: Paul Mainieri (353-140-1, eighth year).
Road To Omaha: Won South Bend regional: beat Ohio State 8-6; beat South Alabama 25-1; beat Ohio State 9-6. Won Tallahassee super regional: beat Florida State 10-4; lost to Florida State 12-5; beat Florida State 3-1. 2002 record vs. CWS teams: 0-0.
Last CWS appearance: 1957.
All-time record in CWS: 2-2 (one appearance).
Short Hops: Started season 9-10, but Irish have won 40 of 46 since – including two of three at Florida State to earn College World Series berth and tie school record for wins. … First Northern-based team to make CWS since Maine in 1986. … OF Steve Stanley (.442, 114 hits, 31 stolen bases) is first two-time Big East player of year and holds school career records with 380 hits – third on NCAA career list – 115 SBs and 254 runs. Has played in every game of Notre Dame career, including 253 consecutive starts. … OF Brian Stavisky hitting .406 with 54 RBIs despite missing 18 games because of injuries. … 2B Steve Sollmann (.370) went 6-for-7 with seven RBIs and NCAA tournament-record six runs scored in 25-1 win over South Alabama in regionals. … Freshman RHP Grant Johnson (9-4, 3.29) pitched one-hitter in win over South Alabama. Set school freshman marks for strikeouts (84) and innings pitched (95 2-3), and has won last seven decisions. … Johnson joins RHPs Chris Niesel (4-0, 3.43) and John Axford (5-2, 4.02) as freshmen starters.
CLEMSON (52-15)
CWS Seed: 2.
Coach: Jack Leggett (432-170, ninth year).
Road To Omaha: Won Clemson regional: beat Georgia Southern 15-1; beat East Carolina 4-2; beat East Carolina 21-1. won Clemson super regional: lost to Arkansas 9-6; beat Arkansas 8-7; beat Arkansas 7-4.
2002 record vs. CWS teams: 5-3 (2-2 vs. Georgia Tech, 3-1 vs. South Carolina).
Last CWS appearance: 2000.
All-time record in CWS: 7-18 (nine appearances).
Short Hops: Tigers have won at least 40 games for 17 straight seasons, and have 16 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. … Ranked No. 1 in national polls for eight weeks earlier in season. … Third CWS trip for Leggett with Tigers. … SS Khalil Greene (26 HRs, 86 RBIs), 3B Jeff Baker (25, 82) and 1B Michael Johnson (23, 76) have combined for most homers (74) and RBIs (244) of any Clemson trio. … Greene, Collegiate Baseball player of year and finalist for Golden Spikes award, is second on NCAA career lists with 398 hits and 92 doubles and enters CWS on 33-game hitting streak. Was 14th-round draft pick as junior, but came back to Clemson and was drafted by San Diego with 13th overall pick. … Baker, also finalist for Golden Spikes award, is Clemson career home runs leader with 59. … Rotation anchored by RHPs Steve Reba (13-3, 4.06) and Matt Henrie (12-4, 3.04). … RHP Paul Harrelson has eight of Tigers’ ACC-record 25 saves.
GEORGIA TECH (51-14)
CWS Seed: 3.
Coach: Danny Hall (395-170, ninth year).
Road To Omaha: Won Atlanta regional: beat Coastal Carolina 6-0; beat Georgia 3-0; beat Georgia 8-7. Won Atlanta super regional: beat Florida Atlantic 14-3; beat Florida Atlantic 11-5.
2002 record vs. CWS teams: 2-3 (2-2 vs. Clemson, 0-1 vs. South Carolina).
Last CWS appearance: 1994.
All-time record in CWS: 3-1 (one appearance).
Short Hops: Went to CWS championship game with Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek and Jay Payton in 1994 and lost to Oklahoma in only other trip to Omaha. … Need one win to set school record. … Hall has used 55 different starting lineups in 65 games. … LHP Kyle Bakker (12-2, 3.34) is tallest player in ACC at 6-foot-9, and is native of Omaha. He is 16-3 with 3.18 ERA in 23 career starts. … Trio of Bakker, RHP Chris Goodman and RHP Brian Burks have allowed just three earned runs in 36 1-3 innings (0.74 ERA) in NCAA tournament. … Goodman, a transfer from North Carolina State, was expected to be backup SS but won job as starting pitcher. … OF Jeremy Slayden set school freshman record with 17 HRs, and leads team with 63 RBIs. … Freshman 2B Eric Patterson (.351, 39 RBIs), brother of Cubs rookie Corey Patterson, has team-leading 39 steals – third best in school history. … SS Victor Menocal (.357, 47 RBIs), also one of team’s closers, had school-record 30-game hitting streak during season.
RICE (52-12)
CWS Seed: 4.
Coach: Wayne Graham (478-210, 11th year).
Road To Omaha: Won Houston regional: beat Harvard 8-3; beat Texas Tech 6-0; lost to Washington 7-6; beat Washington 14-2. Won Houston super regional: beat LSU 6-0; beat LSU 3-0.
2002 record vs. CWS teams: 0-2 (0-2 vs. Texas).
Last CWS appearance: 1999.
All-time record in CWS: 1-4 (two appearances).
Short Hops: Enters CWS ranked No. 1 by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. … Went 28-2 in Western Athletic Conference, best in school history. … Hadn’t allowed run in 20 1/3 innings entering CWS. … Staff led by senior LHP Justin Crowder (10-2, 1.88), a transfer from TCU, junior RHP Steven Herce (13-2, 2.82) and RHP Philip Humber (11-1, 2.67), WAC freshman of year. … Freshman 1B Vincent Sinisi (.432, 11, 80) transferred to Rice after red-shirt season at Texas and became offensive leader en route to being name WAC player of year. … 2B Eric Arnold holds school records with 288 hits, 232 games played, and 883 at-bats. Has 64 doubles to tie Lance Berkman for school record. … SS Enrique Cruz, son of former major leaguer Jose Cruz, leads team with 16 HRs. … All nine of team’s position players were named to All-WAC first or second teams. … Graham played for Casey Stengel with 1964 New York Mets.
TEXAS (53-15)
CWS Seed: 5.
Coach: Augie Garrido (223-142-1, sixth year).
Road To Omaha: Won Austin regional: beat Central Conn. St. 7-2; beat Baylor 10-8; beat Baylor 2-0. won Austin super regional: lost to Houston 2-0; beat Houston 17-2; beat Houston 5-2.
2002 record vs. CWS teams: 5-4 (2-0 vs. Rice; 2-2 vs. Nebraska; 1-2 vs. Stanford).
Last CWS appearance: 2000.
All-time record in CWS: 64-49 (28 appearances, four national titles).
Short Hops: Longhorns, who won first Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles, have 53 wins – most since 1989 team went 54-18. … Pitching staff has top ERA in nation at 2.73, and has nine shutouts, most since 1986 team had 11. … LHP Justin Simmons, Big 12 pitcher of year, ranks among national leaders with 14-1 record and 2.52 ERA despite throwing fastball that tops out around 86 mph. … RHP Alan Bomer (10-3), who transferred from Iowa State when school dropped program after last season, is 3-0 with 2.38 in postseason. … 1B Jeff Ontiveros (.303, 18, 55) is school’s career leader with 53 homers, 123 extra-base hits, 500 total bases and 256 games played. … 2B Tim Moss has Big 12-leading 39 stolen bases. … Longhorns have solid defense, ranking second in country with .974 fielding percentage. … Freshman RHP Huston Street (10 saves) is son of former Longhorns pitcher and quarterback James Street, who led Texas to Cotton Bowl win over Notre Dame in 1970.
SOUTH CAROLINA (53-15)
CWS Seed: 6.
Coach: Ray Tanner (270-111, sixth year).
Road To Omaha: Won Columbia regional: beat Va. Commonwealth 6-3; beat North Carolina 9-6; lost to North Carolina 8-4; beat North Carolina 3-1. won Columbia super regional: beat Miami 10-7; lost to Miami 5-2; beat Miami 6-4.
2002 record vs. CWS teams: 2-3 (1-3 vs. Clemson; 1-0 vs. Georgia Tech).
Last CWS appearance: 1985.
All-time record in CWS: 9-10 (five appearances).
Short Hops: Four wins from setting school record. … Gamecocks were one win away from CWS each of last two years, and had to rally with five runs in ninth against Miami to get there this season. … 1B Yaron Peters (.398) was Southeastern Conference player of year and set school marks with 28 HRs, 92 RBIs and 196 total bases. Is 16-for-27 (.593) in NCAA tournament. … Peters, DH Trey Dyson (16), OF Garris Gonce (16) and 3B Brian Buscher (14) have combined for 74 homers. … SS Drew Meyer (.368), taken by Texas with 10th pick in draft, led SEC with 37 SBs and set school records with 113 hits and 307 at-bats. … Gamecocks have nation’s top defense with .976 fielding percentage, and didn’t make error in 32 games this season. … RHP Blake Taylor, known as “Thin Man” for his 6-foot-1, 155-pound frame, is leading country with school-record 21 saves – two away from tying NCAA record. Pitched seven-hitter in first career start in victory over North Carolina in regionals.
NEBRASKA (47-19)
CWS Seed: 7.
Coach: Dave Van Horn (214-90, fifth year).
Road To Omaha: Won Lincoln regional: beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee 7-2; beat Marist 9-1; beat SW Missouri St. 14-3. won Lincoln super regional: beat Richmond 2-0; lost to Richmond 6-2; beat Richmond 11-6.
2002 record vs. CWS teams: 2-2 (vs. Texas).
Last CWS appearance: 2001.
All-time record in CWS: 0-2 (one appearance).
Short Hops: RHP Shane Komine is 10-0 with 1.87 ERA and 108 strikeouts despite missing month with elbow tendinitis. Holds school records for wins (41), strikeouts (503), complete games (18) and innings pitched (425 2-3). … LHP Aaron Marsden moved into rotation when Komine was hurt and stayed there, going 8-1 with 2.34 ERA in team-high 96 1-3 innings. … LHP Jamie Rodrigue (7-3, 4.15) holds school and conference marks with six career shutouts. … C Jed Morris, Big 12 player of year, hitting .380 with 21 HRs, 84 RBIs and school-record 26 doubles and 48 extra-base hits. … OF Jeff Leise (.378, 12, 51) is one of country’s top leadoff hitters. … 1B Matt Hopper (.309, 9, 49) had surgery Monday to repair ligament damage in left thumb and will miss rest of season. … INF Will Bolt (.320) holds numerous school career marks, including hits (278), doubles (55) and games played (249). … Outscoring opponents 66-23 in the first inning, and have scored in the first 38 times.
STANFORD (45-16)
CWS Seed: 8.
Coach: Mark Marquess (1,091-531-5, 26th year).
Road To Omaha: Won Stanford regional: beat Cal State Fullerton 3-2 in 13 innings; beat Long Beach State 5-4; beat Long Beach State 8-4. Won Stanford super regional: beat USC 4-2; beat USC 5-3.
2002 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1 (vs. Texas).
Last CWS appearance: 2001.
All-time record in CWS: 31-22 (12 appearances, two national titles).
Short Hops: Making school-record fourth straight trip to Omaha, where they have been runner-up past two seasons. … Have won 40 or more in eight straight seasons. … Seniors 2B Chris O’Riordan, 3B Scott Dragicevich, SS Andy Topham, 1B Arik VanZandt and RHPs Dan Rich and J.D. Willcox are first Cardinal players to make four trips to CWS. … RHP Jeremy Guthrie (12-1, 2.34) is first Cardinal pitcher to win 12 or more in consecutive seasons. Pitched 13 innings in regional win over Cal State Fullerton. Guthrie, a Golden Spikes finalist, spent freshman year at BYU and went on two-year Mormon mission during which he didn’t touch baseball before transferring to Stanford. … Guthrie, LHP Tim Cunningham (10-2) and RHP John Hudgins (9-1) are 31-4 this season. … OF Sam Fuld (.372) is seven hits shy of breaking single-season school record of 108, and holds career batting mark of .365. … O’Riordan, a former walk-on, has started 172 straight games at 2B. … C Ryan Garko leads team with 14 HRs and is tied with OF Carlos Quentin for team lead with 53 RBIs.
