OMAHA, Neb. -- Two of the winningest programs in college baseball history will square off to determine the 2009 College World Series champion this week at Rosenblatt Stadium.
Texas and LSU have combined for 11 national championships in the 60-plus years of the College World Series, and while they have met twice in non-championship games in Omaha, this will be the first time the Longhorns and Tigers have met with for all the marbles.
Texas comes in as the No. 1 seed in the entire tournament, earning that spot after winning the Big 12 Championship and leading the 64-team pack. LSU has been ranked at or near the top of all the major college baseball polls and came into the tournament on a hot streak, fresh off winning the Southeastern Conference title and earning a No. 3 seed to the postseason tournament.
Monday's 6 p.m. opener should be a great pitching matchup. The Longhorns will run their ace up the hill in Chance Ruffin, who takes a 10-2 record and a 3.27 earned-run average into the game. He'll go up against Tigers' All-American Louis Coleman, who is 14-2 with a 2.68 ERA and hasn't pitched since the Tigers' first win over Arkansas last Tuesday.
It will be a great chance at redemption for Coleman. Last year, he surrendered a grand slam home run in the ninth inning of LSU's elimination loss to North Carolina. It was his only loss of the season last year, and he certainly will want to avoid a repeat of that disappointing result.
The starters for Tuesday's second game at 6 p.m. are not known yet, but the Tigers are expected to go with either Anthony Ranaudo. Texas may counter with freshman Taylor Jungmann, who will find himself in a tremendous situation as the pitcher who could potentially nail down another national title for the Longhorns.
If both teams win one and lose one, they'll settle it with a third and final game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium.
It promises to be one of the best College World Series championships in recent history, and you can get great seats to see the best-of-three finals right now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.
Monday, June 22
Championship Game 1 -- LSU (54-16) vs. Texas (49-14-1), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23
Championship Game 2 -- LSU vs. Texas, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24
Championship Game 3 -- LSU vs. Texas, 6 p.m. (If necessary)
