OMAHA, Neb. -- LSU and Texas are the last two survivors standing as the 2009 College World Series gets ready for its best-of-three championship series.
Here's a look back at the Tigers' and Longhorns' run to what should be an epic championship showdown that begins Monday at Rosenblatt Stadium:
LSU dominates
The LSU Tigers were the No. 1 team in the rankings at the start of the 64-team tournament earlier this month, and have certainly proved themselves worthy of being in the conversation when it comes to the nation's best college baseball teams.
They started this year's College World Series with a 9-5 win over Virginia. The only time they have trailed during this year's tournament came in their opener, and that was erased with Sean Ochinko belted a three-run homer in the fifth inning. That round-tripper gave LSU a 6-4 lead and they haven't trailed since.
D.J. LeMahieu and Micah Gibbs both went 3-for-5 in the Tigers' opener, Ryan Schimpf added a pair of hits and Anthony Ranaudo pitched well in a starting role, scattering five hits and three walks while striking out four in three-plus innings of work.
The first of two all-SEC battles came next, and the Tigers handled Arkansas 9-1 to earn an extended break in the double-elimination tournament. The Tigers rode the arm of Louis Coleman, who struck out seven and gave up six hits in six innings to get the win.
LSU hit three home runs in this battle, with Blake Dean blasting a two-run shot in the sixth that helped break the game open. LeMahieu and Jared Mitchel both went 3-for-5 in the win.
The Tigers and Razorbacks met again in the first bracket final Friday, and any hopes of Arkansas getting payback for the earlier loss were erased early. LSU pounded out 16 hits and hit four home runs on their way to a bracket-clinching 14-5 win.
While Ranaudo didn't get the win in LSU's opener, he pitched six strong innings to get the "W" and send the Tigers to their sixth championship game in school history. he got plenty of help from Schimpf, who was 3-for-5 with a homer, and Dean, who went 2-for-4 with a round-tripper of his own.
Never-say-die Longhorns
Fans got their money's worth and then some when it came to the top-seeded Texas Longhorns, as they came from behind in all three games to reach the championship round for the 12th time in school history.
In their first game, Texas and Southern Miss went back-and-forth before the Longhorns took advantage of some inopportune pitching breakdowns to post a 7-6 win.
Southern Miss had rallied with three runs in the eighth, then countered a Texas rally with another run in the ninth to tie the game. Southern Miss' pitchers couldn't find the plate down the stretch, though...seven of the last nine Texas batters got on base via a free pass (seven walks, two hit batters), and when Brandon Loy looked at ball four, it allowed Travis Tucker to come home with the winning run.
In their next game, the Longhorns spotted Arizona State six runs, then came roaring back with 10 unanswered runs to post a 10-6 win and earn a trip to the bracket finals.
Arizona State led 6-0 after three innings, but Cameron Rupp's bat caught fire and he belted two home runs to help the Longhorns come back. His first homer ignited a six-run fourth inning that tied the game, and he hit a two-run homer later in the game to help the Longhorns get the win. Loy and Brandon Belt each added two hits and two RBIs to the winning effort.
The two teams would meet again three nights later in the other bracket final, and while the first matchup turned into an offensive fireworks display, this game saw two great pitching efforts and a nail-biting finish, won by the Longhorns 4-3.
Texas got a great pitching performance from Cole Green against Arizona State ace Mike Leake. Both starters threw six solid innings and each gave up two runs, and that 2-2 would stand until the dramatic ninth inning.
Arizona State appeared to have the momentum, as a triple helped score a run in the top of the ninth to give the Sun Devils a 3-2 lead. Texas had one last shot, however, and they made it happen when Rupp hit a solo homer to tie the game and Connor Rowe followed with a two-out solo shot to win the game.
These two teams do have a history at the College World Series, splitting two previous meetings. The Longhorns beat the Tigers 12-7 in the 1989 tournament on their way to a national runner-up finish, while LSU handed Texas a 13-5 defeat on its way to the 2000 national championship.
Their series kicks off Monday at 6 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium, with the second game scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. If a third game is needed to decide the national title, it will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m.
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