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CUTrevor
2019-06-10 18:52:46
As hard as it might be to root for the Noles, this is one of the most remarkable stories of the year in college sports. Legendary coach Mike Martin, the Bobby Bowden of college baseball, announced last year that this would be his final season after 40 years at FSU. This was one of the worst seasons he has had in his 40 years, finishing the regular season unranked, and yet here he is making his 23rd trip to Omaha after winning the regional at No.4 UGA and the super regional at No.12 LSU. Martin has made more trips to Omaha than any other coach by far, and FSU has made more trips to Omaha than any other program without ever winning a title. Second, incidentally, is Clemson at 12 trips without a title. I covered the game last year when Mike Martin set the NCAA win record in Clemson. The Tigers won the other two games to win the series, thanks to a walk-off homer by Jordan Greene. In beating LSU 6-4 in game 1 at Baton Rouge the other day, Martin won his 40th game for a 40th consecutive season--something almost certain to never happen again. The Noles took game 2 in 12 innings, 5-4, to advance to Omaha. Martin is a very likable coach, just like Bobby Bowden, and I, for one, will be rooting for him to pull off one of the great swan song stories in the history of sports. Incidentally, unranked Michigan upset the No.1 overall seed UCLA in 3 games to advance to Omaha for the first time since the mid-80's when Jim Harbaugh was quarterback. Michigan's head coach Erik Bakich is a former assistant at Clemson under Leggett in 2002. So once again, there will be two of Leggett's former assistants in Omaha: Bakich and Corbin. I believe that makes 4 former Leggett assistants to take teams to Omaha. Sully, of course, winning a title with Florida a couple years ago, and TCU Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle as well.  |
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CUTrevor
2019-06-15 22:07:00
The Mike Martin magic continues! Lol Noles beat No.5 overall seed Arkansas 1-0 thanks to a hit batter and sac fly in the 9th. This is truly one of the most remarkable stories I have ever seen. Martin gambled by starting Parrish tonight instead of the sure thing, Van Eyk, and the gamble paid off. Parrish had allowed 18 runs in his previous 4 starts but was magnificent tonight. He also got a ton of help from his D with several spectacular plays early on, robbing the Hogs of a few runs. He seemed to get stronger as the game went on and was able to go 8 innings. So not only do the Noles have Van Eyk, who has been incredible his last several starts, for the Michigan game, but they barely used their closer Flowers. What a crazy game baseball is. FSU and Michigan were 2 of the last 4 teams to make the 64-team field, and now here they are playing in the winner's bracket in Omaha after knocking off two of the top 8 national seeds! By the way, that was the first time FSU won its first game in Omaha since 1999. It feels really weird rooting for the Noles, but it's too great of a story not to! Would be nice for the ACC to win a title too. That would be a clean sweep of football, basketball and baseball! Coincidentally, FSU and Michigan met in the Elite 8 a little over a year ago, and now they meet in baseball's version of the Elite 8. |
