Eight Teams Are Bound For Omaha
The field of eight is set for the 2010 College World Series after the last two teams claimed spots with wins on Monday. Clemson beat Alabama 8-6 to advance to the program’s 12th CWS. The Tigers led 8-1 going into the bottom of the ninth inning and then held-off a late Crimson Tide rally. Alabama scored five runs with two outs and left the tying run at second base to end the game.
Oklahoma earned the last spot in the CWS after beating #5 national seed Virginia 11-0 Monday night. The Sooners are in Omaha for the first time since 1995. They won the national championship in 1994.
The other six teams that make-up the College World Series field are #1 overall seed Arizona State, #3 national seed Florida, #6 national seed UCLA, Florida State, TCU, and South Carolina.
Arizona State brings a 50-8 record into the CWS in head coach Tim Esmay’s first season. Esmay played at the CWS with ASU in 1987. He was also a Sun Devils assistant coach on five CWS teams. This is ASU’s 22nd appearance in Omaha.
Florida State has the next most CWS appearances of the teams in the field with 20, while TCU is making the program’s first College World Series trip.
The College World Series has been played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium since the event moved to Omaha in 1950, but this will be the final series played at Rosenblatt. The CWS will move to the new TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha in 2011.
The series starts on Saturday, June 19.