Technically we’re cheating a little bit, but what the heck.  The seemingly forever lead-up to the January 7 BCS National Championship game between Alabama and Texas I started thinking about schools that have been exceptional this year in both baseball and football.

Texas finished second at the College World Series in 2009, and then came-up short again with a 37-21 loss to the Tide to end the 2009 college football season.  As I said, we’re cheating a bit, because while the bulk of the action came in the 2009 calender year the CWS was in the 2008-2009 academic year.

With that disclaimer out of the way, here’s a look at how schools performed on the diamond and gridirion in ’09…

1. Texas:  Lost to LSU in the CWS Championship Series in Omaha and lost to Alabama in Pasadena in the BCS Title Game.
2. LSU:  The Tigers won college baseball’s national championship and lost to Penn State 19-17 in the New Year’s Day Capitol One Bowl.  Two Sport star Chad Jones pitched for LSU in Omaha and started all 13 football games at safety in ’09.
3. Alabama:  The football team won the BCS Championship and the baseball team played in an NCAA Regional.  Mark Ingram won the school’s first Heisman Trophy in 2009, while Kent Matthes tied for the national lead with 28 home runs.
4. Arkansas:  The Razorbacks made it to the College World Series and the football team beat East Carolina 20-17 in the Liberty Bowl.
5. North Carolina:  Baseball went to a fourth straight CWS and football fell 19-17 to Pittsburgh in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
6. Southern Mississippi:  The Golden Eagle baseball team had a Cinderella run to Omaha while the football team lost 42-32 to Middle Tennessee State in the New Orleans Bowl.
7. Florida:  Tim Tebow ended his career with a 51-24 pasting of Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl and baseball played in a Super Regional.
8. TCU:  The Horned Frog football team’s only loss was to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and the baseball team was one win away from Omaha with a Super Regional loss to eventual national runner-up Texas.
9. Ole Miss:  Baseball played in a Super Regional and football beat Oklahoma State 21-7 in the Cotton Bowl.
10. Florida State:  Bobby Bowden cruised into retirement with a 33-21 win over West Virginia in the Gator Bowl and the baseball team played in a Super Regional.
11. Clemson:  The football team beat Kentucky 21-13 in the Music City Bowl and baseball advanced to a Super Regional.  Kyle Parker threw a touchdown pass in the bowl win and scored a run in the Super Regional.
12. East Carolina:  Lost to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl and played in a Super Regional.
13. Middle Tennessee State:  Football beat Southern Mississippi in the New Orleans Bowl and baseball played in an NCAA Regional.  Bryce Brentz tied for the national lead with 28 HR.

There were other schools such as Miami (FL) that played in both a bowl game and made an NCAA Regional in an NCAA Regional, but we cut the list off with MTSU.  The Blue Raiders have played in just four bowl games in their history.   The fact that they also played in a baseball regional in the same calender year makes the feat all the more unique for the Sun Belt Conference school.