Has anyone out there been wondering what happened to once All Star third baseman, Morgan Ensberg? Well, he's working for ESPN now of course! Morgan, Robin Ventura, Jim Bowden and THE Pam Ward, will be on ESPN's coverage of the NCAA Super Regionals this weekend, and here is your schedule! (If you see games at the same time, it's because ESPN will be doing a "whip around" during those contests)....

Friday, June 5th

Arkansas vs. Florida State, Game 1 (ESPN, Noon)- Mike Gleason and Mike Rooney
Virginia vs. Mississippi, Game 1 (ESPN2, 2pm)- Dan McLaughlin and Jim Bowden
Rice vs. LSU, Game 1 (ESPN, 7pm)- Clay Matvick and Kyle Peterson
Louisville vs. Cal State Fullerton, Game 1 (ESPN2, 10:30pm)- Justin Kutcher and Robin Ventura

Saturday, June 6th

East Carolina vs. North Carolina, Game 1 (ESPNU, Noon)- Pam Ward and Keith Moreland
Florida State vs. Arkansas, Game 2 (ESPN2, Noon)- Mike Gleason and Mike Rooney
Mississippi vs. Virginia, Game (ESPN2, Noon)- Dan McLaughlin and Jim Bowden
Southern Mississippi vs. Florida, Game 1 (ESPNU, 3pm)- Bob Wischusen and Brian Jordan
LSU vs. Rice, Game 2 (ESPN, 5pm)- Clay Matvick and Kyle Peterso
Cal State Fullerton vs. Louisville, Game 2 (ESPN, 5pm)- Justin Kutcher and Robin Ventura
TCU vs. Texas, Game 1 (ESPNU, 6pm)- Dave Ryan and Eric Young
Clemson vs. Arizona State, Game 1 (ESPNU, 9pm)- Eric Collins vs. Morgan Ensberg

Sunday, June 7th

North Carolina vs. East Carolina, Game 2 (ESPN, Noon)- Pam Ward and Keith Moreland
Arkansas vs. Florida State, Game 3 (ESPNU, Noon)- Mike Gleason and Mike Rooney
Texas vs. TCU, Game 2 (ESPN, 3pm)- Dave Ryan and Eric Young
Virginia vs. Mississippi, Game 3 (ESPNU, 3pm)- Dan McLaughlin and Jim Bowden
Florida vs. Southern Mississippi, Game 2 (ESPN2, 7pm)- Bob Wischusen and Brian Jordan
Rice vs. LSU, Game 3 (ESPNU, 7pm)- Clay Matvick and Kyle Peterson
Arizona State vs. Clemson, Game 2 (ESPN2, 10pm)- Eric Collins vs. Morgan Ensberg
Louisville vs. Cal State Fullerton, Game 3 (ESPNU, 10pm)- Justin Kutcher and Robin Ventura

Monday, June 8th

East Carolina vs. North Carolina, Game 3 (ESPN, 1pm)- Pam Ward and Keith Moreland
Southern Mississippi vs. Florida, Game 3 (ESPN, 1pm)- Bob Wischusen and Brian Jordan
TCU vs. Texas, Game 3 (ESPN2, 7pm)- Dave Ryan and Eric Young
Clemson vs. Arizona State, Game 3 (ESPN2, 7pm)- Eric Collins and Morgan Ensberg

Crazy things have happened during rain delays in the past (i.e.- Rick Dempsey), but this video might just put them all to shame. During a delay in the UConn-USF game, during the Big East Tourney, both teams decided to take to the field and potentially "serve" the other squad. It's a danceoff!

Now that is entertainment! Enjoy the holiday, and I'll see you more than likely on Tuesday.

Baseball Rain Delay Turns Into Massive Dance-Off (SbB)

We could know who won the College World Series as soon as tonight. The second game of the three-game series starts at 6pm central time, and Oregon State already has a one-game lead over the North Carolina Tarheels. If OSU can back that up with another win today, they will boast back-to-back championships. If they lose, there will be a Monday night game for all the marbles. We'll do some small-town readin' after the jump, as we visit Omaha, Corvallis, and Chapel Hill.

I absolutely love these kinds of stories. What are the OSU players doing to keep loose in between games? Fishing in the ce-ment pond.

And so boys who grew up casting in the Willamette Valley and off the Snake River banks in Oregon pace around litter-infested water with their dime-store poles and bait: sausage, bacon and potatoes from hotel breakfast.

and then there's this Stuart Smalley positive thinking quote from coach Pat Casey:

"Think about how you felt about yourself a month ago and how you feel about yourself now," Casey told his players before Wednesday's win. "You're doing things maybe even above and beyond what you should be doing, but it's all because mentally you like yourself."

What about the Tar Heels? Their ace, Robert Woodard, pitched Wednesday, and UNC coach Mike Fox isn't pitching him without adequate rest, even if it might cost him the trophy.

"Our coaching staff is not easily swayed," Woodard said. "They're going to do not only what is best for this program but also what's best for me as a pitcher. They know the last game I pitch is not going to be in the College World Series. They're not going to do anything that will jeopardize my future in professional baseball."

And it's been a black-and-blue week for everyone who made the trip to Omaha. They're calling this "The Year of the Hit Batsman" down at Rosenblatt Stadium:

Through 13 games at Rosenblatt Stadium, pitchers have plunked 47 batters. The old record of 36, set in 16 games in 2003, was eclipsed in the 10th game of this tournament. UC Irvine alone was hit by a team-record 12 pitches in four games, including a single-game record six Tuesday in a 13-inning win over Cal State Fullerton.

Now we'll go into the upper-left hand corner of your USA map and look at the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Remember how we read that UNC's ace was sitting this one out? Not so much for OSU, who send Mike Stutes to the mound for what they hope will be the deciding game.

“It’s every pitcher’s dream to win the national title with the ball in your hand,” Stutes said. “It would be a great way to go out. It would be unbelievable to get back-to-back national titles for the school. It would be great to end it like this.”

And Albany (OR) Democrat-Herald writer Cliff Kirkpatrick also reminds us that this is a pretty big deal, since the Beavers almost whiffed on making the postseason at all.

Lonnie Lechelt had a breakout game, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

“We’ve always had the capability of all the guys getting it done, and it’s falling into place more,” Lechelt said. “We are relaxed. Coach is letting us play more. Guys are coming together at the right time.”

Is there panic in Chapel Hill? Not yet. They've made a habit of rallying when they need to. Eddy Landreth oozes confidence in his column for the Chapel Hill News:

So, when Rice whipped UNC 14-4 in the second game of the CWS, the Tar Heels wanted in the worst way to get play the Owls again. Two victories against the Owls later, we see the guys from Chapel Hill meant just what they said.

And that means they get a second chance at Oregon State, the team that snatched the title from Carolina just when it seemed the Tar Heels were about to seize it last year.

Everyone is itching to see if UNC can do to the Beavers what it did to the Owls.

There's at least one guy on the Tar Heel team who might be nervous, however. Catcher Benji Johnson is looking to get hitched to a female airman from nearby Offut Air Force Base, whom he met at last year's CWS:

Johnson had originally planned to wait to pop the question until June 18, the one-year anniversary of the meeting, but said, "I just couldn't wait." He made the proposal on bended knee on the day before the Series started after handing her another baseball that said, "It all started here, June 18th, 2006." Needless to say, Ammerman said "yes."

No word yet as to whether a wedding on the pitching mound at Rosenblatt is in the cards, a la "Bull Durham."

I mean, damn. We're all manly and stuff here at Awful Announcing, but I just gotta say "Awwwwww!" to that one. Good luck, you crazy kids.

Check back next week to see a true test of my abilities, as we begin the long march to the beginning of football season. Will I crack if I have to write next week's column about the MLS? Wait and see!

--Extra P.

(Usually) Everyday (usually around noon) I'll throw out a photo from the AP or one of the bigger sites and you provide the caption. Hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful (or two) of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Yesterday's Top Three.....











"Hmmm...it worked with the chef deal and this team definitely needs a REAL coach...I think we could make this work!"- Patrick Murphy (Bonus points for using the actually cartoon characters movie)

"I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout..."- Signal To Noise

....and your winner!!!!!

"And next summer, Pixar presents Cavs!, the story of a lovable anthropomorphic basketball-playing llama, a cast of no-name character actors for comic relief, and a coach who doesn't know what the fuck an offense is. Also starring: John Ratzenberger!"- MDT

Are you funny enough to create a headline for this photo of UC Irvine players after their elimination from the College W.S.?


Daily Links:

Why Even Bother Entering? (The Feed)
Agent Bog has the best gig ever. (Bog TV)
Do Red Sox Fans need training? (Red Sox Monster)
NHL Draft Viewing Tips. (The Sports Hernia)
Wait, Females Play Football? (Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponnies)

College baseball is kind of a wonky sport. First, unlike basketball and football, the college diamond is competing for talent with a fully functioning minor league system. Second, the season starts in February, which is great if you're in balmy Texas or Florida, but lousy if you're Boston College. Third, aluminum bats. "Ping!" just doesn't have the majesty of "crack!"

Nonetheless, at this time of year, college baseball is fun no matter where you live. Conference tournaments are wrapping up this weekend, and the NCAA tournament seedings and regional hosts will be announced at 12:30 pm on ESPN this Monday. After the jump, we'll see how Omaha is gearing up for the College World Series, and how a couple of conference tournament host cities are covering the games.

The CWS is the event in Omaha. Aside from Mutual of Omaha Insurance and Omaha Steaks, that is. The Omaha World-Herald is miles ahead of the game, laying out a whole separate section for the 2007 series.

They've even started profiling a few schools that are considered virtual locks to make the Series. Schools that never crack the top 25 in Basketball or Football. Take a moment and prepare yourself for some awesome, seldom-heard college team mascots.

The University of San Diego Toreros:

USD is often overshadowed in its own city by San Diego State and its Hall of Fame coach, Tony Gwynn. Once when the Toreros played at Fresno State, fans behind the San Diego dugout clamored all nine innings for Gwynn to emerge.

Wrong team. Wrong coach.

The Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers:

"If people give us the opportunity to compete against them, we'll compete," the coach said. "And if all of our guys pull together, if all of it works out, we actually look like we've played the game once or twice. If it doesn't, we look like the Bad News Bears." - CCU coach Gary Gilmore

The Pepperdine University Waves:

"I tell my guys all the time that there's nothing else like playing in Omaha," Rodriguez said. "I loved being there, and when I think back on it, it was one of my top experiences in baseball." - Pepperdine coach Steve Rodriguez, who played second base for the team's 1992 NCAA champs

Big money is coming into play around this game. The city is considering building a new stadium, and are stiff-arming locals who were previously allowed to rent their residential property to vendors.

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The shortest trip to the CWS will probably be that of the Missouri Valley Conference winner. In fact, Creighton University is located in Omaha, and the Bluejays are facing Wichita State in the title game. I imagine they'd really like to play the rest of their games at home.

The Springfield, Missouri paper is not so much covering the tournament overall, as it is lamenting the departure of their beloved Missouri State Bears, who were beaten in the Semis.

The Bears lost 13 games by one run and six by two runs. They were the worst kind of bad — good enough to smell victory, but rarely taste it.

"We were a better team than our record showed," Mattson said.

Aren't we all, son... aren't we all. My favorite touch is that baseball coverage at the Springfield News-Leader is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops.

Probably the most uplifting bit of news is that the Conference USA tourney is being held in New Orleans. It's nice to know that some sense of normalcy and functionality has returned to the city. Maybe not as much as we could wish, but some.

The Times-Picayune (one of the all-time great newspaper names) is also lamenting the the local team's fortunes, as the University of New Orleans Privateers bowed to Middle Tennessee State's Blue Raiders in a rout. The tournament is double elimination, however, so:

The worst conference tournament loss in school history puts the Privateers (32-27) into an 11 a.m. rematch with the Blue Raiders (35-24) today, with the winner advancing to the title game against either Louisiana-Lafayette or South Alabama later in the day.

I've gone on long enough, so read up on the Big 12, ACC, and SEC, and others at the College Baseball Blog.

Now: I love small schools, and I especially love to hear about great mascots, so if you went to any of these schools, drop by College Rule Notebook and tell me what it was like!

See you in Omaha.

UPDATE: In addition, I just found out that Tarheel Mania will be live-blogging the ACC baseball tournament championship game starting at 1pm Sunday. Drop by and have a look.

--Extra P.

Two-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Larry Sudbrook has won more than 450 games in 21 seasons as St. Bonaventure University's head baseball coach. Twenty-two of those have come this year, when the team started 2-7 and suffered a 2-6 stretch in midseason before rebounding to win seven of its last nine.

St. Bonaventure's beat nationally ranked Charlotte in the first of a three game series on Friday, but the more pressing news was Sudbrook's detention at Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Thursday on charges that he tried to bring a gun through security.

The Associated Press did not note whether the handgun, which was found in one of Sudbrook's bags, was loaded. It is legally owned. Immediately following the incident, the school released a statement that said Sudbrook "forgot the gun was being stored in that bag."

Way to keep track of your weaponry, Larry. Does anyone else enjoy excuses like that as much as I do?

Bonnies' baseball coach charged after airport security finds gun (USA Today)
Larry Sudbrook Bio (CSTV)