Road to Omaha - Puzzle Nearly Complete

Texas A&M? Gone, swept by Rice. Not a bad season, but should have gone farther, although Rice is pretty darned tough.

Oklahoma State? Gone, destroyed 20-2 by Louisville who is making their first trip ever to the CWS.  

So the Big 12 is gone. The last CWS that didn't have a Big 12 team? Good question. I haven't found the answer yet.

Clemson? Gone, swept by Mississippi State. It's now been 15 years in a row that a SEC team has been in the CWS.

UC Irvine? They were ahead 2-0 in the ninth, and in a season where they've gone 42-0 when leading after nine, they give up two runs to the Shockers. Controversy in the ninth, though, where a throw to first had the first baseman stretching, and as the runner came to first, the first baseman's foot lifted slightly off the bag. The Shockers coach Gene Stephenson went nuts when the runner was called out, but reviews showed it was a good call. The umps conferred, the runner was called safe, and it looked like the Anteaters were getting some home cooking from Wichita. It was turn for the UC Irvine's Dave Sorrano to go nuts, and their pitcher to go nuts as he was restrained by one of his fellow players. The Shockers get a couple runs to tie the game at 2-2 going into the bottom of the ninth.

For the first time in UC Irvine school history, the Anteaters advance to the CWS after a runner advanced to second on a wild pitch, then a base hit drove the runner home. UC Irvine has only been playing baseball seven years, and they make the road to Omaha, sweeping the Shockers. They swept the Austin regional, and they roll into Omaha red red red red hot!

Michigan? Still playing but down by one in their series. They were beaten today by last year's winner Oregon State, 1-0. I didn't watch this one, but instead opted to take a couple little kids fishing.

North Carolina? In - last year's runner-up beat South Carolina.

Arizona State? In - beating Ole Miss to advance.

UCLA - Out. Cal-State Fullerton in, after sweeping UCLA. It wasn't to be for the Bruins, but they're still happy with the direction their program is headed.

Let's go back for a minute. The Top Eight National Seeds were:

• Vanderbilt (gone, cut down by Michigan in regionals)
• Rice - going to the CWS after sweeping Texas A&M
• North Carolina - 2006 CWS runner-up - headed to CWS
• Texas (gone, by UC Irvine, who has advanced after sweeping Wichita State)
• Arizona State - in, after beating Ole Miss.
• Florida State (gone, after feasting on weak teams throughout the season and beaten )
• Arkansas (gone, beaten by Oklahoma State who was beaten by Louisville)
• San Diego (gone, sucking wind, ultimately losing to Minnesota)

Where are we?

• Rice versus Louisville
• Mississippi State versus North Carolina
• Arizona State versus UC Irvine
• Cal State Fullerton versus the winner of Oregon State/Michigan