FanHouse College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Mainieri household went 45 years without a national title. Bouday (a Cajun term for sorrow) -- that was plenty long enough.

Paul Mainieri's LSU Tigers powered past Texas 11-4 Wednesday night to win the College World Series. When the final out was made -- fittingly on a swinging strike out that ignited a mad sprint and player pile in front of the mound -- Mainieri's emotions almost immediately began to overwhelm him in the Tigers dugout.

It was a hugfest.

OMAHA, Neb. -- It's finally settled. LSU truly deserves to be No. 1.

The Tigers, ranked No. 1 in the country as voted by the national polls, squandered an early lead but recovered impressively to beat No. 1 tournament seed Texas 11-4 and win the College World Series Wednesday night. LSU used a five-run sixth inning to snap a 4-4 tie and roll to its sixth national title -- and first since 2000 -- in Game 3 of the best-of-three national championship series.

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OMAHA, Neb. -- Although on borrowed time, Rosenblatt Stadium hasn't lost its appeal.

The College World Series is expected to a set a new attendance total as the tournament rolls to a close with Wednesday's finale between No. 1 seed Texas and top-ranked LSU. Approximately 316,090 fans -- the second-highest total behind last year's mark of 330,099 -- have watched 14 games (22,503 average) since the eight-team, double-elimination tourney started June 13.

Drum roll or taps, please. Rosenblatt, of course, will host its final CWS next year. The colorful stadium, home to the CWS since 1950 and named after former Omaha mayor Johnny Rosenblatt in 1964, will be razed and turned into a parking lot for Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, which is located across the street.

Out with the old, in with the new.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Paul Mainieri is an engaging son of a gun. He's also the son of a coach, and he often relies on life experiences to help him make a critical decision.

That was the case in the College World Series Tuesday, when Mainieri, LSU's head coach, decided to hold ace Anthony Ranaudo on three days' rest against Texas in Game 2 of the best-of-three national championship series. The Longhorns prevailed 5-1, thanks in large part to a stellar pitching performance from freshman All-American Taylor Jungmann. Jungmann was Da Man, limiting the Tigers to five hits in his first compete game after throwing six pitches, all balls, in a forgettable relief performance a night earlier.

Still, a gracious yet steadfast Mainieri remembered -- and now he hopes he learned from Dear Ol' Dad.

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OMAHA, Neb. -- No. 1 national seed Texas didn't let this one slip away.

The Longhorns beat LSU 5-1 Tuesday night in the College World Series to force a decisive third game Wednesday for the national title. Texas mixed in the long ball again at Rosenbatt Stadium but it also made the most of its early scoring chances to rebound from Monday's disappointing extra-inning defeat.

Not to be overshadowed, however, was the outstanding effort from Longhorns freshman right-hander Taylor Jungmann. Jungmann (11-3), who made a brief, ineffective relief appearance Monday, turned in a dominating performance to snap the Tigers' 14-game winning streak and set up a winner-take-all finale.

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OMAHA, Neb. -- Yes, that's Les Miles.

Miles, LSU's football coach, will be cheering for the Tigers against Texas in the College Word Series Tuesday night at Rosenblatt Stadium. Miles and LSU men's basketball coach Trent Johnson arrived from Baton Rouge, La., late Tuesday afternoon. LSU will try to win its sixth national title -- and first since 2000 -- in Game 2 of the best-of-three championship series.

Miles will be watching two of his football players on the baseball diamond in Jared Mitchell (pictured right) and Chad Jones. Nearly 18 months after helping the Tigers beat Ohio State for the 2007 BCS national championship -- LSU's second title in five years -- Mitchell and Jones have a chance to do something special: win a national championship in two different sports.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Sorry, but Augie Garrido's message to his Texas Longhorns late Monday night was private. Between head coach and team. The neighborly Garrido, who can spin a life-lesson while filling out a lineup card, wanted to make sure his players knew the score.

Sure, Texas already knew that score. The Longhorns, who had made a habit of winning on walk-off theatrics in the College World Series, had to swallow a dose of their own medicine, Bayou-flavor. The LSU Tigers scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 6-all and then won it two innings later, 7-6. Both hits came with two outs, and, just to slip another burr under Texas' saddle, LSU survived five Longhorns home runs to boot.

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OMAHA, Neb. - Touch 'em all. Rosenblatt Stadium has gone retro, reverting back to Rosenblast Stadium from earlier this decade.

No. 1 national seed Texas and LSU combined to smack seven home runs in the opening game of the best-of-three championship series in the College World Series Monday night. But, in the end, it was a clutch two-out single in the top of the 11th from freshman Mikie Mahtook that lifted LSU past Texas 7-6.

The surging Tigers, who have won 14 consecutive games, can clinch their sixth national title and first since 2000 with a victory Tuesday.

"It's hard to describe the emotions I feel about this game, but I am going to try," LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. "This was the most courageous, never-say-die resolve that I've ever seen from one of my teams in 27 years of coaching."

OMAHA, Neb. -- Inspirational stories abound at the College World Series.

Take LSU senior outfielder Nicholas Pontiff, for example. He wants to badly win a national title, just like older brother Wally Pontiff, Jr., did with the Tigers in 2000. Wally Pontiff was a three-year letterman (2000-02) who ranks in LSU's career top-10 in hits, doubles and average. He also was selected twice to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was drafted in the 21st round by the Oakland Athletics in 2002.

While the siblings are different as players -- Wally was an All-SEC third baseman and Nicholas is an outfielder -- Nicholas wants to be compared to Wally as a person. "He was my idol," Nicholas said.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Texas or LSU? Who do you like in the College World Series?

The two powers tangle Monday night at Rosenblatt Stadium in the opening game of the best-of-three national championship finals. The showdown features two of the game's best coaches in Texas' Auggie Garrido, a master motivator with five national titles, and LSU's Paul Mainieri, who has turned the Tigers back into a national power in just three seasons. Texas has relied on dramatics this postseason, while LSU has made it look easy.

The weather is postcard-perfect -- it's expected to be a toasty 95 degrees for first pitch -- and a sellout crowd in excess of 25,000 is expected. In fact, the Old Market, a strip of restaurants and bars located a few miles from the stadium, has been flooded in deep purple and burnt orange.