College World Series Coaches 2

The College World Series press conference number two featured Saturday’s four participants.

Oregon State and Cal State Fullerton open the 2017 College World Series at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park. Oregon State and Cal State Fullerton have played just five previous times, with the Titans holding a 4-1 advantage. The Beavers, however, were winners over CSF the last time the teams met, in 2007 at the College World Series. OSU came out on top, 3-2, en route to the second of two consecutive national titles. Oregon State is on a 21-game win streak and holds the nation’s two longest of the year, also winning 23 straight from February through mid-April.

LSU (48-17) and Florida State (45-21) will meet in College World Series action at 7 p.m. CT Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park.

LSU, the 2017 SEC regular-season and tournament champion, has won 16 games in a row and 21 of their past 23 contests.

“Just being around all of the other programs that are here is such an honor, and I’m glad that we were able to get to Omaha,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri, who has directed the Tigers to the CWS five times in the past 10 seasons. “Our team has been playing pretty good baseball for the last several weeks. Any time we get a team here, there’s a great deal of satisfaction. We’re looking forward to facing Florida State and coach Mike Martin, who is one of legends in the college game. They have a tremendous ball club, and we’re excited for the challenge of meeting them.”

Florida State is in the College World Series for the 23rd time, and for the 16th time under Martin’s leadership. Saturday’s game marks the first meeting between LSU and FSU since the semifinal round of the 2000 CWS, when LSU posted a 6-3 win over Seminoles and went on to defeat Stanford in the CWS championship game.

The Tigers are 2-1 all-time vs. Florida State in CWS games – along with the aforementioned 2000 matchup, LSU defeated FSU, 6-2, in the 1987 CWS, and the Seminoles posted a 6-3 win over the Tigers in the 1994 CWS. Florida State leads the overall series with LSU, 9-7, and the squads first met in 1955.

To listen to the previous interview with the Titans’ Rick Vanderhook, please click here:  http://www.collegebaseballnow.