No Surprises With Alabama, LSU in Final
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OMAHA — Today’s College World Series championship game became an all-Southeastern Conference encounter when Alabama defeated Miami for the second day in a row.
“We had joked with each other, with the LSU players this season, that we would see each other in the championship game of the College World Series,” said Matt Frick, who hit a three-run homer in the Crimson Tide’s 8-2 victory Friday. “It’s nice to see the two best teams playing for the championship.”
Defending champion Louisiana State and Alabama, seeking its first NCAA baseball title, are both 56-13. The Crimson Tide won three of five games against the Tigers in the final two weeks of the regular season, including 28-2 on May 10, the worst loss in LSU history.
And for the first time, the top two seeded teams advanced to the College World Series final.
“I think that helps when you know the team,” Alabama Coach Jim Wells said. “We certainly won’t have to spend all night going over scouting reports.”
LSU Coach Skip Bertman said before Alabama’s game Friday he was not looking forward to another game against the Crimson Tide.
“We haven’t had a lot of success with Alabama,” he said. “The one thing that they have on us is that they beat us soundly.”
Alabama, in the final for the first time since 1983, scored eight runs in the third inning against Miami (51-18), which lost in last year’s final, 9-8. The Hurricanes defeated the Crimson Tide, 6-1, on Monday before losing, 8-6, on Thursday.
“It’s hard to talk about the end of another season like this,” Miami Coach Jim Morris said. “Alabama has a great ballclub.”
Mark Peer’s homer off J.D. Arteaga (11-4) accounted for Alabama’s final two runs in the third.
Pete Fisher (10-3) yielded three hits in eight shutout innings for Alabama, striking out two and walking three. Doug Hurst pitched the ninth.
“Pete Fisher saved his best for last,” Wells said. “It’s probably the best he has pitched all year.”
Today’s starting pitchers are Patrick Coogan (14-3) for LSU and Michael Daniel (4-4) for Alabama.
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