Rosenblatt Stadium

Ben McDonald, making his final pre-draft start for Louisiana State, was the recipient of most of the media attention before Saturday night's first-round game against Miami (Fla.) in the College World Series. However, Miami pitcher Joe Grahe stole the spotlight with an impressive complete-game performance as the Hurricanes defeated LSU, 5-2, at Rosenblatt Stadium. Grahe, a senior right-hander, allowed only five hits and struck out eight to improve to 15-4. "After I went through the first inning and saw I could get hitters out in the World Series, I was all right," Grahe said.

It was a hidden ball trick that worked a little too well. Not even the player who took the last ball in play from the final College World Series at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium knows exactly where it is now. When UCLA right fielder Brett Krill scooped up South Carolina's walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning in his final college game last June, he thought of what the ball might mean to the Bruins, not the Gamecocks. "I thought I was going to use it as motivation, put it up in our locker room to get us back to Omaha and win it," Krill said in a telephone interview earlier this week.

It wasn't exactly a case of deja vu, but Rod Stillwell did experience some strange feelings of having been there before during the College World Series. Stillwell, the starting shortstop at Arkansas the past two seasons, was literally following in his father's footsteps when he trotted onto the field at Rosenblatt Stadium. Ron Stillwell played shortstop for USC in 1960 when the Trojans were runners-up to Minnesota and in 1961 when USC won the national championship by defeating Oklahoma State.

It wasn't exactly a case of deja vu, but Rod Stillwell did experience some strange feelings of having been there before during the College World Series. Stillwell, the starting shortstop at Arkansas the past two seasons, was literally following in his father's footsteps when he trotted onto the field at Rosenblatt Stadium. Ron Stillwell played shortstop for USC in 1960 when the Trojans were runners-up to Minnesota and in 1961 when USC won the national championship by defeating Oklahoma State.

Clyde Keller hears the baiting every time he takes the mound for Florida State. Frustrated hitters at the plate and in the dugout are never shy or tactful with their requests for something more macho than Keller's deceptive palmball. "If they're going to yell and scream about not getting enough fastballs, that's fine," said Keller, a senior right-hander from Carmichael, Calif. "But, I'm just going to go out and get them out with I've got." Keller had Wichita State in the palm of his hand Sunday night, pitching a complete-game, four-hitter as the top-seeded Seminoles defeated the Shockers, 4-2, in the second round of the College World Series before a crowd of 15,800 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Cal State Long Beach completed an otherwise memorable season Monday with a performance the 49ers would probably like to forget. Long Beach, participating in its first College World Series, absorbed its second consecutive defeat in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament, losing to Louisiana State, 8-5, before a crowd of 14,618 at Rosenblatt Stadium. Long Beach, which lost to Texas, 7-1, Saturday, concluded the season 50-15. Texas (53-17) remained unbeaten in the tournament Monday with a 12-2 victory over Miami (49-17)

College baseball, once the skinny kid on campus, is flexing its muscles and experiencing growing pains. Attendance at college baseball games has doubled since 1979 and the quality of play has never been better. But a plan to change the format of the sport's showcase event has upset a lot of people.

In what certainly must rank as one of the most dramatic endings to a College World Series game, freshman Paul Carey hit an opposite-field grand-slam in the bottom of the 10th inning Friday to give Stanford a 6-5 victory over Louisiana State. Carey's homer, before a Rosenblatt Stadium crowd estimated at 13,000, came on a 1-and-1 count with one out off freshman Ben McDonald, and kept alive Stanford's hopes of winning its first national baseball championship.

It was a hidden ball trick that worked a little too well. Not even the player who took the last ball in play from the final College World Series at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium knows exactly where it is now. When UCLA right fielder Brett Krill scooped up South Carolina's walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning in his final college game last June, he thought of what the ball might mean to the Bruins, not the Gamecocks. "I thought I was going to use it as motivation, put it up in our locker room to get us back to Omaha and win it," Krill said in a telephone interview earlier this week.

The championship College World Series game between Miami and Texas was postponed because of rain Monday, NCAA officials said. The game was rescheduled for 4:10 p.m. (PDT) today at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Cal State Long Beach completed an otherwise memorable season Monday with a performance the 49ers would probably like to forget. Long Beach, participating in its first College World Series, absorbed its second consecutive defeat in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament, losing to Louisiana State, 8-5, before a crowd of 14,618 at Rosenblatt Stadium. Long Beach, which lost to Texas, 7-1, Saturday, concluded the season 50-15. Texas (53-17) remained unbeaten in the tournament Monday with a 12-2 victory over Miami (49-17)

Clyde Keller hears the baiting every time he takes the mound for Florida State. Frustrated hitters at the plate and in the dugout are never shy or tactful with their requests for something more macho than Keller's deceptive palmball. "If they're going to yell and scream about not getting enough fastballs, that's fine," said Keller, a senior right-hander from Carmichael, Calif. "But, I'm just going to go out and get them out with I've got." Keller had Wichita State in the palm of his hand Sunday night, pitching a complete-game, four-hitter as the top-seeded Seminoles defeated the Shockers, 4-2, in the second round of the College World Series before a crowd of 15,800 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Ben McDonald, making his final pre-draft start for Louisiana State, was the recipient of most of the media attention before Saturday night's first-round game against Miami (Fla.) in the College World Series. However, Miami pitcher Joe Grahe stole the spotlight with an impressive complete-game performance as the Hurricanes defeated LSU, 5-2, at Rosenblatt Stadium. Grahe, a senior right-hander, allowed only five hits and struck out eight to improve to 15-4. "After I went through the first inning and saw I could get hitters out in the World Series, I was all right," Grahe said.

In what certainly must rank as one of the most dramatic endings to a College World Series game, freshman Paul Carey hit an opposite-field grand-slam in the bottom of the 10th inning Friday to give Stanford a 6-5 victory over Louisiana State. Carey's homer, before a Rosenblatt Stadium crowd estimated at 13,000, came on a 1-and-1 count with one out off freshman Ben McDonald, and kept alive Stanford's hopes of winning its first national baseball championship.

College baseball, once the skinny kid on campus, is flexing its muscles and experiencing growing pains. Attendance at college baseball games has doubled since 1979 and the quality of play has never been better. But a plan to change the format of the sport's showcase event has upset a lot of people.

When: Friday through June 16. Where: Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. Format: Eight teams, double elimination. FIRST-ROUND GAMES * USC (44-17) vs. winner of Florida State (46-18)-Georgia (46-19) super regional. * Miami (49-12) vs. Tennessee (46-18) * CS Fullerton (46-16) vs. Nebraska (50-14) * Stanford (48-16) vs. Tulane (55-11) Note--First-round games will be played Friday and Saturday.