Pretty much the best case scenario has unfolded for Georgia so far. We went 3-0 through the early bracket, and were able to set up the pitching perfectly through each step of the process. In the finals, we're facing the lowest seeded team in Omaha with a pitching staff that is absolutely chewed to pieces after Saturday and Sunday's games.
I asked Warren Nolan (RPI Guru) to compare the Cinderella Story of Fresno State to a basketball tournament seeded situation. As you all know, the basketball tournament seeds teams 1-16 in four brackets whereas the baseball tournament seeds them 1-4 in 16 regions/brackets. Warren's response:
Fresno State had an RPI of 91 during the selection process. They won the WAC (#12 ranked conference)* regular season title and conference tournament. I would say they would have been the last 13-seed, but I could make a case for them being the 3rd 13-seed or the 1st or 14-seed.In basketball terms, Fresno's run is much more improbable than what George Mason or Villanova did in their legendary runs. It would be like College of Charleston or Oral Roberts making the NCAA Finals against a #2 seeded team.
We're sending our ace tonight against the Fresno State Bulldogs. The game starts at 7:00 pm on ESPN2.
See Also:
- -- Year of the Dawgs - ESPN
-- Relievers Send UGA to Finals - USAToday
-- Final Push - AJC
-- Bulldog Destiny? - ABH
-- Scouting Fresno State - DawgSports
-- Cinderella Story - SI
-- Rest of the Headlines - DawgBone
PWD
*His site shows the WAC as the #13 ranked conference. However, that's reflective of the most recent games.
