The Daily Advertiser from Lafayette, Louisiana • 33

ROSENBLATT STADIUM aVodd Senesj Thursday, June 19, 2CD8 The Advertisertheadvertiser.com 3D flfPf I 4 a ytiii Stanford Stanford Glenn Guilbeau gguilbeaugannett.com NCAA BASEBALL GAME 6 Monday ESPN2 Georgia Georgia (43-23-1) GAME 11 1 Friday ESPN2 GAME 13 (if necessary) 1 Saturday, June 21 ESPN2 (53-11) I GAMES Wednesday ESPN2 Stanford (41-23-2) Dramatic finishes taking their toll on LSU AD Bertman OMAHA, Neb. There was voicemail on LSU coach Paul Mainieri's cellular phone Tuesday night after his team rallied to beat Rice 6-5 in the College World Series. It was from former coach Skip Bertman, who watched the game from a suite in Rosenblatt Stadium. Hey, uh, Paul, my cardiologist wont let me come to the games anymore if they keep going like this," Bertman's message said. I thought he was serious when he said it, Mainieri said Wednesday.

I felt so bad. But he kind of chuckled after it was over." Bertman did just have a stent inserted into an artery to clear some blockage a few weeks ago after he suffered a mild heart attack at home during the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Walk-off victories Blake Dean's three-run double that beat Rice 6-5 Tuesday was LSU's fourth walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth at the CWS, and three were by 6-5 scores. The-first one was Todd Walker's RBI single to beat Long Beach State 6-5 in 1993 to reach the national championship game. The second was Warren Morris legendary, twoout, two-run homer to beat Miami 9-8 for the 1996 national title.

The third was Brad Cresses RBI single to beat Stanford 6-5 for the national title on June 17, 2000. Quote of the day I wouldnt want to face us. I wouldn't want to face us late in the game." LSU coach Paul Mainieri on the team to be avoided in the CWS field. GAME 2 Saturday Georgia Niami Florida State (54-14) 5 GAME 5 Monday ESPN Miami Stanford (40-23-2) Fresno State Fresno LSU GAME 4 Sunday North Miami i ri World CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Best Two-of-three Game 1 6 June 23 ci Game 2 6 June 24 NH TJg Game 3 6 June 25 MHu- ESPN2 ESPN Carolina i 3 I i i i- -j i 4 (IL i I GAME 14 (if necessary) Saturday. June 21 J.

Joshua Parrott jparrotttheadvertiser.com North Carolina 8 Rice (47-15) GAME 7 Tuesday ESPN2 LSU LSU North Carolina (52 Continued from Page 1 Martin move to Division El from Division I. Bertman, who had just fired Laval after virtually hiring him six years prior, was an athletic director without a baseball coach. When I came on the visit, I met with Skip Bertman, Martin said. I was impressed. Bertman's delivery was simple, and it was obvious who was calling all the pitches.

He said, We're going to get the best coach in the country, and if not, I'll come back and do Martin said. Martin, who was seriously considering playing at Alabama, was impressed again. What coach Bertman said was pretty reassuring, he said. I was either going to get to play for the best coach in me country or Skip, who was the best coach in the country:" At the time. Alabama coach Jim Wells was considered a hot name for me job along with Vanderbilt's Tim Corbin, 6 ESPN.com selects tailgating as face of UL football team ESPN.com recently named the Face of the Program in NCAA Division I football.

In UL's case, its technically no face at all. The Ragin Cajun pre-game tradition of tailgating beat out former UL football players. Jake Delhomme and Brian Mitchell as ESPN.com 's Face of the Program. The results were released on Tuesday. It's no secret that Cajun people love food, music and drinks, which makes the parking lots around Cajun Field on (UL) game days as festive as anything you might encounter on Bourbon Street or in the French Quarter," wrote ESPN.com's Chris Low.

In short, it's one big party. Fans are out in full force hours before the game whether the Cajuns are winning, losing or hovering around .500. You never know who you might run into, a political candidate one game or a bunch of fraternity brothers the next. ULs sports information director Daryl Cetnar was also quoted in the story. That's kind of the Cajun way, he said of the tailgating festivities.

Theres always a party going on win or lose." Moving on up Former Cajun catcher Jonathan Lucroy, in his second year in the minors with the Milwaukee Brewers, went 0-for-2 on Tuesday night while representing Low-A West Virginia on the Northern Division team in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Greensboro, N.C. Lucroy got better news when he was promoted to High-A Brevard County. The Charleston Daily Mail reported the 2007 third-round draft pick by the Brewers was expected to join his new team on Wednesday. With West Virginia, Lucroy hit .310 with 74 hits, 10 home runs and 33 RBls. On the mend The Canadian Football League career of former UL offensive tackle Jesse Newman has been slowed as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

The Calgary Stampeders selected Newman with the third pick in the first round of the CFL's Canadian college draft in April. Just being able to put my helmet on today felt great, Newman recently told the Calgary Herald. I havent been in pads for two weeks now, so it feels good to be back out there, and to do anything on the field is awesome. Champion i to 20,000. Im glad I got to pitch a little Sunday (in LSUs 8-6 loss to North Carolina), Martin said.

Its always good no matter where you pitch to get accustomed to me mound and and the crowd. I remember pitching in front of about 100 at Birmingham Southern. I cant wait. Glenn Guilbeau covers LSU for Gannett Louisiana. Contact him at gguilbeaura gannett.com scoring Derek Helenihi from second to cut the deficit to 5-3 and move McGhee to second.

Mitchell reached on an error, loading the bases. It happened so fast, said McGhee, who went halfway as Deans hit soared over him in case the ball was caught so he could tag up and score. When he hit it, I wasnt thinking Jared could score on it. And if he did, there would be a play at the plate. But it hit the wall and bounced past the puy Then I felt Michael right on me, and I saw Jared right behind him.

I was like, Oh my God, Jareds right on both of us! Whered he come from? After we all crossed, I hadnt processed it yet. Then I State GAMES Tuesday ESPN2 Fresno State (44-29) GAME 12 6 Friday ESPN (49-18-1) GAME 10 p.m.. Today ESPN 13) Ole Miss Mike Bianco, South Carolinas Ray Tanner and Kentuckys Jeff Cohen. He had no idea yet, Martin said. Mainieri, meanwhile, was not on the radar screen.

After a few interviews of other candidates, Bertman turned to Mainieri, whom he had known for decades. Bertman offered him the job, and he took it. He was introduced to LSU on June 28. Two years later, he has a winning record against all candidates serious or not for the job he got. I didnt know that much about him, Martin said.

But I found out he had taken Notre Dame to the College World Series. Hes been great. He's given me an opportunity: Martin missed all of Mainieris first season in 2007 after hip surgery: Martin (5-3, 4.83 ERA) has developed into one of the Tigers top three pitchers this season. His victory over South Carolina on April 25, in which he allowed two runs in 8.1 innings, started the Tigers on their 12-0 run in Southeastern Conference play to end the regular season. He also beat shows all three who scored on the play pinch-runner Chris McGhee of Alexandria, third base-man Michael Hollander of Mandeville and left field-erwide receiver Jared Mitchell of New Iberia -all between third base and home for just an instant.

I've never seen three guys round third so fast in my life, LSU third base Cliff Godwin said. It was pretty unbelievable. Mitchell must have been only five feet behind Hollander. There was no hesitation at all from Jared. He was going to score.

First base coach Javi Sanchez sprinted almost as swiftlyl from the coaching box to greet Dean at second base and hoisted him fully into the air with Deans stomach at Blake Martin takes his 4.89 ERA into todays game for LSU. Martin was highly recruited before finally choosing to go with LSU. Kentucky and Mississippi State down me stretch and threw seven innings of four-hit ball to beat Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament. Blake has probably come as far as any pitcher on this staff this season, Mainieri said. Martin has come miles.

After pitching in front of sparse crowds at Birmingham Southern games two years ago, he will be on the mound tonight in front of dose Sanchezs chin and Dean holding his left fist in the air. The play happened right in front of me, Sanchez said. I was thinking as Blake came up, that left fielder (Aaron Luna) is way too shallow. He should have been on the wall. Then he ran to the wall after it, and he pulled up too late to play the bounce.

And it bounced hard and past him. Thats when I took off. I was so proud of Blake, especially after he had struck out in the eighth. McGhee was first to score. He entered the game after backup catcher Sean Ochinko was hit by a pitch while pinch-hit-ting to put two runners on with one out.

Hollander singled up the middle, Notre Dame with a walk-off home run to beat Rice in an elimination game. But once you get it, theres such a sense of relief and then your kids relax. Mainieris Notre Dame lost its third game in 2002 5-3 to Stanford. But we played well, he said. Thats the thing about this team.

We have not yet really played a good ballgame here yet. I would expect our kids to play a great game on Thursday. Theyre excited and loose. And they may still be on cloud nine. Were over the hump, Mitchell said.

Were just having fun now. You can live off a game like the one we just had, and weve had a lot of them. was like, Wow, its over. We won the game! Karen Mainieri, the coachs wife, was crying in the stands above LSUs dugout. As most of the team went wild by second base, Mainieri was still at the dugout with sons Nicholas and Thomas.

My sons grabbed me and wouldnt let go, said Mainieri, who then walked calmly toward his players. Hey, somebodys got to keep their composure out there. His team appeared composed, comfortable and collected on its seventh day in Omaha Wednesday. Getting that first win in Omaha is really tough, said Mainieri, who got his first in 2002 at Continued from Page ID Tigers Wednesday morning from a television camera crew to coach Paul Mainieri. I was in the truck packing up, said veteran WAFB Channel 9 cameraman Randy LeDuff, who like many thought LSU was done when down 5-0 in the seventh.

Some media members made flight reservations. Then they started rallying, and I said, We better get the hell out there. Theyre about to win the game! What an ending it was, LeDuff said. Its on You Tube now if you missed it. The video.