Gouldsmith got taste of series with Tulane

Friday, June 18, 2004 | 9:09 a.m.

Some facts about the College World Series:

The College World Series, which begins today in Omaha, can be a letdown for many teams who advance to the final round of the NCAA's baseball tournament, since each school receives only 700 tickets to the summer classic.

According to Texas Christian coach and former UNLV boss Jim Schlossnagle, Regional and Super Regional crowds tend to be a tad more rabid.

"It's a great crowd, in terms of numbers," he said. "In my opinion, though, it's a little bit of a letdown, in terms of intensity or atmosphere. Most of the fans in Omaha are just baseball fans, even though there are 24,000 or 25,000. People really aren't that loud."

Imagine, then, when Tulane, whose staff consisted of Schlossnagle and current Rebels coach Buddy Gouldsmith, went to Omaha in 2001 only to play Nebraska in its own state. It was the first time the Cornhuskers had participated in the World Series.

"The whole place was a sea of red," Schlossnagle said. "It looked like a (Nebraska) football game. It's the signature event of that city, and they do a phenomenal job hosting it. It's the closest a college player gets to being treated like a major leaguer."

The Green Wave beat Nebraska, 6-5, at Rosenblatt Stadium.

"We played Nebraska, of all people, and beat them," said Gouldsmith. "When we went up there, we had a lot of insight from people as to what to expect. Yet, it wasn't close. As much as you know and the stories you hear ... they were all true, and more.

"That's why of the teams that go, the ones who have been there have a better chance of winning."

Gouldsmith quickly fired off examples.

"You can't get caught up in the moment," he said. "Like when they put three tables out there, 10 players to a table, and your players sign autographs for 2 1/2 hours. Ten thousand people came through those lines, and you just sign.

"That's just preparation, like when you walk through that tunnel for the first time, in your first game, and fans are grabbing at your hat and jersey, trying to get everything they can from you."

Schlossnagle, who called the CWS "The Pearly Gate of college baseball," led TCU to a school-record 39 victories this season and the Horned Frogs won their first NCAA Regional game two weeks ago, against Youngstown State.

He tabbed top-seeded Texas to win it all, while Gouldsmith picked the Longhorns to meet Miami -- not exactly longshots -- for the championship.

Locals might root for Arizona and closer Derek Rodriguez, a Bishop Gorman High graduate who went 5-5, with a 2.60 earned-run average in 69 1/3 innings, for the Community College of Southern Nevada in 2002.

CCSN coach Tim Chambers favors Georgia, a 10-1 shot to win its second national baseball crown, for personal reasons. He and Bulldogs coach David Perno were roommates on a summer league team in upstate New York in consecutive offseasons.

"I've watched them as much as I can, and I told him that I like there makeup a lot, that they have that look that it's their time," said Chambers, who won an NJCAA championship in '03. "Every time they've needed to score, they scored."

Chambers also liked the fact that the Dawgs came out of the tough Southeastern Conference, which boasts of half the teams in the eight-team CWS field.

"He feels pretty good about their chances," Chambers said of Perno, who played on Georgia's 1990 national title team. "Winning that as a player, he knows about the distractions and the magnitude of having an opportunity. I think that helps.

"Obviously, it can affect your players. You have to be real careful not to get wrapped up in all the hoopla. Then again, you don't want to deprive your players of a chance to enjoy the moment."