Hitting in bunches, watching from far away, expecting even more. This is Sooneer baseball.
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — After Oklahoma retired North Carolina in the bottom of the eighth inning, the ESPN broadcast flashed the Sooners due up in the top of the ninth.
UHere’s what it looked like on the screen … as well as I can remember it, at least, watching only thanks to the VPN I created on my laptop, allowing for ESPN viewing as though I were still in the states.
• Johnson 2-4
• LaChance 2-4
• Willits 2-4
Cam Johnson walked. Deiten LaChance, who’d already hit two home runs, singled. Willits hit into a double play, though it managed to score Johnson, thus forging the final score of OU’s 9-3 victory over North Carolina in Game 1 of the best two-of-three championship series of the Men’s College World Series Saturday afternoon in Omaha.
Look, I don’t have time to write 800 words on another Sooner victory, their ninth straight since having to stop No. 2 national seed Georgia Tech back-to-back in Atlanta a few weeks ago, just to receive the honor of meeting Big 12 champion Kansas in Lawrence.
I’m on vacation.
This has to come out fast.
What I do know, though, is the graphic shown on the screen as ESPN went to break between the eighth and ninth innings is exactly what OU baseball’s become, at least when it holds the bats.
It’s a barrage.
Hits are expected.
Hits in bunches are expected.
The Sooners expect it of themselves.
It’s magical.
Though it’s not like I’ve been paying attention to every single postseason baseball series, college and pro, over the last 30 years, I’ve still watched a lot of them and only two things of yore spring to mind.
One, the ALCS in which Boston trailed New York 3-0, only for the Red Sox to come back and win four straight, dispatching the Yankees and, soon after, claim the 2004 World Series.
The other — if you’re ahead of me, salute — was the 1990 World Series, in which manager Tony LaRussa’s Athletics had become the biggest baseball heels of my lifetime, threatening to break the game behind Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Dennis Eckersley, only to be swept by Cincinnati in four games.
The Red Sox.
The Reds.
Big Red.
Do you detect a theme?
Now, with two chances to win one game to claim the program’s third national championship, it would appear the Sooners’ time has come again.
I’m afraid that’s all I have today.
The great Gwenda and I are due on a boat to take us to the arch.
Just google “Cabo Arch” and you’ll see it. It might be your screensaver already. It’s exactly that on the Samsung in our OKC bedroom, we just realized.
Who knew?
Not sure if I’ll have time to write something after the next one, but I’m happy to step in with this now.
Oh, yeah, if you’re not or haven’t been watching, watch.
The Sooners and Tar Heels meet again at 1:30 p.m. Sunday where you are and at 11:30 a.m. where I’m at.
They’re playing for a national championship, for history, for never being forgotten.
You should really turn it on.
Uh, they play at 1:30 pm CST on Sunday