College World Series : Georgia’s Only Veteran Can’t Even Play

OMAHA, Neb. —  When Georgia faces Stanford Saturday in the first round, it will be the first College World Series appearance for the Bulldog players, but not for Coach Steve Webber.

“I was here one other time, as a player in 1969,” he said Thursday. “Guess who played in the first game? Texas and Arizona State. I saw Burt Hooton pitch against Larry Gura.

“They’re outstanding programs and they’ve been doing it for many years.”

No. 1-ranked Texas will make a record 24th Series appearance when it plays Southwest Conference rival Arkansas Saturday. Arizona State will make its 14th appearance when it plays Oklahoma State today.

The other first-round game in the double-elimination tournament pits LSU against Florida State today.

Georgia made the field by swinging from the heels. The Bulldogs (42-19) have 102 home runs and 26 stolen bases. “Florida State has 201 more stolen bases than we do,” Webber said.

Georgia is led by pitcher-slugger Derek Lilliquist (14-2), who has 19 home runs and 60 runs batted in. The Bulldogs lost five straight games before they went on a four-game winning streak to capture the NCAA Northeast Regional and earn a Series berth.

Stanford is making its fourth Series appearance in six years. Arizona State and Coach Jim Brock had to overcome NCAA and Pacific 10 Conference sanctions that left the Sun Devils with only seven scholarship players.

Texas reached the Series for five straight years before falling short last season. That was a good lesson, Coach Cliff Gustafson said.

“I think you do tend to get spoiled when you have things quite easy,” Gustafson said.

Texas has won four of five games this season against Arkansas.

Oklahoma State is making a record seventh straight appearance but looking for its first title. The Cowboys are led by sophomore Robin Ventura, who has a 56-game hitting streak, but will be without center fielder Anthony Blackmon, whom the NCAA suspended from the first two games of the Series for earlier unsportsmanlike conduct.

LSU will be without its best hitter, Joey Belle, who was suspended for the fourth time this season by Coach Skip Bertman.

“He has one problem--he has a temper when he strikes out,” Bertman said.