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What: Game 2 of the CWS Championship series
When: 5 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN
Online: ESPN3 stream, or follow our updates on the AZ Desert Swarm Facebook and our Twitter.
The Arizona baseball team claimed a 5-1 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Game 1 of the College World Series' championship matchup, and though the pitching head-to-head favored the Wildcats, a win is a win is a win.
It only gets harder for Arizona. The Gamecocks are staunch in their approach come elimination games and with experienced pitcher Michael Roth on the mound will be a test as Andy Lopez likely goes with No. 3 option James Farris in Game 2 at TD Ameritrade Park.
Need to know a bit about the series? Here are some links looking back to Arizona's successful Game 1 and looking ahead as the Wildcats eye their first NCAA title in the Lopez era.
- New York Times reporter Pat Borzi talks about Andy Lopez's change in how he handles his pitchers compared to UA's last potential national championship team in 2008. Simply put, he's not telling his slingers to hold for just five innings any longer.
- But the pitching strategy is working. It's apparently a big deal in today's game, writes Mitch Sherman of ESPN. He calls it extraordinary and notes that after Konner Wade's full outing on Sunday night, Arizona has 16 complete games pitched on the year. The entire SEC had a total of 14 complete games while the ACC threw 12 total complete games.
- On the other side, South Carolina will run ace Michael Roth to the mound. Roth has pitched and won in three prior College World Series so don't expect him to get frazzled. Here's ESPN's story on why Roth is in a perfect position to win in the Gamecock's elimination game.
- SI.com's Albert Chen looks back at South Carolina's refusal to lose this season, and talks of coach Ray Tanner's motivational insistence that Arizona is the better team.
- Greg Hansen points out that Arizona didn't act like it'd done anything special after taking the Game 1 win. Until the Wildcats have a trophy in their hands, they probably won't get too worked up. No overt cheers or in-your-face celebration 'til it's over, over.
- The Associated Press discusses how the move to Hi Corbett helped Arizona on the field. The large dimensions make the Wildcat hitters focus on a speedy short game that's been replicated with the similarly deep outfields of TD Ameritrade. On defense, the Wildcats got used to the hot balls off the dry dirt as well.
- The fellows over at SEC blog Team Speed Kills show a little hesitancy in believing that South Carolina has enough comeback juice left while SB Nation's USC blog Garnet and Black Attack believe that it's the Gamecock bats that must wake up in Game 2 if they want to earn a Game 3.
Tweets of the night are after the jump.
okay not only did we win game 1 tonight, but Nacho Libre is on TV! #greatday #savemeapieceofthatcorn #encarnacion!
— Mathew Troupe (@MathewTroupe) June 25, 2012
Proud of @ArizonaBaseball and the win! Well done boys. @dbacks are behind you. @Greg_Byrne
— Derrick Hall (@DHallDbacks) June 25, 2012
#BEARDOWN Arizona! Can't wait for game 2. Do work!
— mark schlereth (@markschlereth) June 25, 2012
Very proud of our team & coaches!Let’s go win a national championship tomorrow!!#BearDown #OmahaIsWildcatCountry
— Greg Byrne (@Greg_Byrne) June 25, 2012
Shout out to my cats!RT @DanHicksNBC: Congrats @ArizonaBaseball!staying at our hotel while they go after @NCAACWS Championsip
— Alex Flanagan (@Alex_Flanagan) June 25, 2012
hyped for that Arizona baseball!1 more win! like they say in transformers revenge of the fallen - Fuel the Jet! Fuel the Jet!! #beardown
— David Bagga (@davidbagga) June 25, 2012