University Southern California Trojans
CWS Veterans Open Play Saturday
June 09, 2000 | Baseball
June 9, 2000
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Waiting another day doesn't seem to bother the teams that don't play in the College World Series until Saturday.
Experience is making the wait easier for Florida State, Southern California, Louisiana State and Texas, who got the extra day to prepare.
Florida State (51-17), which plays Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EDT against USC, is the only school in the bracket without a CWS title. USC holds the record with 12, and Texas and LSU have four titles each.
Florida State coach Mike Martin said the Seminoles, who lost to Miami in last year's championship game, are not letting the wait get to them.
"That doesn't concern me," Martin said Friday. "It would be hard on us if we had not played for the national championship. But a majority of this team was on the field last year."
The Seminoles have six returning starters, including pitcher Blair Varnes (11-2), a right-handed sophomore who lost in last year's title game. Varnes will start for Florida State on Saturday.
USC (43-18), which has won 15 straight going into the tournament, will start Rik Currier.
Texas and LSU play in the second game Saturday night.
The Longhorns hold the NCAA record with 28 CWS appearances. LSU has 11 appearances, but this is its first since winning the title in 1997.
"It gives us a chance to come out here and practice and work on some things. We're going to be ready," said Brian Tallet (14-3), LSU's starter on Saturday. "We're all laid back and have a lot of fun in what we do. There's not any more pressure to wait an extra day and it's not any more relaxing."
The Longhorns are 6-1 since the Big 12 tournament and appear to have recovered from a tailspin at the end of the season, losing 12 of their last 20 games.
"We're most likely the most thankful to be here," said Texas coach Augie Garrido, in his fourth season at Texas. Garrido hasn't been back to the CWS since coaching Cal State Fullerton to the 1995 national championship.
By DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press Writer
