Chaz Scratches College World Series Trip Off Of Bucket List [PHOTOS]
Man, what a few days! All I can say is WOW! From Lake Charles, Louisiana to Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series.
Anyone who knows me or listens to my show knows I am a diehard LSU Baseball fan. It doesn't matter if LSU was playing inmates from a local jail, I would watch. When LSU made it to the College World Series Finals, I couldn't help myself I had to experience Omaha in June.
On Thursday, LSU defeated Wake Forest to advance to the MCWS Finals vs Florida. The games would start on Saturday. A few of my close friends and I immediately decided to pack up, leave, and head to Omaha, no matter the expense. Yes, we drove. We left out on Saturday Night and started the BRUTAL 13-hour trip to go to Game 2 of the MCWS Finals. The three of us had obligations for Tuesday, so we all took off for Monday so we could enjoy at least Game 2 of the CWS Finals.
Saturday Night, we were able to watch Game 1 of the Finals through the first few hours of the drive and kill a few quick hours while we watched the Game on the Road. The Tigers would end up winning Game 1 in an extra-inning affair 4-3 aided by a Cade Beloso HR in the 11th.
We rolled into Omaha at 6:30 Sunday morning running basically on fumes after the 13-hour drive. The best part about the drive is going from 98 degrees back home in Louisiana to 58 degrees in the morning time in Omaha. The drive to Omaha doesn't give you much to look at, it is a lot of highways and cornfields. At one point, I think there may have been more car dealerships than gas stations. Though we hadn't slept in quite some time, the game was at 2:00 and there was no slowing down.
You always hear stories about how well certain fan bases travel, and I promise you, everything they have said about LSU fans is right. By the time we arrived at the downtown strip near the Stadium, it was easily a 50/2 ratio of LSU fans vs Florida fans. It was unreal! We rolled through the streets to check out Rocco's bar where they would have the College World Series Shot Challenge that by at this point, the record had already been SHATTERED a week ago.
As a MASSIVE College Baseball fan, walking up to Charles Schwab Field (Formally TD Ameritrade Park) was an experience like no other. It was a rush I had never felt before, I was about to attend the College World Series Finals.
Things were going phenomenal for the Tigers through two innings and that's where things went South for the Tigers. Though, the Tigers ended up losing the BASEBALL game by nearly 3 Touchdowns, being in the Stadium and in that atmosphere was unlike any other experience I have ever had.
The series was at that point tied at 1-game a piece, and I am too superstitious... There was NO way I could let myself attend Game 3. As much as I wanted to stay and watch MY LSU Tigers win a National Title, I just couldn't. So we packed up the car and made the drive back to Louisiana.
We were able to make it back to the Lake Area just in time to settle in and watch the Tigers take on the Gators in a winner take all Game 3. That is where I got to watch the FIGHTING TIGERS OF LSU WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!
I could not be more proud to be an LSU Fan, but also of the players and coaches. We had THREE players from Southwest Louisiana on the roster for the Tigers. All 3 will receive their National Championship Rings!
If you ever get the opportunity to go to Omaha to check out the College World Series DO IT, no matter who you root for. I WILL BE BACK!
Check out some of the pictures that I took from our time in Omaha: