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Seminoles Return To CWS

Tribune photo by COLIN HACKLEY

FSU players celebrate eliminating Wichita State and earning a spot in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

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By MICHAEL McGUFFEE

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 9, 2008

Updated: 06/09/2008 12:22 am

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State's Jack Rye swung, connected and dropped his bat Sunday. He knew the ball was hit well over the right-field fence and the Seminoles were well on their way back to the College World Series for the first time since 2000.

"Yeah, I got a hold of that one," Rye said.

The three-run homer came in the first inning, but the way FSU hammered Wichita State's Anthony Capra and sent him packing before the end of a six-run frame, it was clear the Noles weren't going to let this one slip away.

Florida State took control early and Bloomingdale High graduate Ryan Strauss came on in relief to allow just one hit and one walk in six scoreless innings to seal an 11-4 victory in the deciding game of the Tallahassee Super Regional.

"This was a big win for our baseball program," said Seminoles coach Mike Martin, who will make his 13th trip to Omaha in 29 seasons at FSU.

"I don't think I ever wanted something more for a group because of the kind of men that they are. This team is special."

Once again strong at-bats in the early going helped the Seminoles (54-12) neutralize another Wichita State starting pitcher, as Florida State handed Capra (9-1) his first loss of the season. The six earned runs given up in Sunday's first inning by the Shockers left-hander were more than he'd given up in a single game all year.

"That first inning was very important," Rye said. "We wanted to get something started and we did. That really carried on into the rest of the game."

FSU chased Capra after just two-thirds of an inning, a day after Wichita State ace Aaron Shafer lasted just 22/3 innings.

"It's just mystifying to me because both of those guys have pitched against good people," Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson said. "Both days put us in such a hole."

The Shockers (48-17) caught a break in the second when a Seminoles fan reached over the fence along the left-field line and snatched a foul ball away from FSU third baseman Stuart Tapley. Wichita State's Andy Dirks blasted the next pitch over the center-field wall for a two-run homer.

The Shockers cut the Seminoles' lead to 6-4 in the third with a two-run single off of FSU starter Geoff Parker (Zephyrhills High).

Strauss (10-1) replaced Parker in the fourth and retired 17 of the 19 batters he faced. The batter Strauss walked in the sixth was caught trying to steal second.

With FSU up 7-4 in the seventh, catcher Buster Posey hit a two-run homer, his 26th of the year, off the top of the scoreboard in left field to all but put the game out of reach. The home run also tied Posey for the NCAA lead.

"Obviously the past couple of years we haven't been where we wanted to," Posey said. "Now this program is back where it belongs."

Rye and Tommy Oravetz, whose three-run double accounted for the rest of FSU's runs in the first inning, led FSU with three RBIs apiece. Jason Stidham and Ohmed Danesh also were productive at the plate, both finishing 3-for-4.

In their CWS opener next weekend, the Seminoles will face Stanford (39-22-2), which swept Cal State Fullerton during the weekend.

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