The University of South Carolina wins first men's NCAA title

A shot of the scoreboard at Rosenblatt Stadium with USC's happy players shown on the video screen.

The University of South Carolina baseball team captured the school's first NCAA team championship in a men's sport with its thrilling 2-1  victory over UCLA Monday night.

I was lucky enough to be there.


When we put in for vacation time at work early this year, I requested the time off for the CWS in the hopes that I'd be able to work out a trip.


Although I had made a mistake in scheduling and needed a last-minute adjustment from a couple of co-workers, things fell into place and I was able to return to Omaha for the first time since the 1975 CWS, when I was here for work. I've covered bowl games, high school championships and one NCAA men's basketball championship game, but the '75 CWS still ranks as my favorite work assignment ever.

This trip was all vacation, and it will rank among my most memorable ever.

The hospitality of the Omaha folks was great, and to see a state school win the final national title at Rosenblatt Stadium was a treat.

The Gamecocks won this title with pitching and defense. They had a team ERA of a shade over 2.10 for the seven series games. The defense had a few hiccups, but made big plays in crucial situations.

It seemed like the majority of the Rosenblatt Stadium crowd was rooting for the Gamecocks, whether it was the familiarity the program from years past, or the fact  the team nickname can be shortened and turned into sexually suggestive  terms.

Clemson and Coastal Carolina fans may rue missed opportunities to put away the Gamecocks earlier in the playoffs, but perhaps they should instead focus on the fact that their teams were, in almost every category, the equal of the national champion.