State rivals battle for trip to Omaha

By

Posted 4:32PM on Thursday, June 9, 2005

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) No series between Florida and Florida State has ever meant as much. The Gators and Seminoles have played nearly every year since 1956 and have even been pitted against each other in the postseason. But never have the two rivals played a series with a berth in the College World Series at stake. That will change Friday night, when Florida hosts Florida State in one of eight NCAA super regionals. The winner of the best-of-three series advances to Omaha. ``I don't think we would want to play anybody else to get there,'' Florida outfielder Brian Leclerc said. ``The intensity jumps up a notch when you're playing against your rival.'' The series typically draws sellout crowds in Gainesville, with fans unable to get seats clamoring for spots to watch the games. They have stood two-deep and peered through the chain-link fence surrounding the complex. They have climbed trees for a less-obstructed view. They have even scaled the batting cage overlooking right field to get a peek. And those games didn't have nearly as much on the line. ``I can only imagine how crazy it's going to be,'' Leclerc said. The last time the teams met in the postseason was 1996, when the Gators beat the Seminoles twice and eliminated them from the College World Series. Miami has become much more of an annual postseason foe for Florida, with the Hurricanes knocking the Gators out of the NCAA tournament three consecutive years. Still, the Florida-Florida State rivalry stirs up more passion for both teams. ``It's weird because we know everybody on the other team,'' Florida State catcher Aaron Cheesman said. ``We've grown up playing against each other, but when you put on the Florida State uniform for us and the Florida uniform for them, it just gets the goose bumps going.'' The Seminoles beat Florida twice in three meetings this season, but each team managed 15 runs and 32 hits in the series. Bryan Henry (9-2, 1.61 ERA) will start for Florida State in the series opener. Mark Sauls (6-1, 3.68) will take the mound Saturday. Henry allowed eight hits and two earned runs in 7 1-3 innings against Florida in April. Sauls pitched two scoreless innings of relief against the Gators in March and allowed three earned runs in 5 1-3 innings and got a victory against Florida in May. The Gators will counter with Tommy Boss (7-4, 4.48) on Friday and Alan Horne (8-2, 4.05) on Saturday. Boss has been at his best in the NCAA tournament, tossing a four-hitter against UCLA in regional play last year and then going the distance in a 5-2 victory against North Carolina last weekend. Horne is 7-0 in his last nine starts. ``Pitching is really setting the tone for us right now,'' first baseman Matt LaPorta said. The Gators insist they have an advantage in the pitching matchups because none of their starters has faced Florida State this season. ``That could be huge for us,'' Boss said. A trip to Omaha would be huge for both clubs. The Gators, the No. 7 seed nationally, are looking for their fifth College World Series appearance. Florida State, meanwhile, is trying to end a four-year drought between trips to Omaha and return for a 19th appearance. ``In any sport it is a bitter rivalry, and this is just going to make it even bigger because the winner gets the big prize,'' Henry said. ``When we put the cleats on in August, when we all first got here, that was the goal: we wanted to go to Omaha. Now we have to go through Florida to get there and it does not get any better than that.'' (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)