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Kentucky baseball looks to break rookie hex in College World Series

Kentucky baseball looks to break rookie hex in College World Series  Courier Journal

Kentuckybaseballembarksonadifficulttaskasafirst-timeparticipantintheCollegeWorldSeriesonSaturday.Omahahasn’tbeensokindtofirst-timersintherecentpast.  TheWildcatsaimtobeanexception. “Itfeelslikewe’vereallykickedthedoordownnow,”saidUKoutfielderNolanMcCarthyaftertheSuperRegionalseries-clinchingwinagainstOregonStateonSunday.“Wehaveunfinishedbusiness.Itfeelsamazingtobethefirstones.” Since2000,17schoolsdidnotadvancetothefinalsintheirfirstappearanceinOmaha,includingseventeamsthatpromptlydroppedtheirfirsttwogamesandwereeliminated. (InLouisville’sinauguralappearancein2007,itlosttoNo.2seedRice,beatMississippiStateinaneliminationgame,thenwasknockedoutoftheCWSbyNo.3seedNorthCarolina.)  TCUwastheonlynotableteamamongthose17,winningthreegamesin2010andfinishingjustshyofthefinalslosinganeliminationgametoUCLA. AndthentherewasCoastalCarolina.  TheChanticleersmadeit18teamssince2000whoreachedtheCWSforthefirst