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