Number Five: 2005 Postseason Baseball

2005 Baseball Postseason finds its way to the halfway point in the Top 10 sports memories/news of the past 4 years. The 2005 baseball team was a special team. They managed a school record 48 games and tied for a Western Division Championship with LSU. They not only set records on the field but in the stands as well. Over 170,000 fans came to O-U Stadium to watch this Rebel baseball team play. Fans came by the thousands to see all star players like Brian Pettway, Stephen Head, Mark Holliman, Eric Fowler and many others.

After a runner up finish in the SEC Tournament, the Rebels were selected to host a regional. The second regional host in as many years. The regional was a quick three days for the Rebels as went 3-0 in the double elimination tournament with wins over Maine and Oklahoma(twice). After the regional win the Rebels then had to wait and see if they would host a super regional. It was announced a couple of days later that the Rebels would host NCAA powerhouse the University of Texas. It would be the first ever super regional hosted in the state of Mississippi.

The week leading up to the super regional had many Rebel fans excited and making plans to come to Oxford. It was the first time in several decades that the Rebels actually had a chance to return to the College World Series in Omaha. It was announced that a couple of the games would be on ESPN so fans across the country could watch the games. That did not keep any fans away as over 26,000 fans came to Oxford to watch the series.

The Rebels jumped out early on the Longhorns and won the first game. The Rebel faithful were extremely excited and many began to think a trip to Omaha might be a reality. The second game saw the Longhorns get up early on the Rebels, before a tropical storm forced the game to be suspended. The Longhorns eventually won the game and the series was tied at 1-1.

Game three was played on a Monday night and a trip to Omaha was on the line. The Longhorns went to their specialty and played perfect small ball on the Rebels. Texas got lead off guys on four times and scored every time. Three times, it was with a sacrifice bunt followed with a timely hit. The fourth time, it was a solo home run that broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning. The Rebels went into the ninth down 6-4. Two Rebels managed to get on base and the winning run was at the plate with two outs. Stephen Head was at the plate and Rebel fans believed the all-star could drive a couple of runs in. Instead Head struck out on a 2-2 slider from Longhorn closer Brent Cox.

Unfortunately I was only able to witness the first game of the regional in person, because I left to live in Washington for the summer. Thanks to some friends and the power of DotTV and the internet, we were able to watch the game on the internet. I remember the first thing I did upon landing was rush to my friends house to watch the game against Oklahoma. The week leading up to the super regional was intense, even in Washington, D.C. The loss to Texas hurt, we were some of the biggest Ole Miss fans out there and we were not in Oxford to watch the game in person. The good thing is that Coach Bianco is still here and as long as we keep him in Oxford, I believe there is a good chance one day we will get to witness a super regional in person in Oxford. Rebel baseball is back and is here to stay.