University Southern California Trojans
CWS Notebook
June 14, 2000 | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - Florida State always visits its favorite practice facility during trips to the College World Series.
This year, something was missing, though.
Gene Ralston, from nearby Bellevue, wasn't at the Seminoles' practices this week at Don Roddy Field. But his cooler was.
Ralston, suffering from a bleeding ulcer, kidney stones, cataracts and other ailments, collapsed at his doctor's door in December, spent several weeks in the hospital and nearly died.
Though Ralston always tries to make FSU feel at home in Nebraska, he was too ill to make it down to the practice field this week. But he made sure his cooler was there, filled with cold drinks for the Seminoles.
When coach Mike Martin found out about Ralston's health problems after practice last week, he loaded up the bus for a short road trip.
Ralston's wife, Marilyn, had been warned in advance the team was coming, but not Gene.
"So he opens his front door and he sees the bus in his driveway," Martin said. "And you should have seen the look on his face. I don't know if you can ever feel better than I felt right then."
The Seminoles lined up to shake Ralston's hand, wish him good health and tell him they missed him at practice.
"That's what Omaha is all about," Martin said.
RARE ROUTINE: Baseball at all levels is full of superstitious behavior. But Louisiana-Lafayette's pregame routine seems a bit unique.
The Ragin' Cajuns have not taken batting practice on a game day since their series opener against South Carolina on June 2 in the super regionals.
They managed just five hits in a 6-3 loss to the Gamecocks and opted for a change of pace. It worked. Louisiana-Lafayette got 10 runs and 18 hits in the next two games - both wins.
"They like to save their hits for the game," coach Tony Robichaux said. "They know when to get going. They're a very loose group of guys."
With a rainout Tuesday, the Ragin' Cajuns have not taken batting practice since Monday. They skipped BP before Wednesday's 5-4 win over Clemson and won't take any cuts before Thursday's game against Stanford.
It seemed so bizarre that NCAA officials have called Robichaux, asking why his club wasn't on the field during its allotted batting time.
"We do a lot of things that aren't so ordinary all the time, but the guys get out there and get the job done," Robichaux said.
RAIN KING: Almost 2 inches of rain fell at Rosenblatt Stadium on Tuesday, but the head groundskeeper said the field could have been ready for action an hour after the rain stopped.
"This field is designed for south Florida," said Jesse Cuevas, working his 30th CWS. "It's ridiculously designed for drainage."
The field, built on a leveled hilltop, has four miles of underground drainage that eventually dumps water into the Missouri River.
FATHER-SON FIRST: When Southern California RHP Brian Bannister made a relief appearance Monday against LSU, he completed the first father-son connection in CWS history.
Bannister's father, Floyd, pitched for Arizona State at the CWS in 1975 and '76. Floyd Bannister had a 2-2 record in Omaha and struck out 40 batters in 33 1-3 innings combined.
Brian Bannister pitched a perfect ninth inning in the Trojans' 10-4 loss to LSU.
NO SLAMS: None of the 25 home runs hit through the first nine CWS games came with the bases loaded. There has been at least one grand slam hit in each CWS since 1991, topped by a record four in 1998.
The only slam hit last season was by Stanford's John Gall against Florida State.
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
