June 19, 2003

Moderator: John Manuel is an exhausted man after 12 games and one week in Omaha, but he'll be join us 3 p.m. ET to take questons on the College World Series, our college baseball awards, his favorite places to eat in Omaha, or which Pixies album he thinks is the best.

Moderator: Just a quick hello to welcome everyone back to the chat room and to ask you to be patient. For some reason, my connection is very slow today. I'll try to get to as many questions as I can.

Q:	Levon from Austin asks: Looks like Rice has its pitching all lined up for the first two games of the Championship Series, with either Baker or Humber set to go in the final game. How much does that hurt either of their possible opponents whose staffs, while deep, are going to be stretched a bit thin?
A:	John Manuel: Good question. Rice is in great shape with Niemann and Townsend set up for the first two games, with Humber and Baker available for Monday, though Humber threw 94 pitches last night. They've got all summer to rest, right? (That's my Mark Marquess impersonation.) Fullerton would be in better shape than Stanford in terms of game experience and depth on the mound. Say Jason Windsor wins today with middle-relief help from Sean Martin and Chad Cordero closes. Then Fullerton still has redshirt freshman Dustin Miller for Game One, then it's up for grabs. Ricky Romero, the freshman lefty, got an out the other day in relief, and Travis Ingle also pitched in relief; both have been members of CSUF's rotation. Same with Darric Merrell, who has yet to pitch in Omaha but won here as a freshman in 2001, going eight innings, I belief. Stanford hopes to win with freshman Matt Manship today, perhaps with Kodiak Quick in relief, and then still has senior Ryan McCally to start the series opener. The wild card is Mark Romanczuk. If the freshman lefty relieves today (and he had two saves during the regular season), he may be in a relief role in the championship series. If he doesn't relieve today, then he may start game one or game two for the Cardinal. If Stanford makes the title series and then forces a third game, Rice will get John Hudgins and have to like it.

Q:	adam smith from tempe, AZ asks: I understand that Ryan Wagner and Huston Street are premier colege closers. However, you couldn't can' ignore the numbers and go on reputation instead. You have put Will Fenton of Washington above at least Street. Wagner was sick, with his K-Inning totals, but Fenton didn't give up a run ALL YEAR!!! A 0.00 ERA in the Pac-10 deserves better than 3rd team All American. Can you tell that I'm a UW alumni??
A:	John Manuel: I can tell, but do I honestly think Will Fenton is better than Ryan Wagner or Huston Street? Huston Street not being first-team All-American is almost a crime, but Wagner was criminally good this year. All Street did was go 8-1, first loss was last night on an unearned run, his ERA was 1.32, I believe, going into last night, and he had 15 saves. Will Fenton had a great year and is third team behind two extremely good closers, and Cal State Fullerton's Chad Cordero, who can make a case as the nation's top closer, didn't even make the team. Very tough position; I'm sure Fenton is honored to be in that elite company.

Q:	Bob Pedrazas from Cooper City, FL asks: John, I was wondering why Chris Niesel, Sophomore Pitcher at Notre Dame was left off the All-American list. In two years he is 13-1 with 7 no decisions. He was the Big East POY, and selected to two other All-American teams (2nd and 3rd teams). In the fall the Major League Scouting Bureau forecasted him as the top college prospect for the 2004 draft. He beat FSU (Super Reg.), Rice (CWS) last year and had pitched a no-decision game against Fullerton in the Super Regional this year. Thank you for taking my question.
A:	John Manuel: Bob, that Florida State win last year doesn't mean too much for this year. He's 13-1 over two years; I believe all of the starters on our teams had records like that this year alone, except for maybe Tim Stauffer, who went 9-5 and lost three times when his team was shut out, plus was the fourth overall pick in the draft and had a wicked strikeout to walk ratio. Niesel is very good, but his Bureau scouting number doesn't factor into the discussion at all, and if he does have a better Bureau number than Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend or Jered Weaver, then the Bureau needs to look into the scout who gave him that number. I like Chris Neisel a lot and was strongly considered for our lists, but he's not a better prospect than those three guys.

Q:	Jeff Mortier from Baton Rouge asks: John, who is your early prediction for preseason #1 in 2004?
A:	John Manuel: Georgia Tech! Just kidding, just kidding. We have tried that route a couple of times, and it has not worked out for us. I think Rice will be an early favorite for that with all its pitching coming back other than David Aardsma. If Vincent Sinisi doesn't sign with the Rangers, then I would almost consider that a lock. Replacing senior C Justin Ruchti, though, will be tough. Wake Forest and Houston were a couple of touted teams in the preseason that struggled more than expected in large part because they were lacking behind the plate.

Q:	Willie Morris from Yazoo City, MS asks: What's the latest on the coaching carousel for jobs like Kentucky, TCU, Okla. St. and Virginia? Also, would a healthy Alan Horne (along with Seth Smith, Stephen Head, Brian Pettway, Mark Holliman, etc.) be enough for Ole Miss to finally host their first regional in 2004?
A:	John Manuel: Ole Miss has had two good freshman classes in a row, but the 2002 freshmen weren't outstanding as sophomores. Smith and a healthy Horne (which, in his first year back from Tommy John surgery, isn't a given) would go a ways but the SEC is very deep and tough as we know. I'll have to say that's projecting a lot for the Rebels right now, new mascot or not. Not a lot of news on the coaching rumor mill to report. It's not that there isn't news; I'm just a little busy right now. Rumors fly about George Horton possibly being a candidate at Oklahoma State, but I don't see that happening. Texas pitching coach Frank Anderson is a name that comes up with every Big 12 opening, with good reason. He's very well respected by his peers for his ability to work with pitchers. Kentucky might have been waiting on South Carolina assistant Jim Toman; he will be a good SEC head coach with his experience and recruiting ability. Texas Christian is an attractive job with its ballpark, location and being in a good baseball league (as long as it exists). I've already reported that if Virginia doesn't start its search with Bobby Moranda and Kevin O'Sullivan, it's making a mistake.

Q:	Bill H. from Orange County asks: Was the SEC overrated this year or what? First, Auburn gets beat in their own regional, and then LSU and USC are two of the first three teams eliminated from the CWS. It's a shame that ASU, CSUF, LBSU, and Stanford had to fight for 2 spots. Those are 4 teams that were in the top 7 or 8 all year long. When will the west get the respect they deserve?
A:	John Manuel: I think my feelings for this are well known. The SEC is a great league, but its teams were over-rated this year. South Carolina probably deserved better than it got; it was a more deserving regional host than Mississippi State, certainly. I do think the other SEC teams were over-rated by the committee. Auburn, a team i liked all year, still did not deserve a top eight national seed. But this has all been said. We all need to let that go. The West knows the RPI is weighted against it, and those coaches need to make that case to committee members personally, with information from scouts and other coaches to show that the RPI is unfair to the West.

Q:	Tom from Columbia, SC asks: Hey John, just wanted your take on Brian Buscher and why he doesn't get the regonition he deserves.
A:	John Manuel: Well, I have a couple of theories, but the guy can hit and had a great second half with the glove. He started very slow defensively. I wonder if the athleticism is there; the Giants think it is. Perhaps we should trust his judgment. Third base was a very tough position for our A-A team, because the three players we named are all premium offensive players. Some scouts thought Snyder was among the top 5 hitters in the college ranks this year; no one says that about Brian Buscher. Jamie D'Antona put up amazing numbers, and Conor Jackson did the same in a pitcher's park with an injured ankle. They all had compelling cases for the A-A team, cases a bit more compelling for us than Brian Buscher.

Q:	Tim W from Chicago asks: Who's the better all-around center fielder: Fuld or Boyer? And is either likely to sign with the Cubs?
A:	John Manuel: I would imagine Boyer will sign and Fuld will not, but I don't want to speak for Sam. Boyer's tools are a lot more obvious, but I'm surprised the A's didn't draft Fuld higher. He's Steve Stanley with a better body. If he goes back to Stanford, he'll own virtually every Cardinal hitting record, and he's had a great career in the CWS.

Q:	Rico from Waco, Tx asks: Thanks for your great college coverage! We here in Waco are big fans of college baseball, and esp. Baylor. What is your take on the Bears' coach, Steve Smith -- how does he compare to the other top coaches in the country? It seems he's gotten us to the edge of greatness, but hasn't gotten the team over the edge and on to the CWS.
A:	John Manuel: Rico, Baylor baseball was pretty lame before Steve Smith got there. You guys couldn't see greatness before Steve Smith, so be glad you're on the edge of it. Baylor's teams under Smith have had one deficiency every year, it would seem, and this year it was defense. It cost the Bears during Big 12 play, which cost them a possible No. 1 seed and host site. Maybe if the Bears finish fourth rather than fifth in the league, they wouldn't have had to go to LSU for a super-regional. And of course Baylor had the bad luck of Zane Carlson's injury. I honestly thought Baylor was a better team than LSU, and if they played 10 times on a neutral field, Baylor wins 6 or 7 of those games. But they played at LSU. Baylor just needs a little more luck to get to Omaha, basically. Coach Smith has built a consistent CWS contender, and that's very impressive. For me, he has to be considered one of the top 15 coaches in the nation.

Q:	Steven W. from Atlanta asks: Not really about the CWS, but hopefully I can get it answered. If Miami ends up moving to the ACC, how will it affect their baseball team. Playing Clemson, FSU, Georgia Tech, UNC, NC State all year long is something the 'Canes are not used to. No more "tough" home series against Savannah St, Campbell, Pace, or the Citadel. No more 70% home games. Maybe now they might have to leave Florida for a series or two. Some thoughts?
A:	John Manuel: Good question. Inclusion in the ACC (if that expansion ever happens) would affect ACC baseball positively. Jim Morris, to play off the previous question, is up there with Augie Garrido contending for Active Coach with the Best Resume. Two titles, 8 trips to Omaha . . . Miami would dramatically improve ACC baseball more than being in the ACC would affect Miami. The Hurricanes schedule would get tougher, but Miami also would probably lose its annual series with Long Beach State unless it got moved up earlier in the season. That's a big recruiting trip for the 'Canes, who recruit very well in California. I think Miami will do just fine in the ACC.

Q:	Bill from Bozeman, MT asks: What is the buzz among NCAA and ESPN officials about the Super Regional broadcasts? It seems to me that this may be a good time to explore the possibility of regional and conference tournaments on a limited basis on ESPN as a way to cross-promote the CWS. Is there any talk of heading in that direction?
A:	John Manuel: Always good to hear from Bozeman Bill. I was a small part of those broadcasts working in the control room, Bill, so I'm a little biased I suppose. ESPN is very pleased with the super-regional ratings (I wrote about this in one of my CWS notebooks), and hopes they provided a bump up for its CWS coverage. We'll see. I do think regionals are going to be on ESPN in the near future, perhaps next year. If not, loook for CSTV or Fox to take advantage of the void and do more broadcasting of regionals.

Q:	Bill from Bozeman, MT asks: I was tickled that Nebraska didn't qualify because tickets were much easier to come by, and because most Cornhusker fans that found their way into Rosenblatt were rather ignorant in terms of baseball. I was also proud of Omaha because the attendance continues to rise, even without UNL. Any comments on a CWS sans Nebraska?
A:	John Manuel: Many locals here have commented that the CWS is better without Nebraska, and I might agree with that in a way, but the Huskers had great fans here. If they bought up all the tickets, you know, they still came to games that didn't involve Nebraska, or they sold their tickets. Locals also say the crowds were better in terms of atmosphere and passion when Creighton made it in 1991 than when Nebraska made it in 2001 or 2002, but in '01, Nebraska's impact was mitigated by the extra security on hand for President Bush, which turned away a lot of fans.

Q:	Robbie G. from Richmond asks: Why did Michael Brown William & Mary and Eddie Kim of JMU get over looked for the all american teams? Was the competition or lack there of?
A:	John Manuel: They were both at very deep positions. We named four first baseman, with Billy Becher the third-team DH. Michael Aubrey, Jeff Larish and Matt Hopper were all better this year than Eddie Kim, and they were on better teams. That doesn't hurt. Michael Brown was part of a very deep OF class, and again, you have to give an edge to the Southern Mississippi OFs, Clint King and Jeff Cook, whose numbers were right there with Brown but played in a better league and had a bigger impact in terms of carrying their team to regional play and a conference championship.

Q:	Guy Rollins from Wimberley, Texas asks: John: Have you had a chance to watch any of ESPN's coverage of the post-season? Great to have it, for sure. But what do you think of their commentary?
A:	John Manuel: Guy, because I'm helping ESPN out during the postseason, I actually have an audio feed of the game in my ear during every CWS game in the press box, and I've been feeding their crews information all postseason. It has been frustrating as a hardcore fan, like it sounds like you are, to hear the broadcasts in a way because there is so much information that is held back. But that's not the point of the broadcasts. They're trying to appeal to a larger audience and I think that it's not meant to be a hard-core broadcast. Personally, I would like Harold Reynolds and Jeff Brantley to be more prepared as far as info on the players; I have to be honest. But I don't think that's what ESPN wants out of them. Both of them really like the event and Jeff Brantley in particular is passionate about being here, having played here. And having been here a few years now, I think Harold Reynolds has gained some real insight into college players. He's quite passionate about baseball at the grass roots. Having worked with them, I have gained a lot of respect for both and feel the more college baseball ESPN covers, the better the broadcasts will be.

Q:	Tom from Honolulu asks: Aloha John, One of BA's best new features is the College Summer Leagues daily reporting(Cape Cod & Northwoods). Is there anyway to expand the coverage to include more leagues such as Alaska, Jayhawk, MINK, etc. Thanks.
A:	John Manuel: The Cape and Northwoods leagues pay Sportsticker to compile their stats, as all minor leagues do, so that's why we have their stats on the site just like we have minor league stats up. If those other leagues want the same thing, they would have to pay to have Sportsticker do their stats, and that's expensive. To my knowledge, those leagues don't even have central websites, which makes them more difficult to cover for BA.

Q:	andy from westborough,ma asks: Is it just me or has the Rice Owls' closer David Aardsma not been seeing much action? Why not?
A:	John Manuel: Because their starters are too freaking good, Andy. When the game was on the line last night, Wayne Graham went to Aardsma, and he delivered, blowing away Tim Moss with 94-mph high cheddar. He got the win in a crucial game, and he clearly has coach Graham's trust.

Q:	Andy from Westborough, MA asks: Does Cal State Fullertons' Wes Littleton have the capabilities to maybe eventually develop into a starter in the big leagues, or does his low arm slot make that unlikely?
A:	John Manuel: I understand Jeff Brantley made that point on the broadcast yesterday; perhaps he belabored it. I would defer to Grady Fuson, who drafted Littleton as a starter. That slot is why he gets so much movement on his fastball. I do think Littleton can be a big league starter; he has a durable body and good stuff, and he's made it through a lot of adversity this year (much of which he brought on himself) to re-emerge as a contributor in the CWS.

Q:	Greg from San Diego asks: Where is Vern Sterry from N.C. State in this list of All-Americans?
A:	John Manuel: Greg, he just missed. Very Sterry had a great year; it was hard not to put an 11-0 guy on there. But who would you have left out? The W-L record is not the only indicator of who is an All-American. He had a great season, and if we had a fourth team, he would have made it, but we just thought 12 guys were better than him. Pretty simple.

Q:	Chad Goldberg from Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha, NE asks: John- Can you explain how you decided to choose David Marchbanks for the first team over Abe Alvarez and Tim Stauffer? Is it primarily based on the numbers and playing in the SEC?
A:	John Manuel: Chad, good luck to you on the KZSU broadcast today. Marchbanks looked bad in Omaha, but when we named the team, he was 15-2 with a great ERA, just as good as Alvarez', and he pitches in hitters' parks in the SEC as opposed to cavernous Blair Field. It was a tough call, but we had to recognize how much Marchbanks had meant to his team, all those wins and the environment where he pitched. Stauffer hurt himself by giving up a lot of runs in the regional there at Stanford and by going just 9-5. All his other numbers got him on the All-America teams, and deservedly so, but 9-5, even with his team being shut out three times, we just needed to see more for a first-teamer.

Q:	Twin Cities Owl from Minneapolis asks: Does CSF or Stanford have a chance against Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend and the pumped up Rice Owls?
A:	John Manuel: It's hard to imagine either Stanford or CSUF beating both of those guys, but all they have to do is win one of those games, and then take their chances against Humber or Baker. I do think both teams could do it. CSF has the small-ball approach to scratch out a run against anyone, and has the pitching to hold down Rice's offense, which really hasn't been awe-inspiring out there, just good enough. Stanford would have to come up big offensively, but Niemann and Townsend facing Quentin and Garko back-to-back would be great theater, and if it got to Monday, would you bet against John Hudgins right now? I wouldn't.

Q:	Beisbolero from Houston asks: How close was Jeff Niemann to taking your player of the year award? Who else was in the final running?
A:	John Manuel: He was probably No. 2, but the problem there is, I'm not convinced that Niemann, as good as he is, is the best pitcher on his team. I'd give a slight edge to Wade Townsend, and it's hard to be the national player of the year if you're not the No. 1 player on your team, at least in my opinion.

Q:	Michael Lemonds from Richmond, Va asks: loved your collums all year...great work...Now that the great Tim Stauffer has left the University of Richmond, who do you think will step up in his place to help the Spiders next year...Do you think Junior to be Jason Bolinski has what it takes to lead the Spiders back to the Regionals and take the place of Mike McGirr and Stauffer? I heard he hit 91 out in the Stanford regional?...go spiders Lemonds
A:	John Manuel: I heard the same thing you did, that Jason Bolinski dealt. Richmond will continue to be a factor in regional play as long as the rest of the Atlantic 10 stays weak. Let's hope the rest of the league rises to the challenge the Spiders present, rather than continuing to shrink frrom it.

Q:	Steve from Houston asks: John, You made the comment that the ACC teams are "soft". Besides not winning the big one this year, what makes them so? Is it the players? the coaching? early media attention? Pls elaborate.
A:	John Manuel: I think the perception is that ACC players are soft; there aren't a lot of California kids in the ACC, and Turtle Thomas once told me you have to have some California guys to win in Omaha, and Turtle has been to Omaha a lot and won twice as an assistant, so I take his advice seriously. I think some Texas kids can do it too, of course, but even Rice has Californians on the roster, like Chris Kolkhorst, plus Houston is an amazing talent pool. Suburban Atlanta kids (East Cobb) gets run down a lot by ACC observers for producing players who are long on talent and short on toughness, but I do think there are exceptions to this, like Micah Owings, who nearly carried Ga. Tech single-handedly this year. This is really a swipe made at kids from wealthy suburban backgrounds; I guess it sounds like I'm making it, but I'm not. I'm presenting it as a theory that has been presented to me. I will add that the ACC teams that have shown the most grit over the last few years are the ones that have recruited nationally, like Clemson (some Washington JC kids and some SEC-style country guys); N.C. State, whose best players are JC transfers, a New Jersey guy, a Floridian and a kid from Kansas; and Wake Forest, which has had a Cypress JC pipeline in recent years. How many bridges did I burn with that answer?

Q:	Steve from Houston asks: Why don't Austin Davis and Chris Kohlkurst get any respect by MLB? I love the way the rest of the Rice line-up plays but those guys are key folks. Is this a question of size?
A:	John Manuel: Size is probably a factor. Kolkhorst is an excellent offensive player, but he's not a CF and he probably is short offensively for a left fielder power-wise. He's a ballplayer, though, and a great leadoff hitter. Austin Davis has hit throughout his college career, with a style that resembles Raul Ibanez (credit Tony Gwynn for that observation), but he's 5-foot-10 and he's not a pro CF, either. Rice really misses Jeff Jorgensen's speed in CF this CWS, and it's still winning. Amazing.

Q:	TigerFan from Baton Rouge, La. asks: What are LSU's chances of winning next year's CWS? With all those injured players returning and the ones who made it to Omaha this year. Seems that they should have a shoe up on the others.
A:	John Manuel: The Tigers will have a shoe or leg or something up. I agree that LSU will be favored to get back to Omaha next year. Smoke Laval said that this year's team trip to Omaha was something of a surprise, but that he expects it next year, and I agree with him.

Q:	Eric from New York asks: Has Stephen Drew's draft projections dropped along with his projected all american status?
A:	John Manuel: I don't think so because he still has great tools; he runs, he throws pretty well, he hits, he plays the game. I think scouts want to see less attitude and a little more production out of Dirt next year, but he's still a first-round pick at this stage. The worst-case scenarios I have heard about him are Todd Walker comparisons, and Todd Walker has had a solid big league career, so Stephen Drew is still an excellent pro prospect. Aaron Hill and Dustin Pedroia simply had better years than he did.

Q:	Mark from Houston asks: Speaking of coaches, where would you rank Wayne Graham of Rice? You of course realize he's won more national titles (5 at San Jacinto JC) than anyone else and he's got a chance at #6 this weekend.
A:	John Manuel: Wayne Graham clearly is in that top five for what he's done at Rice, and his resume is also long, but Jim Morris also had a lot of JC success, as did Mike Gillespie at USC and George Horton at CS Fullerton. National titles in the JC ranks are impressive, but remember, California JCs don't go to Grand Junction, and there's no doubt California JCs play great baseball.

Q:	Jeff Shald from Thorndale, Texas asks: We've all seen and heard the magic of Omaha. Is there a special aspect of the CWS experience that fans might not know about; or is there a group or individual that isn't usually mentioned that you think deserves recognition for a job well done.
A:	John Manuel: Jeff, Omaha isn't magical to me; it's just a great baseball atmosphere, and that's not about magic, it's about passion for the game, and the passion of players on this kind of stage. Maybe I should listen to Augie Garrido more and open up to that kind of magic, but to me, what's impressive is the quality of the baseball and the quality of the experience for players, who are treated like big leaguers here in Omaha by the people of this city.

Q:	Former Owl from Los Angeles asks: I'm glad Wayne Graham is getting a chance to show what a terrific coach and personality he is. As a former player, I can tell you that his discussion with the second base umpire last night was mild mannered. Some UT fans have made a big deal out of the fact that some Rice players flashed upside down horns signs after the win last night. Did you get any feel for whether there was bad blood between the two teams after the game?
A:	John Manuel: I don't know about that. It's just that all those Rice players grew up wanting to play for Texas; Wade Townsend did, and Paul Janish essentially told me that in April when I was at Rice. So beating Texas is a big deal at Rice. The school still considers its biggest football victory to be one in the mid-90s on ESPN, I believe it was a Sunday night game and Rice beat Texas, and when I was there in April, man, there were pictures from that game up in the athletic offices everywhere. Beating Texas is a big deal for Rice in any sport, and beating the Longhorns in that situation was emotional for those players. The upside-down Horns thing was just probably an easy way to show their pleasure in beating a hated rival, but I think there is a respect there among the players, because with all the stuff going on in that wild game last night, there was nothing chippy going on between the players.

Q:	Slim Shady from Raleigh, N.C. asks: John, Just how good would a Philly Cheese Steak with some chilli cheese fries from Cloos Coney Island be right about now?
A:	John Manuel: If there's one thing Omaha does that is magical, it's that I am never hungry, so I don't even need one of those. Considering I've never been there (though my wife says it's good), I don't even know how good it would be. I am excited that Lo Solo Mio and the Drover are on tomorrow's off-day docket here in Omaha.

Q:	John from Blacksburg, Va asks: Just wonering how you felt about the VT 2B Marc Tugwell's Senior season. Not much recognition from BA staff. Not even on All-American team (2nd or 3rd). When he posted better number across the board. Any significant reason?
A:	John Manuel: He was considered, but Luke Appert was the Big Ten player of the year for the second straight season (only Barry Larkin has done that), and Lee Curtis was Mr. Everything for College of Charleston, adding some SS duties during the season and not getting much help in the lineup. It was very close between Curts and Tugwell; we don't do ties and when we lined them up and lined up our information on them, we chose Curtis.

Q:	Lane from Wilmington, Delaware asks: Sir, Do you anticipate that South Carolina will become a perennial college baseball powerhouse or are the past few years just a fluke? Will the pros or another program lure Coach Ray Tanner away?
A:	John Manuel: South Carolina already is a perennial powerhouse. No. 1 for most of the year in 2000, and now back-to-back CWS trips. What else do you want? Back-to-back trips is no fluke; one might have been, but not back-to-back. Ray Tanner is probably at South Carolina to stay if the money is right and the talent keeps flowing. It seems like the perfect fit of good man and institution, and Gamecocks fans have really responded. You have to respect that situation.

Q:	Chris from Williamsburg, VA asks: Which has been better: The Rice pitching staff or the Whiskey Steak at the Drover?
A:	John Manuel: Tough call . . . the Drover was free when I went (Thanks, Bo Carter!), and I was having dinner with Southern coach Roger Cador and Rickie Weeks . . . I'll still have to go with Rice's pitching. Niemann and Townsend were that impressive.

Q:	Beisbolero from Houston asks: Prediction time -- who do you pick to win tonight, and who's going to win the championship series?
A:	John Manuel: Fullerton to win tonight, and I still think the Titans can win the whole thing. I picked them at the start and though common sense tells me to change my pick to Rice, which is in great shape, I need to stick to my original pick. Fullerton to win tonight and in three against the Owls. It should be a tremendous finish to a CWS that started slow but has really picked up of late.

Q:	Austin from Waco asks: Who are your early favorites to reach Omaha next season? (other than Rice)
A:	John Manuel: Hard to imagine Rice, Cal State Fullerton, Stanford, LSU and Miami not being here next year with all the underclassmen they brought to Omaha this year. Others to consider would be Florida State (I just don't see Stephen Drew not going to Omaha in his career), Notre Dame (great junior class) and possibly Texas, which loses a lot but also has excellent underclassmen. I just don't know if they can replace Moss, Quintanilla and Majewski that easily. The latter duo especially were special college players. Moderator: Thanks to everyone for the questions. That's all the time John has today. Keep coming back to BaseballAmerica.com for more coverage of the College World Series.