It was the bottom of Arizona’s batting order. So Michael Roth’s third inning probably should have been easiest of the night for the South Carolina starter.

That’s what the stat-sheet indicated, anyway.

But the guys in those final three spots executed exactly the way coach Andy Lopez draws it up in practice.

First baseman Joseph Maggi ended a streak of 28 straight batters retired by Roth (dating back to Thursday’s Kent State game), poking a high fastball down the third-base line for a double. Catcher Riley Moore bunted him to third and second baseman Trent Gilbert drove Maggi in.

So Arizona’s up 1-0 as we head to the fourth inning. The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning Sunday before earning a 5-1 …

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By no means can you discount what the Wildcats have proven over the past few weeks. They’ve earned the right to be one game away from a CWS title.

Arizona’s perfect in the postseason, winning its last 10 games — including the first in a best-of-three series against South Carolina Sunday night. In NCAA tournament play, the Wildcats won two games against the Big East co-champions (Louisville and St. John’s) and the ACC champ (Florida State). They’ve also defeated UCLA, who they shared the Pac-12 title with this year.

Nice resume. But it’s missing something.

One more win. And it will not come easy Monday. It’s going to take one extra special effort to take down South Carolina on a night in Omaha when senior …

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Mr. Perlman goes to Washington Tuesday, where he’ll represent the last line of defense against a college football playoff.

In a high-profile meeting with university presidents, he’ll attempt to persuade his peers that the game is headed down a perilous path. He’ll make statements about the rigors of a long season, about the virtue of the bowls, about the slippery slope to chaos. He’ll try to sell a compromise: a plus-one.

He will be wrong. The presidents will disagree. And Nebraska, on a banner day for college football, will stand on the wrong side of history.

Nebraska football has so much to be proud of. The program has always stood for strength and boldness. No nonsense, no excuses. At its best, Nebraska football confronts the …

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A capsulized look at Game 15 of the College World Series and Game 2 of the championship series, set for a 7 p.m. start on Monday.

* * *

SOUTH CAROLINA (49-19)
>> Pitcher: LH Michael Roth (9-1, 2.49 ERA)
>> Who’s hot in Omaha: 1B Christian Walker (.369, 0 HRs, 1 RBI), CF Evan Marzilli (.285, 0 HRs, 2 RBIs), 2B Chase Vergason (.277, 0 HR, 3 RBIs)
>> Who’s not: RF Adam Matthews (.191, 0 HRs, 1 RBI), SS Joey Pankake (.120, 0 HRs, 1 RBI), C Grayson Greiner (.118, 0 HRs, 1 RBI)
>> How the Gamecocks got here: After surviving three elimination games to earn the Bracket Two spot in the finals, South Carolina couldn’t solve Arizona right-hander Konner Wade in …

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Arizona defeated South Carolina 5-1 Sunday, earning a shot to sweep the best-of-three series Monday at 7 p.m. (live stats here).

College World Series: June 25…

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No surprise here. South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said after Sunday’s loss that he “more than likely” will start Michael Roth Monday in an attempt to force a rubber match.

Roth was apparently “pretty close” to being ready to pitch on Sunday. At least that’s what the senior left-hander told Tanner before the Gamecocks lost 5-1 to Arizona in the opener of a best-of-three championship series.

In College World Series action, Roth is 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA during a CWS-record 53 2/3 innings. He’s allowed just 31 hits while striking out 37 (walking 15).

Technically, Roth would be throwing on three days’ rest, assuming he starts Monday. Roth went the distance in a 4-1 South Carolina win over Kent State Thursday, throwing 106 pitches. …

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If South Carolina was going to get to Konner Wade, the Gamecocks had to hope the right-hander was a bit off his game. Then string some hits together, rattle the sophomore and knock him out.

At times, those disastrous, single-inning meltdowns have hurt Wade this year — in 19 appearances, he’s had four different innings this season where he’s allowed four runs or more, and he’s given up three runs in a frame during four other occasions.

But this is a different Wade. Has been since the postseason began.

The Arizona starter was mostly untouchable again Sunday night, pitching his third-straight complete game and leading the Wildcats to a 5-1 over the Gamecocks. Arizona’s now one win away from clinching a CWS title.

After a …

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We apparently have some serious starpower at TD Ameritrade Park Sunday. Two high-profile SEC football coaches are on hand for Sunday night’s opener of the championship series.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, a regular supporter of Gamecock baseball, has a seat in the suite section. He’s already been shown on ESPN.

LSU coach Les Miles is reportedly here, too, although it doesn’t appear that ESPN cameras have located him yet (the network feed in the press box went dark for a few innings, so we’re not sure).

Miles isn’t in Omaha for baseball, though. His daughter Smacker is here for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials this week. But during a recent online chat via ESPN.com, Miles said Smacker may not compete.…

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Coach Ray Tanner proved his genius once again. Or maybe he just got lucky. Either way, his Gamecocks still have a chance in Sunday’s game.

Arizona had its metaphorical foot on South Carolina’s throat in the third inning, up 3-0 with runners on second and third. All the momentum was in the Wildcat dugout. And Robert Refsnyder, with a home run in the first inning, was headed to the plate with just one out in the frame.

Here’s where Tanner made a game-changing move.

He had starter Forrest Kumas walk Refsnyder intentionally. Then he pulled Kumas, the right-hander who lasted just 2 1/3 innings Sunday. With the bases loaded, he called on freshman Evan Beal (a 4.02 ERA and the team’s third-highest walk total at …

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True story. Arizona’s Robert Refsnyder actually hinted last week that he enjoyed hitting in TD Ameritrade Park.

Huh? The place where potential homers regularly die in a vast outfield, well short of the wall? Where the wind’s almost always blowing in? Where there’s never even been a home run hit over the center field fence?

Refsnyder’s used to playing at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz., though. It’s 366 feet down the left field line, there. Goes 349 to right. The power alleys: 410 (left) and 415 (right). So he likes it at the new home for the CWS.

“It’s nice — hit the ball in the air — it might go,” he said.

Refsnyder’s proving himself right.

The right-handed clean-up hitter has given the …

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