The old adage of “great pitching beats great hitting” certainly held true at the 2017 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska Tuesday night. But, for this year’s Florida Gators’ baseball team, they will tell you that their lucky “Rally Cup” took down LSU’s “Hair Club”, too!
The Florida Gators earned their first NCAA baseball championship by defeating LSU 6-1 on Tuesday night thanks to yet another outstanding pitching performance, clutch fielding, timely hitting, and a few breaks which went against LSU. It was an intense series featuring two of the best teams in the always-deep Southeastern Conference.
LSU fans showed-up in droves in hopes of returning home to Baton Rouge with their seventh NCAA baseball championship. Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Park was dubbed “Baton Rouge North” Monday and Tuesday as 2/3 of the 25,000 fans in attendance each night proudly and loudly cheered “Geaux Tigers” whenever LSU could finally get someone on base. LSU fans love coming to Omaha as they have been there 18 times since the middle 1980’s – winning 6 championships in the process.
But, midway through Monday’s first game and for the entirety of Game 2, the Florida Gators players will also tell you that they found a unique way to stay positive, keep loose and focused on the moment. The Rally Cup! It even has its own Twitter handle – #RallyCup. Seriously.
During the middle innings of a scoreless battle in Monday’s Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series, one of the Florida assistant coaches accidentally knocked a paper drink cup out of the hands of a Florida player. The cup landed onto the field just outside of Florida dugout and, within minutes, Florida grabbed a 3-0 lead. The dugout players cleverly noted this must be a “Rally Cup” and chose to leave this lucky symbol on the field for the remainder of Game 1. A pitcher then put the Rally Cup into a ziplock plastic bag to protect it after the game and bring it back for Game 2 on Tuesday night to see if the good mojo would continue.
It did. Florida never trailed as LSU uncharacteristically made three early errors, lost the game-tying run in the 7th inning after a rare base-running interference call, and had another potential game-tying run thrown out at home plate during the 8th inning. If you ask Florida players about that surprisingly strong 20 mph wind blowing the baseball back into the park on Tuesday night? Rally Cup, baby!
Not that LSU didn’t bring its own previously-successful superstitions into the championship series. After an LSU loss to Oregon State one week earlier, Tigers’ shortstop and team leader, Kramer Robertson, had his long brown hair dyed golden (OK, it was more like bleach blonde). Meanwhile, LSU’s relief pitching sensation, Zack Hess, had his hair coiffed into a Charlie Sheen-like “Wild Thing” look, too. The LSU “Hair Club” proceeded to rally for three consecutive elimination games against Florida State and Oregon State en route to the championship series versus Florida.
Unfortunately, the Tigers’ lucky manes apparently lost some of their luster prior to LSU’s final two games. Meanwhile, the Gators’ “Rally Cup” will be spared a trip to the recycling plant and find a more permanent home in Gainesville – perhaps alongside of the team’s first NCAA baseball championship trophy.