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SSBuckeye
575 Posts |
 Posted - 06/14/2011 : 09:37:11
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Taking off for Omaha in the morning. Beyond excited to play in the Omaha NIT and go to the CWS. The Nats are the only GA team in the field. 18 teams from 10 states. Hope to represent well. And, as an added bonus, my alma mater Vandy makes the CWS field for the first time in school history!
Go Dores! Go Nats!
Andy |
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SMASH
253 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2011 : 10:09:46
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| Good luck to Andy and the Nationals in Omaha! I'm sure you guys will represent the state of Ga. with the utmost dignity and passion. |
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nwgadad
137 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2011 : 10:12:47
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Good Luck Andy and Nationals represent GA well as I know you will! However, I will have to pull for the Wahoo's in the CWS  ! |
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prestont
197 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2011 : 10:22:53
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Enjoy! & very very very jealous! Your not the only ones from GA going as the ECB Braves are making the trip too.
We wanted to go especially since the Gamecocks punched their ticket to try and defend their title.
Some of our neighbors went a few years ago as 11U - said competition was OK, fields were OK but CWS was AWESOME, a very very close second to Cooperstown experience.
Best of luck to the 'Nats and sure want to hear about the new stadium. I'd say enjoy your trip but KNOW you will ;-)
Go Cocks! |
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mstimpson
57 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2011 : 10:41:47
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Hey Andy! Good luck in Omaha. However, watch out for my Tarheels. Coach Fox has those boys playing some good ball and their Saturday starter is a nasty freshman lefty from Woodstock. Have fun at the SEC/ACC Invitational or CWS !
Morris
Go Nats! Go Heels! |
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rustybucket
67 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2011 : 10:48:17
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Bring it home!!! Best of luck to all the boys!!!
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bankerheel
34 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2011 : 10:53:54
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| Too bad they are playing my alma mater North Carolina, Go Heels, although should be a good matchup. This makes 5 trips to Omaha in 6 years for the Heels. In my four years of playing in Chapel Hill, we got beat in the championship of the regionals twice, so never got to experience it. New downtown stadium will be sweet. |
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SSBuckeye
575 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2011 : 14:08:18
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Tough draw for Vandy! Hope they don't go two and done, but they are playing pretty well right now, so I think they have a chance to make some waves.
I think the EC Braves are playing in a different tourney out there, so hope they can bring home a title as well. Thanks for the well wishes!
Andy |
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SSBuckeye
575 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2011 : 19:28:14
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| Nats get placed in elite division with all the major teams, which is perfect. We draw the top team in Nebraska at 8 am Friday, so we will know what we are up against right out of the gate. |
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prestont
197 Posts |
Posted - 06/20/2011 : 08:49:12
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Andy -
How's the trip going? SEC is 3-0 so far, and the new stadium looks awesome.
Hope your kids are playing well, and enjoying their time @ CWS. |
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SSBuckeye
575 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2011 : 23:27:14
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Just got back from the Omaha trip. Had an absolute blast! The Nats did not play their best, however. We looked like a bunch of boys who traveled 16 hours to play a baseball game or two. Thoughts below:
1) Would enthusiastically recommend anyone considering to go to go. However, there are a few things to consider.
2) It's a different brand of baseball there. I describe it as station-to-station baseball. The fields were in great condition. However, the outfield grass was at least 4 inches thick. A hard hit ground ball would stop in the grass within 10 feet or so. This means a few things. The outfielders are extremely shallow as there is no downside to a ball getting to a gap or even over their head. Every ball in the air can be dived at. There were no bloop hits over the infield. Force plays from OF to 2B were common. I only saw 2-3 extra base hits the whole tournament. This style of baseball did not suit us and took us the first day to adjust.
3) There were no cages at our fields. No scoreboards, either.
4) Would encourage anyone going to arrive a full day early and hold a practice before you play. We had boys arriving at 9 PM Thursday night and we played at 8 AM & 10 AM Friday morning.
5) The quality of play was high. We were put into the Mantle (Major) bracket, and we held our own against the top teams from those states. The quality of pitching was mid AAA, the defense low AAA, the hitting was major level. They must spend a lot of time over the winter in the cage, because those teams could hit the ball. Every team we met was gracious and very well coached.
6) If you can, upgrade your general admission tickets to the CWS to a regular seat. Costs $17 per ticket but well worth it. The line for the GA tickets was well over a half mile. One of our families did not get in one night. They do indeed clear out the park after each game, so getting in is a pain. Upgrade your ticket and it's a piece of cake.
7) Go to the opening ceremony. Very cool. Free, too! Dave Winfield spoke this year. The fireworks kicked butt, and it was cool watching the teams enter the field.
8) The TD Ameritrade facility kicks serious booty! The best food is in the outfield. Great seats everywhere, even the bleachers.
9) Local spots we loved - Farmhouse Cafe (great breakfast and they serve these huge cinnamon rolls with just about everything), Brewburger (phenomenal burgers and fries)
10) Stay as long as you can. The vibe there is cool and the new downtown location is special. |
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