Texas Tech Links: Texas Tech is Headed to Omaha! Links, Video, Quotes from the Lubbock Super-Regional

We don't really need much of a description here.

The Final Out and the Dog Pile.

The Catch.

The Highlights.

Texas Tech is Going to Omaha. Amazing. Completely surpassed every expectation that I've ever had about head coach and Tim Tadlock and this team.  Simply amazing.  When we talk about expectations for any team, it's about just hanging on and catching some breaks and taking advantage of opportunities. One pitch, one out, one swing of the bat at a time.

Texas Tech beat the College of Charleston, 1-0, for the second game in a row, and will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.  Texas Tech will face the winner of Pepperdine and TCU. Adam Kirsch drove in Tyler Neslony in the 4th inning for the game's only run, while freshman pitcher Dylan Dusek pitched 5 scoreless innings, with some help from Cameron Smith, Dominic Moreno and Jonny Drozd earning a 2 inning save.

The "catch" though, changed the game and Devon Conley Tim Tadlock thoughtfully opined on that huge play:

"At the time it meant they didn't score any runs. That is the simplest thing," Tadlock said. "Now that the game is over, I imagine we'll be talking about that catch a long time, right? ... As far as the grand scheme of deals, as far as what it means, I don't think we'll really know that until I mean, we've got some more games to play."

Tadlock also asked, why not Texas Tech, as this team has earned the right to play in the College World Series:

"Why not?" Tadlock said. "Why not dream big? We try not to make more out of it than it really is, and absolutely, we've earned the right to go. We're looking forward to the opportunity to compete and the challenge of going up there against whoever we play."

In looking at the quotes from the game, it makes you appreciate Tadlock even more. He has a certain temperament and expectation about him that's pretty funny to read, especially if you've heard him talk before. He speaks slowly and with purpose.  When Tim Tadlock was introduced as Texas Tech's head coach on June 8, 2012, he started out with this comment:

"It wasn't too long ago, it's been about seven years, that a guy told me, ‘Texas Tech can't go to Omaha,'" Tadlock said referring to the site of the College World Series. "Well, guess what we're about to find out? We are going to strive every day to put this program in a position to win championships. Along the way, if that gets us to Omaha, we will count our blessings and we will be the happiest people. We are going to throw tortillas in Omaha."

That was exactly two years ago, to the day, that Texas Tech advanced to the College World Series.  Yesterday, Tadlock was asked about that initial comment:

Q. Coach, you mentioned the grand scheme of things. Do you remember what you said in your introductory press conference two years ago?

COACH TADLOCK: Come on, man (laughing). Yeah, I do. Of course I do.

Q. Talk about what that means to you?

COACH TADLOCK: I mean, why not? Why not? It's a baseball game. We're baseball players, baseball coaches, just like you guys are. I mean, why not? Why not dream big? We try not to make more out of it than it really is. Absolutely. We earned the right to go and are really looking forward to the opportunity of competing and the challenge going up there and whoever we play. Obviously, yeah, I could shed a tear over it right now, if you wanted to.

Ticket Information. If you want tickets, this is where you go. Texas Tech will play their first game starting Sunday at 2:00 pm, against the winner of either TCU or Pepperdine. You can find ticket information at the official site.

Lubbock Showed How Terrific It Is. The fans showed up in droves and famous heckler Chris Snead and Mike Gustafson talked about their game as well:

"We don't really plan anything. We let the game happen," he said. "If we can find the things that their players are doing, we try to pick up on that and not really exploit it so much as we would accentuate it. ... Some guys are good at blocking that out and some guys are not."