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Highlights: Garciaparra Calling Games; Special Tributes about Rosenblatt Stadium

ESPN’s extensive coverage of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship – featuring a scheduled 55 games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV – will continue with all 17 possible College World Series games for the eighth straight year Saturday, June 19, through Wednesday, June 30, from Omaha, Neb.

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV will combine to televise every game, including the best-of-three College World Series Finals, in the network’s 31st consecutive year. Every telecast will be offered in high definition on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD.

New elements this year include:

• ESPN baseball analyst Nomar Garciaparra will work six game telecasts and provide analysis on SportsCenter from Omaha.
• In celebration of the final year of Rosenblatt Stadium, telecasts will be highlighted by special vignettes and features about the historic stadium and memorable moments of the College World Series in Omaha.
  • “Farewell to Rosenblatt” vignettes will showcase the great moments and memories since 1950, the first year the College World Series was played at the stadium.
  • “My Stadium” vignettes will feature fans and Omaha residents reliving memories of Rosenblatt Stadium.
  • Short “Omaha to Bigs” features will include Major League Baseball players discussing their experiences of playing in the College World Series in Omaha.
  • Articles, historic video moments and a Rosenblatt video essay on ESPN.com.
  • Each telecast will include a look back at the top College World Series plays.

My Stadium Vignettes

Commentator teams include Mike Patrick with analysts Orel Hershiser, Robin Ventura or Nomar Garciaparra and reporters Erin Andrews or Kyle Peterson; Sean McDonough with analyst Robin Ventura and reporter Erin Andrews; and Karl Ravech with analyst Nomar Garciaparra and reporter Kyle Peterson. Jenn Brown will host SportsCenter segments June 21-23 from Rosenblatt Stadium with analysis from Hershiser, Ventura and Garciaparra.

In addition to traditional coverage, ESPN.com and other digital platforms will provide unique, original coverage of the NCAA Baseball Championship. For the second consecutive year, ESPN will use social networking sites Facebook (ESPNOmaha) and Twitter (@ESPN_Omaha) to provide fans with updates and behind-the-scenes insight into the tournament. Details include:

• ESPN.com and the ESPN Omaha Facebook page will also serve as a location for fans to post comments and photos, and play trivia games.
• ESPN analysts will provide commentary, updates, their perspective of the action and baseball news via Twitter from the Super Regionals through the conclusion of the College World Series.

Of the eight qualifying teams, only Arizona State, which is making its 22nd overall appearance, participated in last year’s event. Arizona State faces Clemson, playing in its first College World Series since 2006 and fourth since 2000, on Sunday, June 20, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. Matchups include:

• Coverage will begin with Florida State, making its 20th overall College World Series appearance, taking on TCU, making its first appearance, Saturday, June 19, at 2 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com
• UCLA, earning its first berth in the event since 1997, will play Florida, making its first appearance since 2005.
• South Carolina, playing in its first College World Series since 2004, will take on Oklahoma, making its first since 1995.

NCAA College World Series Presented by Capital One

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