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CWS Notebook

NCAA employees packing up; Rosenblatt packs 'em in

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Posted: Saturday June 19, 1999 07:27 PM

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- NCAA employee Sean Straziscar was excited about moving to Indianapolis until he tried to sell his house in Kansas.

"That's when your personal feelings come into play, rather than your professional feelings," he said.

Straziscar is among 91 NCAA employees who agreed to go when the NCAA announced it was moving its headquarters to Indianapolis. That was two years ago, and now it's almost time for the organization to leave Overland Park, Kan.

Some 240 other employees will stay behind.

Straziscar is a statistician who handles Division II and III sports and serves as media coordinator for the Division II basketball championship. Like many NCAA employees, he was in Omaha to help at the College World Series.

With the tournament ending, Straziscar will return to Wellsville, Kan., to leave the dream home he and his wife bought six years ago. They've found another place in Greencastle, Ind., but the purchase is tied to the sale of their Kansas house.

"There's a lot going on right now," he said. "Sometimes it's hard to concentrate at work."

Then there are all the goodbyes. About a month ago, the NCAA held a farewell party for more than 300 employees. Many departments have held smaller gatherings.

"It's real hard to say goodbye when you see someone three or four times a day for five years or more," said Dianna Lanz, a receptionist for seven years. "You know their families. You know everything about them."

Lanz is staying behind. She has a son in Kansas City and another enrolled at Kansas State, and her husband, Gus, has the job with the bigger salary.

"I had to think of our priorities," she said.

The NCAA opens its office in Indianapolis on Aug. 3.

Gritty effort

Much of the talk after the game focused on Florida State right-hander Blair Varnes, who hadn't pitched in the College World Series until taking the mound against Miami.

Varnes injured a knee ligament during the postgame pileup when the Seminoles beat Auburn on June 5, winning their super regional to advance to Omaha. He is scheduled for surgery after returning to Tallahassee.

"Blair made good pitches," Florida State coach Mike Martin said. "Gosh, did Blair Varnes pitch with such tremendous heart."

Varnes didn't use a full extension when he came down to plant his left foot. Otherwise, the bulky brace he wore on his left knee didn't seem to affect his throwing motion.

His injury was most apparent when he limped around the mound after an infield pop-up or hobbled to back up catcher Jeremiah Klosterman when a throw was coming from the outfield.

"I could have torn cartilage or something, but I'm having surgery next week anyway," Varnes said. "I didn't want to be old and gray and regret that I didn't pitch for the national championship."

Varnes left to a standing ovation after walking leadoff hitter Bobby Hill in the seventh. He allowed eight hits, six earned runs, four walks and got one strikeout.

"I was very, very surprised they decided to use him," Miami coach Jim Morris said. "I had no idea who they were going to start. Varnes had a great season, and for him to be put in that position, he responded with a great effort."

Record watch

The crowd of 23,563 at Rosenblatt Stadium for the championship game increased total attendance for this year's CWS to a record 206,639.

The previous record of 204,361 was established last year. It's the third straight year total attendance has surpassed 200,000.

The average attendance for individual sessions was 20,664, another record. The crowd of 24,859 for the late session on June 13, a game between Oklahoma State and Rice, was also a single-session record.

Another record was set in the June 12 game between Stanford and Cal State-Fullerton when the pitchers combined to hit five batters.

Great throw

Florida State right fielder Matt Diaz made a great play to prevent a run in the first.

With runners on second and third, Miami's Lale Esquivel hit a fly ball deep to right. Bobby Hill tagged and ran for the plate, but Diaz's throw couldn't have been any better.

Catcher Jeremiah Klosterman had the plate blocked. Hill tried to slide around Klosterman's leg, but the ball arrived at the same time and Klosterman put down the tag for the last out of the inning.

Absent governor

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush had planned to attend the national title game involving two teams from his state.

According to publicists from both schools, Bush canceled after his wife was fined for failing to declare $19,000 in goods after an overseas trip.

Heads up

In the second inning, a foul ball came off the bat of Miami's Greg Lovelady and arched into the broadcast booth behind home plate.

Former Arizona coach Jerry Kindall, analyzing the game for CBS, was cheered when he held up the ball.

Omaha fans surely remembered Kindall. He and Southern California coach Mike Gillespie are the only men to win national titles as a player and a coach.

Gillespie played on the USC team that won in 1961, then won last year's championship as the Trojans' coach. Kindall was a member of Minnesota's title team in 1956 and coached Arizona to championships in 1980 and 1986.

In-state showdowns

It was the third time in the College World Series that schools from the same state played for the title. Previously, both teams were from California.

 

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