Best of 2000s: Greatest to fall short of Omaha

No team enjoys the label of best to never make it to the College World Series.

Vanderbilt and other successful teams of the decade are stuck with the label.

The Commodores put together an amazing regular season campaign in 2007 and appeared to have an easy road to Omaha. However, they ran into a gutsy Michigan team in the Nashville Regional and were sent pack much earlier than expected.

South Carolina’s ’00 team was excellent with pitchers Kip Bouknight and Pete Bauer leading the way. Florida State’s ’02 and ’03 teams both made the list and Mississippi had plenty of candidates for the list besides the ’05 club that lost to Texas.

Houston’s ’02 team will be the most surprising inclusion to many. The Cougars had an outstanding collection of pitchers and a pair of hitters – Chris Snyder and Michael Bourn – that now are in the big leagues.

It’s time to take an inside look at the best teams of the 2000s to not get to Omaha.

1. Vanderbilt ’07

Record. 54-13

The skinny. The Commodores absolutely cleaned up throughout the regular season. They dominated the SEC regular season race and also won the SEC tournament in thrilling fashion. Vandy earned the top national seed with All-Americans David Price and Pedro Alvarez leading the way. But in the Nashville Regional, the ‘Dores received the shock of a lifetime when Michigan eliminated them from this season. It’s still surreal that the Commodores failed to even make it to a super regional. This was an excellent team with amazing chemistry.

2. South Carolina ’00

Record. 56-10

The skinny. It’s still amazing to believe this South Carolina club failed to reach the College World Series. The Gamecocks compiled a fabulous 56-10 record and had a trio of excellent pitchers in Kip Bouknight, Peter Bauer and Scott Barber. The Gamecocks took care of business in the Columbia Regional before losing to Louisiana-Lafayette in the Columbia Super Regional. South Carolina has made three CWS appearances since the ’00 campaign, but this team still is the decade’s best.

Florida State’s Stephen Drew had a solid ’02 season, but was unable to get to Omaha.

(Associated Press)

3. Florida State ’02

Record. 60-14

The skinny. The Seminoles have had several great teams this decade and this club always will go down as one of the program’s best. The ‘Noles cruised through conference play and also had little trouble in the Tallahassee Regional. Paul Mainieri and Notre Dame, though, upset the Seminoles in the Tallahassee Super Regional. FSU finished the season with a 60-14 record and hit .316 as a team with Stephen Drew leading the charge. It also had an impressive 3.96 ERA with Daniel Hodges, Marc LaMacchia, Matt Lynch and Blair Varnes as the headliners. This was an excellent team.

4. Florida State ’03

Record. 54-13

The skinny. Just a year after failing to get to Omaha with a phenomenal team, it was like déjà vu all over again for the Seminoles. They took care of business in the regular season and entered the NCAA postseason with high hopes. They took care of business in the Tallahassee Regional and hosted Texas in super regional action. The Longhorns defeated the Seminoles in a super regional that many felt was an unfair matchup for FSU. The Seminoles finished the season with a .308 batting average and had an excellent pitching staff that ended the season with a 2.96 ERA.

5. Mississippi ’05

Record. 48-20

The skinny. The Rebels didn’t have the overall record of some teams on this list, but this was an excellent team with several big-time players. The Rebels had little trouble with Maine and Oklahoma in the Oxford Regional before getting the lucky draw of Texas in the Oxford Super Regional. Okay, we’re kidding about the lucky part. The Rebels and Longhorns went three games and UT eventually won the national title with a CWS title series win over Florida. Texas coach Augie Garrido famously said in Omaha that Ole Miss was the best team in the country. The Rebels had an excellent weekend rotation, a great reliever and a plethora of great hitters.

6. Arizona State ’08

Record. 49-13

The skinny. The Sun Devils put together a fantastic regular season campaign and claimed a second consecutive Pac-10 title. They also had little trouble in regional play with Oklahoma before playing Fresno State in the Tempe Super Regional. The red-hot Bulldogs upset the Sun Devils in a three-game set. It was a surprising end to Arizona State’s season. This team finished the year with an amazing .342 batting average with Brett Wallace, Ike Davis and Jason Kipnis leading the way. The pitching staff also was solid with ace pitcher Mike Leake as the headliner. ASU could’ve won another title.

7. Rice ’04

Record. 46-14

The skinny. What a strange end to the season it was for the Owls. Rice cruised through WAC play and won the regular season title by more than six games. The Owls earned a national seed and hosted the Houston Regional. There, though, the Owls were surprised by in-state rival Texas A&M in the regional title game. They also suffered one of the most shocking postseason upsets ever to Texas Southern in the opening game. The Owls had a potent offense and a phenomenal pitching staff with Wade Townsend, Philip Humber, Josh Baker and Jeff Niemann leading the way. Rice coach Wayne Graham would love to have this regional back.

8. UC Irvine ’09

Record. 45-15

The skinny. The Anteaters haven’t skipped a beat since coach Mike Gillespie took over the program two seasons ago. The ‘Eaters dominated the Big West last season and compiled an impressive 22-2 conference record. They also earned a national seed and hosted the nation’s toughest regional, which included San Diego State, Virginia and Fresno State. The ‘Eaters lost to Virginia in the regional title game. UCI finished last season with a .314 batting average and a 4.43 ERA. It also made history by being ranked No. 1 for several weeks during the regular season. This was an excellent team that ran into a buzz saw in regional action.

9. Stanford ’04

Record. 46-14

The skinny. The Cardinal put together an impressive regular season campaign that included a Pac-10 title. They also earned a national seed. Stanford defeated UNLV and St. John’s in the Palo Alto Regional, but ultimately was unable to get past Long Beach State. The Cardinal ended the season with a .324 batting average with Jed Lowrie, Danny Putnam, Brian Hall, John Mayberry Jr. and Donny Lucy leading the way. Stanford ended the season with a 4.35 ERA with relievers David O’Hagan and Matt Manship as the headliners. This was the last Stanford team expected to get to Omaha.

10. Houston ’02

Record. 48-16

The skinny. This selection may surprise a few people, but this Houston team was fabulous. The Cougars stormed through C-USA play and earned a regular season title. They also hit the road and took care of business in the Tempe Regional against Arizona State. The Cougars played Texas in the Austin Super Regional and went three games. The ‘Horns, however, won the series and also won another national title. Big leaguers Chris Snyder and Michael Bourn led the offense. Jesse Crain, Brad Sullivan and Ryan Wagner headlined the pitching staff. The Cougars would’ve made much noise in Omaha.