Needing only a win to advance to the championship, three-game series, the Owls were silenced by the Tar Heels ace pitcher, Robert Woodard. Through six innings, the Owls managed five hits and one run - thanks to a RBI double by The Woodlands' Danny Lehmann.

Don't expect a repeat performance today when the two teams meet for the third time this week. Sunday, the Owls defeated this same Tar Heel team, 14-4.

In the CWS, the Owls team, featuring Lehmann and Jordan Dodson (also from TWHS), has scored 30 runs on 40 hits. That includes the lone run the Owls put on the board in Wednesday's loss.

According to the most recent baseball poll, Rice is the No. 2 ranked team in the country and North Carolina is No. 3. That might be reason enough for someone 850 something miles away from Rosenblatt Stadium to pick the Owls to win. I also like the fact that during the past five years, three times the national champions have hailed from the Lone Star State. The Longhorns won two (2002 and 2005) and the Owls won it all in 2003.

Then again, maybe it's just because Lehmann and Dodson are from Montgomery County.