COLLEGE WORLD SERIES Texas in finals after eliminating Georgia, 7-6



OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Texas will be resting while South Carolina and Cal State Fullerton meet again in the College World Series.
"The advantage is ours," Texas coach Augie Garrido said.
The top-seeded Longhorns (58-13), playing for their second national championship in three years, advanced to the best-of-three final with a 7-6 comeback victory over Georgia on Wednesday.
South Carolina beat Fullerton 5-3 to force rematch with the Titans tonight for a spot in the final.
South Carolina coach Ray Tanner and Fullerton's George Horton were considering using their top starters -- the Gamecocks' Matt Campbell (10-5) and the Titans' Jason Windsor (12-4).
Windsor threw a three-hitter in beating Campbell and the Gamecocks 2-0 in the first round.
"We're here to win a national championship, and you can only do that if you get to [the finals]," Horton said. "If Ray uses Campbell and we use Windsor, then advantage Augie, I guess."
A South Carolina victory would set up a rematch of its 2002 CWS final against Texas. The Gamecocks (53-16) have advanced to the final three times, but have never won a title.
Fullerton (44-22) is seeking its fourth title. The Titans won in 1979, '84 and '95, all under Garrido.
Howell ready
The Longhorns are set to start All-American J.P. Howell, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, on Saturday in the first game of the best-of-three final. He allowed two hits in 62/3 innings in Texas' 13-2 first-round victory over Arkansas.
In Texas' victory over Georgia (45-23), Carson Kainer doubled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and Huston Street (6-1) pitched three innings of one-run relief. Georgia lost twice to Texas in the tournament, squandering a five-run lead Wednesday.
"They're a championship ballclub that continues to answer everything their opponent brings at them," Bulldogs coach David Perno said.
The Longhorns' rally marked the first time in the CWS that a team has rallied from five runs down to win since Stanford erased an eight-run deficit to beat Tulane in 2001.
"I believe that's the 27th time we've come from behind to win, so it wasn't our first rodeo," Garrido said.
In the second game, Jason Fletcher and Chad Blackwell combined to hold Fullerton hitless over the last five innings. Bryan Triplett homered and drove in the go-ahead run for South Carolina.
Fletcher (6-1) went six innings and allowed all five Fullerton hits. Fletcher and Blackwell combined to retire 16 of the last 17 batters after Ronnie Prettyman's bunt single in the fourth inning.
"Last night when I got the word I was going to start, I had chills going all night," Fletcher said. "I tried to call everybody I knew to let them know they should watch the game tomorrow. We deserve this, to be out here and still playing."
Blackwell earned his nation-leading 20th save.