Texas savors title

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Texas is back on top with another College World Series championship.
Kyle McCulloch pitched 62/3 strong innings in 93-degree heat and David Maroul and Chance Wheeless homered Sunday to lead the Longhorns past Florida 6-2 and win the school's sixth CWS title.
"It's pretty sweet all the time. Honey's honey," said Texas coach Augie Garrido, who's won two titles now with the Longhorns after three at Cal State Fullerton.
Strengthened by a gutsy run through the regional and super regional rounds, when they had to win five elimination games just to get to Omaha, the Longhorns (56-16) completed the sweep of the Gators in the best-of-three championship series. They won the first game 4-2 on Saturday, and were unbeaten in five games at the CWS.
On fire
"We got hot at the right time. It was hard to stop us. It all came together at the end for us," star reliever J. Brent Cox said.
"It definitely wasn't easy. It was tough."
Florida (48-23) was making its first appearance in the championship round and the Gators couldn't get their offense going until they were behind 6-0.
Florida coach Pat McMahon acknowledged that Texas' experience was a plus.
"When your players have been here it is a help, an asset, because you know the expectations," McMahon said. "I do think it was a factor, but we were ready to play."
Closer
Cox got the final five outs, including the clincher with a strikeout, and Texas raced to the field and piled on one another in celebration.
Texas' six College World Series titles are second only to Southern California (12). The Longhorns' run of success is extensive and impressive: they have made more CWS appearances (32) and won more games there (78) than any other school.
The Longhorns last won the championship in 2002 and were runners-up a year ago to Cal State Fullerton.
As Garrido said before the 2005 event began, the Longhorns are expected to play in Omaha every year. It's a given. This year's appearance was their fourth straight at Rosenblatt Stadium.
Outstanding player honor
Maroul, who was 3-for-4 with four RBIs Sunday, was chosen the outstanding player of the series.
"It's a lot better than last year's outcome, of course. A great way to end a season," Maroul said.
"To come out and help your team out as much as you can feels good. I just didn't think as much. I relaxed more."
Garrido saluted his No. 8 hitter Maroul, who entered Sunday's game batting .241 for the season.
"This is a guy that struggled all season and now is the MVP of the College World Series on a national championship team," Garrido said.
"Now here is a defining moment for him. It's wonderful."
McCulloch (12-4), a 6-foot-3 sophomore right-hander, threw seven shutout innings in the Longhorns' 5-0 win over Tulane six days ago.
He struck out eight Sunday, walking one and giving up five hits, including a two-run homer to Brian Leclerc in the seventh. Randy Boone got the third out of the inning with two runners on.
Florida put runners at first and third in the eighth off Boone before heavily used closer Cox -- who appeared in all five of the Longhorns' games -- got out of the jam.
Cox issued a walk in the ninth but after a double play, he struck out Stephen Barton and fell to his knee on the mound, waiting for his teammates to rush out in celebration.
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