BY: CAREY MONTZ

Okay, before I go on any further, I have to lay everything out there.  LSU was losing Sunday to the UCIrvine Ant Eaters 7-2 in the fifth inning.  I had a softball game at 5:30.  Based on how the Tigers were playing on Sunday, coupled with getting shelled 11-5 in game 1 of their Super Regional matchup with the Ant Eaters on Saturday, I had given up hope.  It was really hard to leave to play softball at a time like that, but the weekend's events made it a bit easier.  Of course I still wanted LSU to win.  And even while warming up for our softball game, I was still pacing back and forth curious to the know the score.

Then something happened that I have seen before.  LSU, trailing now 7-4 in the top of the 9th made their move.  A walk and couple of base hits later, it is 7-5...NOBODY OUT!  No way this is happening.  Meanwhile, our softball team is in the midst of giving up about run 9 in what would become a 14 run inning for the opposing team.  I didn't really care.  Then, another update from the stands.  Tie game!!!!  Are you kidding me?  An hour ago, this team was dead.  The Ant Eaters starting pitching was too good.  Their hitting was clutch.  LSU's previous 23 game winning streak didn't mean squat to them. 

A couple more base hits...9-7 lead for the Tigers.  We now move to the bottom of the ninth.  Our mighty softball team is now losing 14-4...in the second inning.  Still no worries.  A minute or two passes.  One out.  We take the field for the bottom of the second.  Two outs.  We somehow manage not to give up any runs in the second after getting pasted for 14 in the previous one.  Three outs.  GAME OVER!  See you for game 3 tomorrow night at The Box!!!

Paul Mainieri and his LSU Tigers' continue to defy baseball logic.  Just two weeks ago, they were losing 4-0 to SouthCarolina in the ninthinning in the first game of the SEC tournament.  They score 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth and would eventually win 5-4 in extra innings on a Blake Dean walk off home run. 

On Sunday with their season on the line, they do it again.  Five runs in the top of the 9th to score a 9-7 victory against UC-Irvine.  Now the pressure switches to the Ant Eaters.  They had LSU beat.  They were outplaying LSU in all phases of the game.  Pitching, hitting, base running, fielding, crotch grabbing....it didn't matter.  And the guys at ESPN (HEY WILL KIMMEY!) made sure you knew about it.

Without question the key for LSU tomorrow is first getting a strong effort from starting pitcher Blake Martin.  Next, they have to get to UC Irvine's starter early and often.  Thanks to the wonderful world of Digital Video Recording, I was able to come home from our eventual 21-8 defeat on the softball diamond and watch the last three innings of Sunday's game two.  What I saw was Ant Eater relievers who looked nervous in the moment.  Their starters were phenomenal.  Their relievers, not so much. 

LSU has been on the brink of elimination before.  Skip's great teams of the 90's staved off many elimination games and went on to win multiple national championships.  I could go on and on about them, but this isn't about those teams.  This 2008 LSU Tiger baseball team deserves tons of credit.  In many people's eyes, they have already achieved more than anyone thought they would.  But, in my opinion, this team is special.  They don't have high profle guys, but they have a group of guys who all have one thing in common.  They don't want to go home.  They'd rather GEAUX BACK HOME TO OMAHA!!!

Things were going well four months ago, The LSU baseball team had barely gotten their season underway.  The LSU football team was merely a month removed from dominating the pride of the Big 10, the Ohio State Buckeyes, in the BCS Title Game.  And last and certainly least, LSU basketball was performing about as well as that little girl dressed like a bee in that Blind Melon "No Rain" video.  To top all of it off, my wife and I had just given birth to a brand new (redundant, I know) baby girl, named Carly. 

Life was good.  Carly would be about 6 months old by the time Daddy would commence to start tailgating again for LSU football.  But in the meantime, something happened that was not expected.  The LSU baseball Tigers started winning, and winning, and winning.......and WINNING!!!!  16 in a row by regular season's end, and 7 more in the SEC tourny and sub-regional playoff round. 

Now let's back up for a minute.  My wife knew going into our marriage that LSU football reigned supreme in my bag full of issues I would bring to the marriage compromise table.  The other LSU sports, she did not have to worry about too much, which is why this past weekend made for some interesting discussions, err...conversations....errr.....arguments. 

Friday, she comes home from work to my friends and I sitting on the front porch having a few drinks.  In case you are wondering, I did have my daughter with me and was not drinking heavily at that point.  LSU had just laid a 12-1 beat-down to Texas Southern in the first game of the Baton Rouge sub-regional.  We were excited.  Excited enough to drink all the beer that was in the ice chest, plus some additional beers donated by various members of the neighborhood. 

This would have all been okay, had I not been planning on attending the LSU-Southern Miss game that would commence the next day.  I did take our eight year old son with me to that one, leaving mommy and baby home by themselves.  One night and one full day and night of taking care of Carly by herself apparently was enough.  She made it perfectly clear that it was enough on Sunday evening when I came home from playing softball where she refused to welcome me home with open arms.  She did get her payback.  She was gone all day Sunday before I left to play softball that afternoon.  But the damage had been done. 

I must say it was all worth it because LSU lit up USM in consecutive days to the tune of 13-4 and 11-4.  As for our marriage, all will be well.  She is getting diamond earrings for our anniversary.