No matter what it took, long-time Gamecock fan Jack Cox was going to make it to Omaha to see South Carolina play at Rosenblatt Stadium. A member of Gamecock Nation since he moved to Columbia in 1970, Cox had missed out on the team's prior trips to the College World Series.
"This year, we decided we were coming no matter what," he said. "So the minute, we won the Super, we called and made hotel and ticket reservations. We drove out here on Wednesday."
After just a couple of days, Cox is already sold on the College World Series experience.
"I've been following baseball for many, many years and I've never seen anything like this," he said. "It's the atmosphere, it's the experience, it's everything. It's just really different. I compare it to a huge state fair with a baseball game in the middle of it."
A life-long fan, Cox has seen his share of baseball history.
"I grew up going to games at Yankee Stadium," he said. "I'm old enough to have seen Babe Ruth play."
One of his favorite memorabilia items is a baseball signed twice by Bobby Richardson - once as a player for the Yankees and again as the head coach for the Gamecocks. Cox got his introduction to Carolina baseball watching the teams of the Richardson era.
"I can remember before we had any kind of stands built up at all," said Cox. "I remember standing behind the chain-link fence to watch the game."
This year's team has Cox excited about the possibilities in Omaha.
"I think they play more as a team and a group than a lot of other teams I've seen in the past. Last year's team may have had more talent, but we have more of a team this year and I think that's part of our success," he said. "I'm just hoping and praying we can pull out a win. I hope we're here for two weeks!"
"This year, we decided we were coming no matter what," he said. "So the minute, we won the Super, we called and made hotel and ticket reservations. We drove out here on Wednesday."
After just a couple of days, Cox is already sold on the College World Series experience.
"I've been following baseball for many, many years and I've never seen anything like this," he said. "It's the atmosphere, it's the experience, it's everything. It's just really different. I compare it to a huge state fair with a baseball game in the middle of it."
A life-long fan, Cox has seen his share of baseball history.
"I grew up going to games at Yankee Stadium," he said. "I'm old enough to have seen Babe Ruth play."
One of his favorite memorabilia items is a baseball signed twice by Bobby Richardson - once as a player for the Yankees and again as the head coach for the Gamecocks. Cox got his introduction to Carolina baseball watching the teams of the Richardson era.
"I can remember before we had any kind of stands built up at all," said Cox. "I remember standing behind the chain-link fence to watch the game."
This year's team has Cox excited about the possibilities in Omaha.
"I think they play more as a team and a group than a lot of other teams I've seen in the past. Last year's team may have had more talent, but we have more of a team this year and I think that's part of our success," he said. "I'm just hoping and praying we can pull out a win. I hope we're here for two weeks!"
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