I mentioned yesterday that, should you be so inclined, you would have little difficulty looking for the silver lining surrounding the Diamond Dogs’ 2009 season. One such favorable indicator is the caliber of the competition the Red and Black faced, even before running up against top-seeded Florida State in the Tallahassee Regional.
Consider the quality of the teams with whom the Classic City Canines crossed paths during the regular season:
- Georgia Tech was the No. 1 seed in the Atlanta Regional. The Yellow Jackets will face Southern Miss in a decisive game seven at 7:00 p.m. Monday night.
- Florida was the No. 1 seed in the Gainesville Regional. The Gators went 3-0 in the first round of the N.C.A.A. playoffs and will advance to the super regional, which they will host.
- Clemson was the No. 1 seed in the Clemson Regional. The Tigers will face Oklahoma State in a decisive game seven at 7:00 p.m. Monday night.
- Ole Miss was the No. 1 seed in the Oxford Regional. The Rebels will face Western Kentucky in a decisive game seven at 8:00 p.m. Monday night.
- Louisiana State was the No. 1 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional. The Bayou Bengals went 3-0 in the first round of the N.C.A.A. playoffs and will advance to the super regional, which they will host.
- South Carolina, the No. 2 seed in the Greenville Regional, will face host East Carolina in a decisive game seven at 6:00 p.m. Monday night.
- Vanderbilt, the No. 3 seed in the Louisville Regional, defeated host Louisville on Sunday to force a decisive game seven at 7:00 p.m. Monday night.
- Arkansas, the No. 2 seed in the Norman Regional, defeated host Oklahoma to advance to the super regional.
Losing is never fun, but let’s give credit where credit is due: Georgia played some very tough customers during the regular season, the LeMoynes and Quinnipiacs on the slate notwithstanding. There’s no denying that earning a regional berth against such a schedule represents a meaningful achievement.
Go ‘Dawgs!