June 3, 2016
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Coach Clint Myers likes the sound of his players learning to be more comfortable at softball's College World Series. That's because he plans on Auburn to be a regular visitor.
The Tigers, which beat 11-time World Series champion UCLA 10-3 Thursday, will be looking for their second win at this year's event when they play Georgia at 6 p.m. Saturday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Myers said get used to such World Series trips.
"What we're trying to do is establish a legacy that Auburn University belongs at the College World Series every year, just like UCLA, with Arizona, with Alabama, with Florida, with all the other teams that are here," Myers said. "They're here, year in, year out, and we want to people believe that Auburn is going to be the team that is going to be here as well. Even though we're in the infancy of our legacy, these young ladies have clearly started something special."
Myers knows the way to Oklahoma City. He took seven of his eight Arizona State teams to the College World Series, winning it all twice. Now, it's Auburn's turn under Myers.
This is Auburn's second straight trip - and second-ever trip - to OKC. That's nothing new for some of the other teams.. This is UCLA's 27th trip to the World Series. The Bruins have played 127 games in the Series. Auburn has played five.
But that didn't matter when they met Thursday.
"It's definitely different because we came in with experience this year," said Auburn third baseman Kasey Cooper. "I was talking to Jade (Rhodes) in the middle of the game. I said, 'How different is it this year?' We were here last year and we were playing a little nervous. This year, none of our hearts were racing. We've been here before. We're excited. We came in with a plan. We came in with a goal. And we executed that plan. We're four wins away from winning the national championship."
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine