OMAHA, Neb. — When I woke up in my hotel room this morning, an instant feeling of "Here we go again!" surged over me. The rain was falling as hard as it was the night before, pounding at the window panes, and the ominous clouds in the gray sky seemed determined not to let an ounce of sunlight break through.
It got scarier as I walked out of the hotel, where a tree had blown over during the night storm and landed on top of four cars (glad I'm not driving this week). The word when I arrived at the stadium at about 8: 30 a.m. local time was that the front was going to move out of the area by the time first pitch was scheduled just past 10 a.m., but I was doubtful. Clearly, there is a reason I'm not a weatherman.
As if someone flipped a switch, the Omaha sun dropped in for the first time and two days, quickly baking the stadium patrons with welcomed rays. What was most impressive was how fast the stadium crew accelerated into gear in an effort to get the field ready in time. They poured sand on the field, busted out rakes and hoes, and even began mopping up puddles with giant white beach towels. With a crew of more than 25 scurrying along the infield, (cue Bob Costas voice) "some how, some way," they got the stage ready for the show.
What followed was a beautiful day in the heart of the Midwest — if you don't mind some humidity, of course — that allowed for a triple-header at the 'Blatt for the first time since 1980. "It was a beautiful day," ASU coach Tim Esmay said, likely wishful that he could have used the adjective to describe the performance of his team in its 6-3 loss to Clemson. For a town that yearns for this magical 10 days of summer every year, a trifecta of games quickly erased the frustration the rain had poured on the day before.
