First off, hats off to Frank Anderson and the Cowboys. As Dave Van Horn said, sometimes it's the luck of the draw. Had this regional happened last week, chances are Arkansas would've prevailed. However, the Cowboys are peaking at the right time, and with the power lineup they feature, it'll be very tough to beat them during this postseason. Pitchers have to really find ways to work around the first five Cowboy hitters. Anderson has power to spare, and if OSU gets the home runs going, watch out. Only a strong wind blowing in could stop the OSU power attack otherwise.

Arkansas will enter next year with a big question mark. The Hogs will basically lose all of their starting pitching to the MLB Draft, as well as 1B Danny Hamblin, among others. Van Horn says they'll be back, and when you've had the success he's had, you can't argue against him. Sure, the Hogs lose all that pitching, but going into this season, Arkansas had Schmidt, Sean Seibert, and two untested JUCO pitchers. Then, Seibert got hurt and was lost for the season. You'd think the Hogs would've been in serious trouble. Instead, the Hogs rallied around Schmidt and their two JUCO pitchers, Jess Todd and Duke Welker, and won the SEC West with some incredible pitching performances. Seibert, if healthy, will be back, and Stephen Richards really showed some potential this postseason. Bring back Logan Forsythe and some power hitting, and Arkansas will be dangerous all over again.

Creighton will be dangerous again as well. They also lose some great pitching, including the ambidextrous wonder Pat Venditte. However, I'll be watching the career of Ed Servais very closely. This is a coach that fans can really rally around. He can get quality pitching and hitting, but his emphasis on defense and fielding is what will keep Creighton good for years to come. Beating the Jays means outhitting, outhustling, and outplaying them for nine innings. Very few teams were able to do that this year, and I expect the same success from the Bluejays next year. I will though, advise Creighton to give Servais a contract extension before Tennessee comes calling. As much as I love SEC sports, spending time in the Missouri Valley has me rallying to keep good baseball in the heart of the Midwest.

As for Albany, they end on a high note. Despite going 0-2 this weekend, Albany's players made history. They did it in an atmosphere that rivals nothing in college baseball, save Rosenblatt Stadium. Playing in front of 8,000+ fans, especially when you're used to home crowds of 85, is something those Great Dane players will never forget. Albany will be that much tougher to beat next year. They've had a taste of the big time, and they'll be wanting seconds for sure.

As always, Fayetteville does an amazing job in hosting a regional. Baum Stadium is such a great atmosphere, it makes you wonder why the NCAA just doesn't put a regional there every year. When you see teams like Albany, or Princeton last year, get to play in stadiums like this one, that's a true reward for those players. It also makes you wonder why on Earth the NCAA would ever consider hosting regionals at neutral sites. Why???? If you do that, you take away the great atmospheres of college baseball and put them in stadiums without the atmosphere that a true college stadium holds. College baseball is a growing sport; let's let it grow in campus stadiums, not in minor league ballparks.

My thanks as always to the staff in Fayetteville, and to Josh Maxson, the UA SID who worked tirelessly for everyone in the press box. The guy never stopped moving, and you have to appreciate efforts like that. I also thank Dr. Don White, who is a terrific baseball fan and all-around good guy. It was a pleasure to talk sports with him again. Thanks go as well to Claire Scruggs, who was great in taking some time to talk with us, and RBI Girls Mary Katherine Bentley and Kathryn Fiser for taking some time to talk with us as well.

I have to thank the CSTV crew of Tom Hart, Carter Blackburn and Kevin Stocker for making their way down to Fayetteville. What makes this regional great is that it shows what Fayetteville and Arkansas can really do. It takes away from some of the stereotypes and shows off one of the premier venues in college athletics, while showing the rest of the nation what a great fan base lies in the heart of Razorback country.

Finally, a big thanks to the fans for coming out and supporting college athletics. We're all here because of you, and we hope you keep coming back. It's always fun to cover games for avid fans.

With that, we close coverage of the 2007 Fayetteville Regional, won tonight by Oklahoma State by a final of 7-6 over Arkansas. Stay tuned to Touching the Bases for continuing coverage of the Road to Omaha, and good night from the heart of the Razorback Nation.