LSU coach Paul Mainieri has been in the college baseball business a long time – since 1976 to be exact.As one would imagine, Mainieri has a lot of friends in the business. It just so happens that his closest friend is Brian O’Connor, the sixth-year head coach at Virginia, LSU’s opening round opponent in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday night in the College World Series.Mainieri hired O’Connor at the ripe age of 23. He was born in Omaha and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa, right across the Missouri River from Rosenblatt Stadium, and he attended the College World Series every year as a child since he was four years old.O’Connor was a year removed from his playing days at Creighton University — where he helped lead the Bluejays to an improbable 1991 hometown run to the College World Series — when Mainieri hired him.After assisting Mainieri for nine years at Notre Dame, he was hired by Virginia when then-coach Dennis Womack retired after the 2003 season.”What I learned as a coach, I have learned from Paul Mainieri,” O’Connor said. “That’s the professional side of it. The personal side of it is, he’s one of my best friends. Paul and I talk three, four times a week during the season and a couple times a week in the offseason.”Mainieri said he text messaged O’Connor immediately after the Cavilers defeated Ole Miss to advance to Omaha.”I had some profound words for him — ‘Who ya pitching?'” Mainieri laughed. “Then I put, ‘P.S. I love you, I’m proud of you and I’m happy for you … But remember, I taught you everything you know — but not everything I know.'”Apparently, O’Connor took in everything he learned from Mainieri, as he boasts the type of balance Mainieri loves in a ballclub — speed, power and pitching.The Cavaliers (48-13-1) are ranked No. 5 in the nation in hits (728), No. 6 in triples (27), No. 13 in stolen bases (116) and boast a team batting average of .327.However, those stolen bases don’t worry LSU’s pitchers.Freshman closer Matty Ott said the Tigers can’t fear their opponents.”Sometimes, they have to fear us,” Ott said. “You have to have the same mindset no matter who you are playing.”Virginia’s pitching staff isn’t too shabby either, as it’s ranked among the nation’s elite as No. 3 in the nation with a 3.14 ERA and No. 2 with 7.75 hits allowed per nine innings.The Cavaliers probable first game starter, freshman southpaw Danny Hultzen (9-1), is tops on the team among regular starters with a 2.09 ERA, 86 innings pitched and 95 strikeouts.The adage this season says LSU can’t hit left-handed pitching, which is why opponents have started 30 lefties against the Tigers, compared to 20 last season.While the saying is somewhat true — LSU is batting .299 against southpaws with a 17-13 record and .325 against righties with a 35-14 record — the Tigers went 3-for-4 against Rice’s best southpaw, freshman Taylor Wall, in Friday night’s 12-9 victory against Rice.LSU sophomore catcher Micah Gibbs said that outing against Wall was a confidence boost, as he is tired of hearing the naysayers talk about LSU’s lack of production against left-handed pitching.”It gives us an edge where we want to shut up the critics,” the Pflugerville, Texas, native said. “But at the same time, we have faced them all year, so we have been practicing.”The Tigers do have one major advantage against Virginia — the “been there, done that” factor.  This is the first trip to Omaha for the Cavaliers, while LSU was there last year and 13 times before that.”Last year, we were just happy to be there,” said LSU sophomore second baseman DJ LeMahieu. “This year, we have the experience that will help us a lot.”—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]