Usually, when a LSU baseball team wins a Baton Rouge regional,it takes a victory lap around Alex Box Stadium to receivecongratulations and Mardi Gras beads from the fans.
           WhileLSU did take a lap after its 9-8, extra-inning win overUNC-Wilmington, the regional champions first took a back seat tothe Seahawks, who took a victory lap of their own – the firstever lap by an opposing team.
           UNCWcoach Mark Scalf said he let the players take a lap after many ofthe 6,000 plus fans called for them to come out after the finalgame. He said he wanted the players to have some fun, meet peopleand appreciate the moment.
“I thinkthere’s a lot of respect from our players for the fans hereand the way they carry themselves and the way they appreciate thegame of baseball,” Scalf said. “There are true baseballfans here. They understand the game. They appreciate the way youngmen play the game. It’s a great group of people who attendthese games. I envy you folks from this area to play in front ofthis crowd or be a part of this crowd.”
            Scalfsaid the way his team played in the regional was big for theprogram, and he was proud of all the players that carried the teamup to the regional.
“I alwaysknew our guys were a great group of young men and they play thegame the way it’s supposed to be played,” Scalf said.”I think the fans here have noticed that over the last threedays.”
           Makingits first appearance in a NCAA Regional, UNCW lost its first gameto Tulane, 8-3, Friday, then came back to win two games on Saturdayto advance to Sunday’s title game. The Seahawks oustedNortheastern in the first elimination game and held off Tulane inextra innings, 9-8.
           ManyUNCW players said they enjoyed the trip to Baton Rouge.
“Enoughabout the game, the fans here are probably the best fans I haveever met in my life,” said Seahawk first baseman Matt Wright.”Other than being a Seahawk, I am going to start pulling forLSU.”
Wright, along withleft fielder Chip Grawey and pitcher Blake Cross were named to theAll-Tournament team for UNCW. Wright was a unanimous selection.
Fans begancheering for the Seahawks in other games, particularly in its gamesagainst Tulane, which had Jonny Kaplan, who LSU fans booedrelentlessly all weekend.
After the game,LSU coach Smoke Laval said he approached Scalf, and joked that ifUNCW wanted to come back and play the Tigers next season, they werenot invited. Laval said the Seahawks gave LSU a great game.
 ”They’re an outstanding baseball team,”Laval said. “They’re very well coach, very wellschooled. They know the game. These guys compete and playhard.”
Ivan Naccarata,Ryan Patterson, Blake Gill, Nate Bumstead, Aaron Hill and MattLiuzza also notched All-Regional Team honors along with J.C Holt,who was named Most Outstanding.