Collier11
6/17/2010, 01:51 PM
CWS trip worth the wait for Sunny and son
By Steven Pivovar
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Kallen Golloway has been bugging his dad for a couple of years to take him to the College World Series.
Sorry, Sunny Golloway would tell his son, can't do it.
“I'm a baseball coach,'' Sunny said, “and baseball coaches don't go to Omaha without their teams.''
Thanks to this Oklahoma team, Golloway's problem is solved. The Sooners (49-16) are coming back to the College World Series, for the first time since 1995, and 10-year-old Kallen Golloway will be accompanying them.
“Sometimes, when you want something so badly, you worry about the reasons you want it,'' Golloway said. “But I took heart in that I wanted it for the right reasons. I wanted to get to Omaha for my players. And my son.''
Golloway has made the journey three times before as an Oklahoma assistant coach. He has a picture in his office in Norman of him holding the championship trophy after the Sooners won it all in 1994. He also accompanied Oklahoma to Rosenblatt Stadium in 1992 and 1995.
As Golloway talked to a reporter on the phone, he volunteered that he was wearing a shirt that had the numbers 540 on the front of it. That, he explained, is the distance from OU's ballpark in Norman to Rosenblatt Stadium.
And on the back? “It reads, ‘Earn every mile,''' Golloway said. “And this year, we did.''
The last few steps were especially taxing for Golloway and his players. The Sooners hosted the regional tournament but sweated out three one-run victories, two that extended into the 10th inning. That earned a super-regional trip to Charlottesville, Va., to take on Virginia, the No. 5 national seed.
The Cavaliers won the opening game 3-2 to put Oklahoma one loss from elimination. The Sooners bounced back to win the second game 10-7, then dominated the final contest 11-0 to deny Virginia a second straight trip to Rosenblatt.
In his fifth season as Oklahoma head coach, Golloway said a couple of his previous teams had the talent to make it to Omaha. The Sooners played in a super regional in 2006 but lost to Rice. They were a No. 7 national seed last season but ran into a red-hot Arkansas club in the regional.
“I thought we had legitimate shots to get to Omaha two of the past four years,'' he said, “and when you don't get there, it starts getting worrisome.
“I know how hard it is to get to Omaha, but I also thought the clock might be quicker for us.''
What pushed this group over the hump, Golloway said, is a characteristic that separates many a contender from a pretender. The Sooners' mental toughness, coupled with their talent, made for a lethal combination as they maneuvered down the stretch.
“To me, mental toughness is the most important aspect,'' Golloway said. “It's not always about speed or arm strength. I've had the chance to work with a lot of great players, and the thing they shared is a mental toughness.''
Golloway said he asks his players at the beginning of each season: What is mental toughness?
“I always get a plethora of answers,'' he said. “The best definition I know, and I thank Lou Piniella for it, is that mental toughness is learning to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.''
The Sooners found themselves in plenty of tight spots the past two weeks. Each time, some player would make a big play or big pitch or get a big hit to keep Oklahoma moving forward.
Four of the biggest hits in the past two games came from Cody Reine, a sophomore junior-college transfer who didn't break into the starting lineup until April. Reine hit two homers in the second game against the Cavaliers and blasted two more, driving in six runs, in the decisive third game.
Golloway said Reine's ability to maintain his mental edge when things weren't going his way early in the season allowed him to perform when given an opportunity.
And the same holds true for the player he replaced. Senior Kaleb Herren started the first 15 games but has had to accept a lesser role with Reine's emergence.
“He's a senior, he's from right here in Oklahoma City, his grandfather was a legendary player in these parts,'' Golloway said. “He exemplifies the attitude on this team.
“I know he wants to be playing, but he also understands his role. We have a lot of guys like that, and that's one reason we're where we are at.''
By Steven Pivovar
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Kallen Golloway has been bugging his dad for a couple of years to take him to the College World Series.
Sorry, Sunny Golloway would tell his son, can't do it.
“I'm a baseball coach,'' Sunny said, “and baseball coaches don't go to Omaha without their teams.''
Thanks to this Oklahoma team, Golloway's problem is solved. The Sooners (49-16) are coming back to the College World Series, for the first time since 1995, and 10-year-old Kallen Golloway will be accompanying them.
“Sometimes, when you want something so badly, you worry about the reasons you want it,'' Golloway said. “But I took heart in that I wanted it for the right reasons. I wanted to get to Omaha for my players. And my son.''
Golloway has made the journey three times before as an Oklahoma assistant coach. He has a picture in his office in Norman of him holding the championship trophy after the Sooners won it all in 1994. He also accompanied Oklahoma to Rosenblatt Stadium in 1992 and 1995.
As Golloway talked to a reporter on the phone, he volunteered that he was wearing a shirt that had the numbers 540 on the front of it. That, he explained, is the distance from OU's ballpark in Norman to Rosenblatt Stadium.
And on the back? “It reads, ‘Earn every mile,''' Golloway said. “And this year, we did.''
The last few steps were especially taxing for Golloway and his players. The Sooners hosted the regional tournament but sweated out three one-run victories, two that extended into the 10th inning. That earned a super-regional trip to Charlottesville, Va., to take on Virginia, the No. 5 national seed.
The Cavaliers won the opening game 3-2 to put Oklahoma one loss from elimination. The Sooners bounced back to win the second game 10-7, then dominated the final contest 11-0 to deny Virginia a second straight trip to Rosenblatt.
In his fifth season as Oklahoma head coach, Golloway said a couple of his previous teams had the talent to make it to Omaha. The Sooners played in a super regional in 2006 but lost to Rice. They were a No. 7 national seed last season but ran into a red-hot Arkansas club in the regional.
“I thought we had legitimate shots to get to Omaha two of the past four years,'' he said, “and when you don't get there, it starts getting worrisome.
“I know how hard it is to get to Omaha, but I also thought the clock might be quicker for us.''
What pushed this group over the hump, Golloway said, is a characteristic that separates many a contender from a pretender. The Sooners' mental toughness, coupled with their talent, made for a lethal combination as they maneuvered down the stretch.
“To me, mental toughness is the most important aspect,'' Golloway said. “It's not always about speed or arm strength. I've had the chance to work with a lot of great players, and the thing they shared is a mental toughness.''
Golloway said he asks his players at the beginning of each season: What is mental toughness?
“I always get a plethora of answers,'' he said. “The best definition I know, and I thank Lou Piniella for it, is that mental toughness is learning to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.''
The Sooners found themselves in plenty of tight spots the past two weeks. Each time, some player would make a big play or big pitch or get a big hit to keep Oklahoma moving forward.
Four of the biggest hits in the past two games came from Cody Reine, a sophomore junior-college transfer who didn't break into the starting lineup until April. Reine hit two homers in the second game against the Cavaliers and blasted two more, driving in six runs, in the decisive third game.
Golloway said Reine's ability to maintain his mental edge when things weren't going his way early in the season allowed him to perform when given an opportunity.
And the same holds true for the player he replaced. Senior Kaleb Herren started the first 15 games but has had to accept a lesser role with Reine's emergence.
“He's a senior, he's from right here in Oklahoma City, his grandfather was a legendary player in these parts,'' Golloway said. “He exemplifies the attitude on this team.
“I know he wants to be playing, but he also understands his role. We have a lot of guys like that, and that's one reason we're where we are at.''