Jackson State relishes shot in NCAA tournament

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JACKSON, Mississippi — Jackson State has waited years for another chance to prove it can compete with the nation's best baseball teams in the NCAA tournament.

 

The Tigers will get it in their first trip to the postseason since 2000. No. 4 national seed LSU (52-9) — and its home crowd of 10,000-plus fans at Alex Box Stadium — will be waiting when Jackson State (34-20) takes the field at the double-elimination Baton Rouge regional on Friday.

 

But after years of frustration just trying to make the NCAA tournament, the opportunity to knock off one of college baseball's most storied programs is something catcher Jose Cruz relishes.

 

"At the end of the day, it's baseball," Cruz said. "LSU has to come and play us, too. We're going to play hard enough that we can give them some competition. It's going to be pretty tough. They're one of the best teams in the country. They have a big advantage because they have all those fans. But to be the best you've got to beat the best."

 

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