Kent State's stay in Omaha for College World Series gets extended by Mother Nature

OMAHA, Neb. - Kent State lives to play another day in Omaha, thanks to Mother Nature. A severe weather front moved across Omaha at 5:30 p.m. central time, sending heavy rains and lightning with it. It forced the cancelation of Wednesday night's game.

Kent State head baseball coach Scott Stricklin said cancelling a game of this magnitude was "the right move."

He will come back with Wednesday's scheduled starter Tyler Skulina again Thursday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. central, noon eastern.

"Baseball players are an unusual group and made the most of the rain delay by staying loose by taking phantom batting practice swings and playing hangman in the lockeroom," Stricklin said.

This is just the fourth time Kent State has ever played South Carolina. The two teams met in South Carolina in 1997 with the Gamecocks taking two out of the three games.

Good news for the Golden Flashes as they will get designated hitter Jason Bagoly back. Bagoly, whose mom Cheryl died suddenly last week, has been home in Austintown the past two days for family services. Coach Stricklin said he hopes Bagoly will make it to Thursday's game by the eighth inning and will ask if possible to get "a police escort" for him.

Follow Mike Cairns for all the play by play during tomorrow's game on Twitter @MikeCairns5 and for the complete postgame recap on newsnet5.com