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Garrido, Gillespie will meet again when CWS opens

By WTOP Staff

ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Once again, the road has led to Omaha for Augie Garrido and Mike Gillespie.

The two played college ball against each other before the Beatles came to America, and both played in the College World Series in the days when a few hundred people showed up to watch. They’ve coached in the CWS, and won national titles, as the event has grown into one of the nation’s great annual summer events.

The 75-year-old Garrido’s Texas Longhorns meet the 74-year-old Gillespie’s UC Irvine Anteaters on Saturday, with both men hoping for at least one more hurrah in a city that has meant everything to them. The CWS’ night game matches Louisville (50-15) against Vanderbilt (46-19) after the showdown between the two veterans.

“If you take our combined ages,” Garrido said with a laugh Friday, “we’re much older than the National League.”

It’s been an improbable run to the CWS for both this time around. The Longhorns finished last in the Big 12 a year ago, and some of the folks in Austin were calling for the job of the winningest college coach of all time. Texas (43-19) improved to fifth this year, beat old rival Texas A&M two of three times in regionals and swept Houston in super regionals.

“It means job security,” Garrido said.

UC Irvine (40-23) lost eight of its last nine in the regular season and was one of the final four at-large teams picked for the NCAA tournament. The Anteaters went to Oregon State for regionals and won two of three against the No. 1 national seed, and they swept Oklahoma State on the road to reach the CWS.

“They beat a team we couldn’t beat,” Garrido said, referring to Oklahoma State, “so that puts it in some perspective right off the bat. Coach Gillespie has been here and won the national championship before with USC. The game hasn’t changed. He’s one of the masterful coaches in the game. He’s a very daring coach. If you see his bases-loaded squeeze bunts with two strikes, that takes a certain tenacity.”

The afternoon game will mark the 25th time Garrido and Gillespie have coached against each other, with Garrido having won 15 of the previous 24. The most important of those was in 1995, when Garrido’s Cal State Fullerton team beat Gillespie’s Southern California Trojans 11-5 for the national championship.

Garrido will be going for his sixth national title at this CWS. Gillespie is trying for his second; his first came in 1998 with USC.

Their time together in the game dates to the late 1950s when Garrido played for Fresno State and Gillespie for USC. Gillespie said Garrido was a great player, but he remembers him more for his mouth.

“Those were the days of heavy, heavy, heavy ragging,” Gillespie said. “Bench jockeying is a lost art. By rule you can’t do it anymore. We would play in these tournaments in the San Diego Marine Corps recruiting depot and stay in barracks. We’d be in the same barracks with Fresno State, and the lights would go out and the ragging would begin. And it was always Augie against the world, and he won. He’s almost in a class of his own when it comes to wit and one-liners.”

Five things to watch as the College World Series begins:

PITCHING MATCHUPS: UC Irvine will start Andrew Morales (11-2, 1.53 ERA) against Texas’ Nathan Thornhill (8-2, 1.57), and Louisville will go with Kyle Funkhouser (13-2, 1.73) against Vanderbilt’s Carson Fulmer (6-1, 1.78.) Sunday, TCU will start Preston Morrison (9-4, 1.32) against Texas Tech’s Chris Sadberry (5-3, 3.17) and Virginia will start Nathan Kirby (9-2, 1.73) against Mississippi’s Chris Ellis (10-2, 2.45).

LONGHORNS KNOW OMAHA: Texas is making its record 35th appearance in the CWS and its eighth since 2000. The Longhorns’ 82 wins in the CWS are a record.

DANDY AGAINST VANDY: Louisville has won three straight against Vanderbilt, most recently 11-7 in the third annual Battle of the Barrel Game on May 6. Cole Sturgeon had three doubles and scored four runs in that game. The Cardinals also swept Vanderbilt in a super regional last year.

LOUISVILLE LARCENY: The Cardinals are second nationally in stolen bases with 132. Sutton Whiting leads the team with 37 steals on 43 attempts.

ON DECK: Play begins Sunday in the other bracket, with TCU (47-16) meeting Texas Tech (45-19) in the afternoon and Virginia (49-14) facing Mississippi (46-19) at night.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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