This diary has become an annual tradition of the Titans' seemingly annual pilgrimage to the altar of Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. Except now it's called a blog, so I'm told. (What's the difference?).

To paraphrase the Governator - "We're back." This is Fullerton's 15th trip to the College World Series in only 33 years of Div. I baseball. Only six schools (Texas 32, Miami 22, USC 21, Oklahoma State 19, Arizona State 19 and Florida State 18) have made more appearances and their pedigrees date much further. Back-to-back appearances for the second time in a 5-year period. Tenth trip for Coach George Horton - sixth as a head coach after three as Augie Garrido's assistant and one as his player. And suddenly George is playing the mentor's role, with UC Irvine's Dave Serrano lurking in the same bracket and maybe in the opposing dugout come Monday.

It all seems so natural. And so does the water I'm probably floating on as you read this. The relaxing desert air over Lake Mohave on the Arizona/Nevada border. Crystal blue skies. Blazing hot sun. Cool freshwater lake.

That's the confession. Instead of traveling with the Titans on Wednesday, I am on vacation. I did not think there was a snowball's chance in Bullhead City that there would be a conflict.

No, I didn't jump off the bandwagon in April when the Big West Conference series losses started to mount. This trip was booked in March of 2006, even before last year's CWS appearance. The 60-mile long lake has one motel with a total of 24 rooms. On the shoreline. Can you say intense demand?

So when I won the "lottery" and my random phone call was answered and the dates June 12-14, 2007, were offered, I snapped up multiple rooms. Sure, I knew there was a possibility of a conflict with the World Series, but I could always cancel, as difficult a task as that would be after "winning" the opportunity.

Two other families were involved and they made their vacation plans, too. The reservation was filed away and forgotten for almost a year. When the negative vibes started coming out of Fall camp - the lack of experience, the injuries to Jared Clark and Joe Scott, academic problems for the "can't miss" shortstop, there was a nod of resignment - looks like we will be using that Lake Mohave reservation after all. The law of averages were about to catch up.

McArthur got hurt. Then Weeks. And Vazquez. Sean Urena went from a one-hitter to Sports Illustrated to deep into the bullpen in about a month's time. And then came the sweep at Riverside. A rare series loss in Santa Barbara. An even rarer series loss at Cal Poly.

The bubble was about to burst for a team unaccustomed to being on the bubble.

Years of frustration from being the poundee were released in joy as the Gauchos and the Mustangs exorcised multiple demons and became the pounders. My motel cancellation deadline approached and it didn't seem like much of a gamble - this team just didn't have the Titan touch and wasn't going to Omaha. It would be lucky to get into the Regionals, much less advance to the final round. We would be lounging in the desert while eight other teams frolicked in Nebraska. Don't cancel. Don't mess up our friends vacation plans, too.

How could I be so ignorant? So pessimistic? So resigned to an uncomfortable fate? Blame my youth, doesn't everyone? I grew up a Cubs' fan. And I played on a 2-24 high school basketball team. And a 1-8 college football team that bracketed the season with 72-3 and 68-8 losses.

But that was before Titan baseball. I have seen 11 of the previous 14 trips to Omaha validated in the flesh. The 1975 and 1979 regional titles were before my time and the 1990 win in Austin came during austere budgets. But I had seen more than my share of the battles through rugged regionals and draining heat and humidity on the road in Fresno, Tempe, Starkville, Stillwater and Baton Rouge. Titan magic is legendary in those parts. Back-to-back 1-run wins over the unbeatable Sun Devils at Packard Stadium in 1982; John Bryant's extra-inning single in 110 degree heat in Fresno in 1984; Mike Ross' walk-off 3-run bomb in Starkville in 1988; freshman Mike Parisi shutting down LSU in 1992 and my No. 1 miracle, the day-night doubleheader sweep in Stillwater in 1994 capped by the makeshift tenth-inning lineup and the walk-off hit by pitch by Robert Matos.

So how could I doubt that the Titan uniforms would still be in use in mid-June of 2007?

I wasn't alone. Photographer extraordinaire Matt Brown allowed himself to be contracted into a major commercial shoot and he won't make Omaha this year. We're going to have to hire some local talent to capture the smell and flavor of the Greatest Show on Dirt on this webste. A certain bleeds blue and orange head coach had tentative plans for a late June visit to Kevin Costner's ranch near Aspen. No one worried about nailing down the lease on Titan House on 13th Street across from Rosenblatt Stadium.

It just wasn't in the cards! This team found ways to lose whereas most Titan teams found ways to win. An outfielder falling down to turn a sacrifice fly into a bases-clearing triple. Letting UCSB rally for 4 in the ninth for a 1-run victory. At home. Your saves leader who had never lost a game In his 3-year Titan career getting whacked around twice and losing twice in less than 24 hours by the Dirtbags. The battle of aces in Riverside - going ahead of James Simmons in the top of the ninth but falling on four consecutive "soft" hits off Wes Roemer in the bottom half. Or the ninth-inning rally to beat UC Irvine that disintegrated after the ball got away not far enough from the Anteaters' catcher.

But then the Titan in the sky or whatever the power began to surface. The Titans jumped on Fresno State early and cruised behind Roemer. And the University of San Diego tanked its first shot at hosting a regional. And the Dirtbags lost home-field advantage in the other half of the Super Regional bracket. Fellhauer started driving the ball. Hardman had bunts go foul then fair. He hit the second pitch of a game over the wall. McArthur made like Brooks Robinson offensively and defensively. Every time you looked up, the score was 6-1 in Fullerton's favor.

Suddenly, the Titans were hosting a Super Regional again and a strong but young UCLA team had to come into an overflowing and raucous Goodwin Field. Too late to cancel the motel now. Besides, can't afford the penalty. Just win, baby. And the Titans continued to do so. The first one was easy with another early 6-1 lead. The second win was tougher, maybe a good lesson for the wars almost at hand in Omaha.

Four leadoff doubles by UCLA in the final five innings. Only once did they bunt, and that led to the Bruins' only run. The Titans bunted a man to second and Matt Wallach got his second hit of the tournament at a most opportune time. A spinning relay of a double play by Joe Scott. A spinning stop and throw to the plate by McArthur in the ninth.

Titan baseball was back. And so are the Titans in Omaha!

And I'll be back. I'm cutting my lake trip short and heading to Omaha on Friday night. The other families will have to fend for themselves. The Titans are back on college baseball's biggest stage. And you have to believe this team will find a way to make us all true believers once more. No doubt.