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From the Long Beach Press-Telegram this morning (here's the link):

"Mike Weathers spent most of Monday anchored horizontally to the couch in his living room.

"That's what three losses will do for you,' the Long Beach State baseball coach said Tuesday evening, only half facetiously.

It wasn't seeing his team swept by Big West Conference rival Cal State Fullerton at Blair Field that had him down for nearly the count Monday even though that Lost Weekend cost the Dirtbags a shot at a conference title and, very possibility, strong hopes of playing host to any NCAA regional games.

The cold/flu bug that had pretty much run its course through his players and staff finally caught up with him late Sunday night. But he was feeling chipper the day before his team was to depart for Florida and a three-game series with the No. 3-ranked Miami Hurricanes starting today.

He's counting on his team being as resilient as he was this week.

"We had a good practice (Tuesday) and everyone is healthy now and that's a good sign,' he said.

"The guys understand that we could have easily won the first two games (referring to consecutive 2-1 decisions).

"(Jered) Weaver was just one out away (from a 1-0 victory Friday night) and (Cesar) Ramos had a no-hitter for six innings.

"Sunday's loss (in which Fullerton led, 7-0 and 13-4, before Long Beach rallied to make the final score 13-11) would have been tougher to take if we wouldn't have made such a heck of a rally. I think we took some positives from that (comeback) which we can build on for Miami.'

The Dirtbags, 36-16 and having slipped to No. 14 (Baseball America) in the national ratings after their four-game slide, including a May 16 loss at UC Riverside, open the series against the No. 3- ranked and 41-11 Hurricanes at 4p.m. PDT. The 14-0 Weaver will be on the mound for them in a game that will be nationally televised by College Sports Television (CSTV).

The slim remaining hopes of playing host to first-round NCAA regional action next week and if they survive that a "Super Regional' will dissipate into oblivion minus a sparkling performance against the Hurricanes, Weathers believes.

"We're going to need a strong showing to have a shot at (hosting) the first week (regional),' he said. "And you usually have to be a top-eight seed to get a Super Regional, so we may need to sweep (to be in the running).'

The Hurricanes' best players were all freshmen and sophomores a year ago, when Miami advanced to the College World Series and split four games in Omaha to finish 45-17-1.

So Weathers and his team will be looking at most of the same guys who won two of three games against the Dirtbags in Blair Field 12 months ago.

"This is going to be a tough road trip for us,' he said. "Miami is definitely a threat to win the national championship.'

Sites for the 16 opening-round regionals will be announced by the NCAA on Sunday on ESPN at noon, with the entire 64-team field and bracketing to be revealed Monday on ESPN2 at 9 a.m."