SUPER REGIONAL NOTEBOOK:

BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU Coach Paul Mainieri struggled to come up with a way to describe yet another of the Tigers’ 29 come-from-behind victories this season, a 9-7 triumph over UC Irvine to even the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional at Alex Box Stadium.

“I mean this comeback, this was remarkable,” Mainieri said. “I’m just going to say that I’m not even shocked any more, because these kids just seem to do it all the time.”

Mainieri said the energy generated by most of the 6,971 fans Sunday was also somewhat difficult to describe.

“I tell you what; you couldn’t hear yourself think,” Mainieri said of the din that accompanied the Tigers’ five-run rally in the top of the ninth to erase a 7-4 deficit. “My son was trying to talk to me, standing right next to me, and I couldn’t hear him.

“The support these people give us is absolutely amazing. You have to be here to understand the impact. I don’t think anybody in the country could watch a game on television or hear about it and understand the significance of it. These people love LSU, they love their Tigers and they love college baseball.”

 Mainieri also said 70-year-old Alex Box Stadium, which will give way to a new facility for next season, gives the Tigers an advantage over road opponents.

“You can’t help but be in this stadium and feel the great history and tradition that have come before,” Mainieri said. “There has been a lot of success and these people know. And these fans are so supportive of it. When you feel their energy, it can’t help but give you a positive feeling. I’m not so sure its ghosts or superstitions or whatever term you could give it, as much as it is the kids and the players they tend to have confidence.”

 Speaking of LSU history, Sunday’s win marked only the third time in 151 postseason games that the Tigers have won after they trailed entering the ninth inning.

 UCI sophomore left-hander Danny Bibona continued to show confidence on the mound Sunday. He limited the Tigers to two runs on eight hits through seven innings. He exited with one out in the eighth having allowed three earned runs on nine hits. He struck out eight and walked just one.

It was the 13th time in 16 starts this season he has allowed three or fewer earned runs. Twice he has allowed four and once he surrendered five.

In one of his losses, he gave up one earned run in 6 2/3 innings. In three games in which he did not earn a decision, including Sunday, he left with the lead. In another no decision, he left in the eighth with the score tied, 1-1.

But for a few breaks, his 9-3 record could be far better.

 Before the late-inning collapse Sunday, UCI had played one of its most precise games on offense and defense.

Senior catcher Aaron Lowenstein showed why someone hitting .200 was drafted Friday in the 44th round by the San Francisco Giants. He picked a runner off first base on a pitch for the second out of the first inning.

Lowenstein picked a runner off third after a strikeout for an inning-ending double play in the third.

Junior shortstop Ben Orloff threw home to gun down a runner trying to score after fielding a chopper in the fourth inning.

Offensively, UCI consistently took the extra base and executed perfectly in sacrifice-bunt situations, including a safety squeeze by Eric Deragisch that scored Tony Asaro. Deragisch reached first on the play, on which the pitcher fielded the bunt and threw late to the plate.

UCI also twice hit to a spot vacated by a fielder on hit-and-run plays.

LSU Coach Paul Mainieri was thoroughly impressed.

“Irvine is an outstanding club,” Mainieri said. “They play their game as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. Every kid in their lineup knows their role, they do their job and it puts a lot of pressure on your defense.

 Mainieri also commented on Lowenstein, who slid hard into LSU catcher trying to score from second on a single to center field. The ball appeared to be ahead of Lowenstein, but it slowed when it skidded on the grass in front of home plate. As the ball was arriving to catcher Micah Gibbs, Lowenstein slid hard into Gibbs, as the two collided chest-to-chest. The ball kicked free and Lowenstein, who had held onto the ball while applying a tag as he was bowled over at the plate earlier in the game, then touched the plate to score.

“He’s a gutty kid,” Mainieri said. “I admire their whole team. They play so hard and they’re so well-coached. Mike Gillespie and his staff are outstanding with capital letters. I think the world of Mike and their kids play their game to the T. They’re going to play hard to the very end and they’re going to execute their game plan. [Lowenstein] just epitomizes their players.”

 Ollie Linton cast a wave of dread over ’Eater Nation in the sixth inning when he collapsed in the batter’s box after flying to center, and began clutching his left knee.

It was only a cramp in his calf, however, and Linton remained in the game, until being replaced in the ninth when he cramped up again in center field.

Linton should be available for today’s decisive Game 3 at 4 p.m.

The game is scheduled to be televised on ESPN2.

 Other than some shaky relief pitching, another miscue for the Anteaters was a botched fly ball to right field that led to a run scoring in the LSU fourth inning.

With one out and runners on first and second, Matt Clark lofted a high fly to right, which Sean Madigan appeared to have a bead on. Madigan settled on the warning track, before shuffling to his right, virtually against the wall. At the last moment, he leaped and lunged to his right. The ball appeared to land directly in his glove, but bounced out.

Clark was credited with an RBI double.

“I think any of us, who didn’t have to make the play, felt it wasn’t that tough of a play,” Gillespie said. “But balls up against the wall are always tough, [Madigan] is a good outfielder and I think he makes that play the vast majority of the time.”

 Sophomore first baseman Jeff Cusick and sophomore second baseman Casey Stevenson joined Orloff and Linton as those who had two hits Sunday.

Stevenson is now 10 for 17 in the postseason (.588) and Cusick is 10 for 18 (.556).

 Freshman Ryan Fisher, whose 37 RBIs still rank second on the team, doubled in a pinch-hit appearance with one out in the ninth. It was the first at-bat for Fisher in nine games and 22 days. The hit raised his average to .299.