"I don't know if I would call us underdogs," Naquin said Monday after the Aggies' practice at Creighton University. "We've both played a lot of good baseball, and we both made it to the College World Series."

In Omaha, however, there's no doubt A&M and Cal are considered long shots to win the title, especially after their opening-round losses to South Carolina and Virginia, respectively. The Aggies (47-21) and Bears (37-22), too, are the only programs in the CWS field that aren't top eight national seeds.

"I don't know a whole lot about Cal, I just know they're a good baseball team, and one of the eight that made the World Series, and so are we," Naquin said. "But I think we're a better team."

Fans should have a better idea whether that rings true late this afternoon, after A&M sophomore Michael Wacha (9-3, 2.12 ERA) is scheduled to face Cal freshman Kyle Porter (5-0, 1.59).

"Wacha has been a key ingredient," A&M coach Rob Childress said of his ace's sterling performances in NCAA tournament regional and super regional elimination games. "He's definitely getting the ball, and we're going against a hot Cal team that's playing with a lot of emotion."

Gerry Melendez/McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Dealing with the big stage

Stripling, who gave up four runs in the first against the Gamecocks but then settled down the rest of the way, said nerves unsettled him early on Sunday night. Wacha said that's to be expected, with playing in a crowded new park in the CWS.

"If you don't have pre-game jitters," Wacha said, "then something is wrong with you. Ross pitched a great game after the first inning. … I just know I'm going to go out there and pump strikes and try and get those pre-game jitters out in the bullpen."

Wacha will face perhaps the CWS's most endearing story in Cal. Last September, the Golden Bears' athletic department announced that baseball was one of the school's program that would be eliminated following this season because of budget cuts.

"Their program was dead in the water," Childress said. "But a lot of people stepped up."

"Their program was dead in the water," Childress said. "But a lot of people stepped up."

Nearly $10 million has been raised to save Cal baseball, and last Friday the Cal chancellor made it official that Golden Bears baseball would press on for the foreseeable future.

"It's just an amazing story," Wacha said. "They lost their program, and then raised enough money to get it back. I'm sure they'll be out there fighting (today) like they have all season."

The Golden Bears and Aggies are the only CWS teams that had to go on the road in the NCAA tournament. Cal won the regional at Rice and then a "home" super regional - although it was played in Santa Clara, Calif. - against Dallas Baptist, while the Aggies played at home in a regional and then won a super regional at Florida State.

"To see our kids rally around each other and commit to their coaching staff, their teammates and the school, it's been quite a ride," Cal coach David Esquer said. "Quite a ride."

18 years since CWS win

Meanwhile the Aggies are aiming for their first CWS victory since 1993. They lost their last two in '93, their only two in 1999 and 5-4 on Sunday night to South Carolina, on a game-winning hit by the Gamecocks' Scott Wingo.

"This is what we've worked for," A&M senior catcher Kevin Gonzalez said of the Aggies once again trying to stave off elimination in the NCAA postseason. "I've been here five years, and our ultimate goal every year is to get to Omaha and win it. Now that we've got our feet wet (in the CWS), we're going to just be able to play the game."

brent.zwerneman@chron.com