Stanford players mob Tommy Troy after his homer Monday (Eric Sorenson)

Loose, Comfortable Stanford Throttles Arizona

OMAHA — Last weekend, Stanford looked right at home in Lubbock, Texas. In a hostile environment and triple-digit heat, the Cardinal played loose and relaxed, and ran the Red Raiders right out of their own building. Head coach David Esquer sets the tenor for this program — he’s as even-keeled and relentlessly upbeat as any coach in college baseball, and this group of players seems to follow that lead.

Stanford looked out of character in Saturday’s 10-4 loss to NC State, but in Monday’s elimination game the Cardinal looked like the same swash-buckling group we saw last weekend in Lubbock.[…]