Auburn Tigers, battling stomach bug, rally to eliminate No. 2 Stanford Cardinal at Men's College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. — With a stomach bug and nearly seven decades of history working against them, the Auburn Tigers were down to two options Monday when they fell behind to No. 2 Stanford at the Men's College World Series. Attack or go home.

«My job is to [help] a group of players and coaches to leave with no regrets,» Tigers coach Butch Thompson said after his team rallied for a 6-2 win, its first MCWS victory in 25 years. «Just let it hang out. What are we going to do, screw something up or make a mistake? I want them to attack as much as they can.»

Stanford was the highest seed in the MCWS field, and had never, in 17 previous trips to the MCWS dating back to 1953, left Omaha without a victory. But it was sent home 0-2 Monday after Cole Foster smacked a three-run double in the sixth inning to put Auburn into Tuesday's elimination game against the loser of Monday night's Ole Miss-Arkansas game.

After possibly the biggest hit of his life, Foster, according to Thompson, barely pulled into second base because he was so ill. Foster did not appear in the postgame news conference because he was supposed to receive IV fluids after the game, Thompson said.

Foster had left in the fourth inning of Saturday's game against Ole Miss, a 5-1 loss, because of illness. In a pregame interview with Andy Burcham, the voice of the Auburn Tigers, Thompson said he had «seven or eight guys on the toilet too much and not feeling well from a tough week.» But he didn't want to make any excuses.

Thompson confirmed with ESPN late Monday that the Tigers were dealing with a stomach bug.

But sitting in his hotel room Sunday night, Thompson seemed more preoccupied with history. He knew that only four teams have won a national championship after losing the