In the summer hit "Get Smart," the silly Maxwell Smart - a blundering spy agent who eventually nabs the bad guys and sweeps the girl off her feet - catapults to instant hero status in the end.

Of course, in the real world this typically doesn't happen.

But don't tell that to Fresno State.

After all, out of 64 teams who could have imagined that Fresno State - a team entering the College World Series 33-27 overall and a No. 4 seed in the Long Beach Regional - could have pulled it off?

Yet the Bulldogs from California, not Athens, did it by beating No. 8 Georgia, 6-1, Wednesday at Rosenblatt Stadium, claiming the NCAA title and giving them their first men's national championship in any sport.

In fact, they became the lowest-seeded team in college sports history to win a championship, finishing with a record of 47-31, the worst mark ever for a national baseball championship team.

Hollywood could not have scripted a more perfect ending for such a scrappy, unpredictable squad; this was truly an underdog story.

A well-rested Georgia team was primed to win it all, especially after capturing the first of a three game series on Monday night.

No matter, Fresno State didn't care. The Bulldogs tied a College World Series record after scoring 62 runs, including 19 against Georgia in a Game 2 victory.

If an atrocious record entering the tournament wasn't enough, there were plenty of other obstacles between Fresno State and a championship, such as mechanical issues off the field.

Prior to the College World Series, the Bulldogs had to relocate to a different practice facility after a runaway truck driven by vandals damaged their stadium. On the way to Omaha, the team plane was rerouted 50 miles due to weather problems.

In addition, one of their best players, Steve Detwiler, battled a torn ligament in his left thumb throughout the entire tournament. (To paint a better picture, at times it hangs down to his wrist, and he will soon undergo surgery.)

Nevertheless, he hit two home runs and had six RBIs in the championship game, making the final catch before joining his teammates on the infamous infield dog pile.

Regarding the championship game, after flipping through channels on the way home from work Wednesday evening, surprisingly I could not find it on any frequency.

That was simply mind-boggling, considering Athens is just a stone's throw away. Besides, if Georgia was competing for a national football title, it would be quite the opposite.

So, who - or what - is to blame? Well, sveral things, from how the College World Series is marketed (poorly) to the media to a general lack of interest among students, alumni and fans.

And it goes beyond that, including factors outside our control such as skyrocketing gas prices, which serve as a possible explanation as to why there were so many vacant seats at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Another explanation could be that since school is out this time of the year, it hurts the popularity of this truly enjoyable spectacle. Though not nearly as popular as football, if anything the College World Series can help fill the gap between now and kickoff.

Understandably, this is a football state; however, am I the only one who failed to see any flags or banners featuring Georgia baseball? Where's the love?

But this year there was plenty of magic for a number of schools, not just for Bulldog fans. It featured late-inning heroics, walkoff home runs and sheer determination encompassed by all heart.

On the other hand, there were monumental collapses, such as North Carolina bowing out of the tournament for the third straight year.

As Maxwell Smart would say, not only the College World Series, but Georgia "missed it by THAT much."