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OMAHA, Neb. — By the time you read this, we will have won or lost vs. Arizona State. Our season could be over, or we may be gearing up to play another day. That is the joy of an elimination game in Omaha: You have to play like there is no tomorrow.

Everybody can feel it. If somebody can pitch, they are in. If somebody has a hot bat, freshman or senior, you can bet they will get a chance to step to the plate.

Thus, may our only faith rest in what we do every game: really stupid stuff we think works.

Many people have asked about our various superstitions, and if you watch the games you may be left scratching your head wondering what really is going on down there in the dugout. For those of us who, ahem, proudly support our team from the bench, we have a little bit of extra time to do the pointless yet important.

For every 2-2 count, with two out, of course, you are required to "rub it up." Thus, when the pitcher steps on the rubber, the natural thing to do is violently rub the brim of your cap, like you're trying to put out a fire. When the pitcher gets set, the next step is to take off the cap and shake it on the ground. With the pitch, the predetermined move sometimes differs: a majority of the time you put the cap back on straight, sometimes backward, sometimes with the "shark fin" (if you can imagine the brim sticking straight in the air, you've got the picture) and sometimes just tossing it behind you, leaving you squinting at the pitch.

Whether it works or not, we don't really know. We just keep doing it.

Another regular occurrence is something we call "popcorn" or "putting a bag in." Really, all it consists of is clapping as randomly as possible when the opposing pitcher is throwing, like the sound of popcorn popping. It is often served with a side of any audible put-down you can sneak by Coach Fox, whether the other team can understand it or not.

Whether it is considered a superstition or not, our team revels in keeping each other pretty levelheaded with constant put-downs. On any given bus ride, it is normal to hear somebody whip out an instrumental beat from an iPhone and let the bickering begin back and forth through a creative — and more often than not awkwardly bad — four-lined rhyme. Believe me, nobody on this team is on a high horse.

Add all these rituals together and you have a win.

Or at least that's how we plan it.

Ragsdale alumnus Chase Jones is the bullpen catcher for the North Carolina baseball team. He gives News & Record readers an inside view of the College World Series.