Kent State had just been eliminated from the College World Series and coach Scott Stricklin sat in a TD Ameritrade Park dugout, staring straight ahead and soaking in what was left of the moment.

He'd popped the battery out, then back, into his cellphone, but the device wasn't working. So all he could do was sit statue-like on the bench and watch the grounds crew manicure the field. His players grabbed their things, sharing hugs and smiles in between. A few dozen kids could be heard shouting for autographs.

Stricklin's stay in college baseball paradise had come to an end.

One can't help but wonder if he and the Golden Flashes will return. Stricklin's certainly thought about it.

Not too long after his team's final game of 2012, he told reporters: "If I knew why we're here, I'd write a book and I'd retire."

A few nearby programs in a certain league lacking success on baseball's national stage would probably be quick to buy a copy.