Sarah Higgins | NCAA.com | June 15, 2014 Higgins: Longhorns hit the lake The Longhorns spent Sunday at Chris Lake in Bellevue, Nebraska, at a team barbeque. Share OMAHA, Neb. – They might have been more than 20 miles from the ballpark with no game to play, but the Longhorns still had baseball on the brain. Morgan Cooper wasted no time picking up a wiffle ball, grabbing a few of the young kids in the Texas entourage who would try to hit one off the freshman pitcher on the waterfront lawn. The morning after the Longhorns fell 3-1 in the College World Series opener to UC Irvine, they boarded a bus bound for Chris Lake -- a small lake in nearby Bellevue, Nebraska -- where the Kiwanis Club of Omaha hosted a team barbeque. 2014 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES Top Performers: Day 8 Breeze: Trio stars in Vanderbilt's 10-inning thriller Photos Kroll: Garrido sums up UT loss: ‘It’s a cruel game’ Breeze: Pitching fuels UVa.'s run to CWS Finals Photos Kroll: Ole Miss' well runs dry in loss to Virginia Top Performers: Day 7 Cross: Texas takes advantage of Vandy mistakes Kroll: Hinojosa remains talk of town Photos Top Five Plays through first 10 games Top Performers: Day 6 Cross: Bianco's boys have perfected elimination game Kroll: Ole Miss advances behind Allen Photos Top Performers: Day 5 Kroll: Hinojosa's homer leads Longhorns Photos Cross: Hollingsworth tosses gem in second start of season UC Irvine's Morales finds inspiration in his sister Top Performers: Day 4 Kroll: Cavs find time for it all in win Photos Cross: Virginia shows off pitching depth in 15 innings Cross: Ole Miss makes most of chances Photos Kroll: Texas Tech beaten at own game as CWS run ends Ole Miss goes to the zoo Meet the Bortles brothers Top Performers: Day 3 Kroll: Vandy hits magic number for CWS win Photos Cross: Vanderbilt's Bueler answers the call in relief Kroll: Texas makes the plays Louisville can't Photos Cross: How bullpens will help decide the CWS Corey Ray & Ro Coleman: Chicago's Finest Top Performers: Day 2 Kroll: Kirby, Papi lead Virginia to victory Photos Kroll: Morrison makes his pitch on CWS stage Photos Higgins: Ole Miss fans flock to Omaha Hill: TD Ameritrade Park the stage -- and a star Higgins: Texas enjoys off day at team barbeque Hill: Plenty of dads spending Father's Day at the CWS Vanderbilt's antics in the outfield Top Performers: Day 1 Kroll: Vandy pushes right buttons in opening win Photos Hill: Louisville fans thrilled to be back in Omaha Higgins: Stirring pre-game ceremony marks Flag Day Kroll: UC Irvine debunks myth in Game 1 win Photos Hill: Despite team's fortunes, LSU fans show up in Omaha CWS grounds crew is Omaha's unsung home team Freshman, senior share thoughts on opening ceremony Kroll: Five questions to get to know players and coaches Higgins: Quizzing the coaches on CWS history Hill: Players and coaches discuss favorite sports movies Photo Essay: CWS contenders take their cuts Photo Essay: Talented players dot CWS landscape Team Capsules | Opening Round Matchups | Draft Picks Highlights | Brackets: Interactive Print “It’s a no-stress environment. The guys don’t need to dress up. They can wear shorts and a T-shirt. It’s not formal. It’s just a family atmosphere,” said Jim Costello, the team host and chairman of the Kiwanis Club’s CWS committee. As one of eight service clubs in Omaha that play host to a CWS team, the Kiwanis Club invited the Longhorns staff, players, and families out to the lake on their off day for a Father’s Day barbeque and a break from the baseball. Chris Lake has hosted a CWS team for the past 20 years. “I’ve been doing this since 1983. We’ve hosted Texas before. Being born and raised in Texas, it’s just an added feature of the day,” Costello said of his excitement of hosting his hometown team at the lake. With 110 Omaha Steaks and 80 pounds of chicken on the grill, the Kiwanis Club had plenty of mouths to feed. “Honestly,” sophomore outfielder Ben Johnson said, “we don’t really know where we are, but we’re so thankful they took us in [Sunday]. Spending the day with my teammates is the best part.” “We’re fortunate to be such a close-knit group. You can get tired or grow closer and we’re thankful to be best friends on and off the field,” freshman pitcher James Swan said. “It’s so fun to see everyone with their families,” Swan said. “We don’t get everyone’s families together often.” “This is as important as any other tradition in the College World Series,” the Kiwanis Club’s Val McPherson said. “I told my dad first [Sunday] morning,” Swan said, “there’s no better place to spend Father’s Day than Omaha. It’s one I won’t forget.”