When Butch Thompson usually speaks, he is understated; someone focused on the next minute, pitch or game. So when the Auburn coach said it was "national championship or bust" for his team after clinching the regional on Monday, it came as somewhat of a surprise.

It's a bit part of his team, who have taken on the identity of the Bad News Bears, rubbing off on him. But mostly, it is about one word: trust.

"I got to a certain point in the season where I said, 'I trust this ball club,'" Thompson said. "This is a ball club of consistency. We've never lost more than two ball games over the season. I don't know if I've had that in my 30 years of coaching."

It has also altered how he treats the players, leaving it up to the clubhouse leaders to handle postgame speeches, win or loss, the first time Thompson has done that in his career. Guys like Kason Howell and Brody Moore that have been around the program, now understand the expectations of their coach and, as such, serve as a liaison for him. No angry rants from Thompson after a bad loss. No pump-up rah rahs after a big win. He believes in his team to take care of business.

Thompson still preaches the fundamentals of the game, though, admitting he sometimes sounds like a broken record to his players and those who interview him. "The score will take care of itself. This thing will come down to execution." Those words come out of his mouth as often as Auburn scored during the NCAA Regional. But his and his players' minds, usually on the task at hand, now have their sights on the College World Series and winning it all.

It was a flip of a switch on Monday for Thompson. He believes it was due.

"I thought it was the right moment in time to make that statement of belief from their head coach to our players," the coach said. "I think every program, especially like Auburn, should think that way that you should be aiming as high as you possibly can."

A national championship is now a real possibility. Expect Thompson to keep trusting his players to make it a reality.