Omaha bound! Texas advances to 2022 College World Series

On3 imageby:Joe Cook06/13/22

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For the 38th time in program history, the Texas Longhorns are headed to the College World Series. The Longhorns won game three of the Greenville super regional, 11-1, over the East Carolina Pirates in order to advance to Omaha for the third time in the David Pierce era.

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The Longhorns’ 11-1 win over the Pirates on Sunday was buoyed by a strong first two innings in which nine runs were scored by the prolific UT offense. After that point, Tristan Stevens turned in the outing of a lifetime. On short rest, the senior pitched 6.0 innings of one-run ball, limiting a potent Pirate lineup to just five hits. Travis Sthele and Jared Southard worked the final three innings to close out the contest and send the Longhorns to Omaha.

After dropping game one on Friday to the Pirates 13-7, Texas trailed 7-2 late in Saturday’s game two while on the brink of elimination. Texas rallied back to take the lead late but ECU tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth with a solo home run. Dylan Campbell then hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded to set up the deciding game three.

The Longhorns then left no doubt on Sunday despite a lengthy weather delay beginning in the top of the first. Upon return to action over three-and-a-half hours later, Texas scored five more in the top of a second to provide Stevens an insurmountable lead.

Texas’ 2022 campaign was powered by one of the most prolific offenses in program history. Led by Ivan Melendez’s 32-homer season, the most in the BBCOR-era, Texas slugged 128 home runs across 67 games. They hit .318 as a team, slugging 156 doubles and driving in 501 runs.

The elite hitting was paired with elite fielding. Texas fielded .986 as a team, the best in the country. The Longhorns committed 35 errors throughout the course of the season, continuing a tradition of excellent defense within the Longhorn baseball program.

Pete Hansen and Lucas Gordon led an up-and-down pitching staff, combining to go 18-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 187.1 innings pitched. Stevens, who began the year as the Saturday starter, moved to the bullpen and entered in a variety of situations including a start in Sunday’s decisive game three. In an unselfish capacity, Stevens was 7-6 in 25 appearances, none more important than his game three outing.

Texas will play Notre Dame in the opening round in Omaha. The Fighting Irish topped No. 1 Tennessee to advance out of the Knoxville super regional.

The Longhorns have made three College World Series under Pierce in his first six seasons. After reaching the national semifinals during the 2021 College World Series, Pierce has intentions on delivering a seventh national title to the Longhorn baseball program. Championship No. 7 would place Texas second all time in national championships behind Southern Cal.

The program has now reached the College World Series 11 times in the super regional era, which began in 1999. The 38th appearance is an all-time record. Texas is also first in games won in the College World Series, games won in the NCAA tournament, and in NCAA tournament appearances,

The College World Series begins on Friday, June 17. The championship series begins on Saturday, June 25.

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