Monday 1:22 a.m. update:
In order to reach Omaha, teams must be capable of rising to the occasion, responding and consistently winning games in a variety of ways. During the biggest weekend of the season, up to this point because there is now a bigger one waiting, the Longhorns (47-15) put all those things on full, championship-level display. They again took USF’s best punch. They again responded. And they emphatically beat South Florida, 12-4.
For a record-setting 37th time, the Texas Longhorns are heading to the College World Series. They’re going back to Omaha. And unlike last time, these Longhorns truly seem capable of making a run at a national title.
“So proud and happy… we’ve talked about it since day one of keeping our head down and just continuing to try to get better,” an emotional David Pierce following the victory. “And just to watch it develop and the growth of these guys has been really, really rewarding. And now to have an opportunity to go compete for a national championship is pretty special.”
As Aaron Nixon struck out the game’s final batter and the official celebration began, because thanks to Cam Williams’ seventh-inning homer it unofficially started earlier, there was a familiar feeling in the air at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. For the second-straight weekend, there was a feeling of something bigger awaiting these Longhorns and they played and acted like they knew it too.
Sure, the Longhorns and their fans were excited. They were jubilant. But there was also an unmistakable feeling that this was expected, and this team is on a mission to achieve something bigger. Perhaps they are. Soon, we’ll find out in Omaha, and we’ll find out because all season the Longhorns have responded.
Last night, they immediately responded to a ninth-inning blown lead by winning the game in thrilling, walk-off fashion. Tonight, adversity arrived in the first inning. Tristan Stevens wasn’t as sharp as usual, and issued two first-inning walks, an extremely rare occurrence for a pitcher who entered tonight with 17 walks all season. The veteran labored through 5.2 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits, two walks and struck out three.
“It was one of those days where I didn't have my stuff to be honest with you… But when you have those kinds of days, you pitch with heart,” said Stevens about his outing Sunday night. “You don't pitch of what you got, you know? And I knew that was gonna be a dogfight, and I was gonna grind it out. But at the end of the day, I got the job done. And I couldn't be more proud of our team and how we handled it.”
USF (31-30) took advantage and scored two runs, but UT’s defense picked up its starter with an excellent play to limit the damage. Then, the Texas offense took over in the top of the second inning. Cam Williams walked, which would be the first of four tonight. Douglas Hodo then reached on a bunt single. The original plan for Trey Faltine was a sacrifice bunt, and the UT shortstop failed to get a bunt down twice. But with two strikes, Faltine showed bunt, pulled it back and smacked a RBI double into right-center field.
“Like I've always told y'all we can win in multiple ways,” said Stevens following the win.
Run prevention matters too, and it was obvious Texas was the far superior defensive team this weekend. Silas Ardoin’s high fly ball to shallow right field resulted in the right fielder and second baseman colliding. Hodo scored, Faltine moved to third and Ardoin hustled into second. With a very hard liner right at the right fielder, Eric Kennedy put Texas ahead with his RBI sacrifice fly. Mike Anitco was robbed of a RBI single, but it was more than enough to score Ardoin from third. Before South Florida could believe for a full inning it had a chance to win, Texas instantly delivered a bigger, meaner, louder punch.
As Stevens found his control, Texas added to its lead in the top of the third inning and it was again Faltine, who finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs, providing a big presence. Known for being a big-game performer in high school and select baseball, Faltine hit a hard two-RBI double to the wall in left field, which put the Longhorns ahead 6-2. Later, he dazzled with his glove.
USF, trailing 6-2, had runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. On a grounder deep in the hole at shortstop, Faltine made a diving stop before throwing to third from the seat of his pants and doing so in time to get a crucial force out. Following a RBI single, Stevens showed off his athleticism and helped himself by making a tremendous defensive play on a safety squeeze attempt.
Although the Bulls inched closer, the inning felt like a win for Texas, especially once it responded immediately with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and just over 7,000 Texas fans loudly making their presence felt, South Florida issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks, gifting Texas an 8-3 lead.
Texas fans started their celebration early because Cam Williams removed any doubt about the Longhorns punching their Omaha ticket. Peyton Powell, who pinch-hit for Ivan Melendez after an 1-for-4 performance with three strikeouts, hit a RBI single to keep the inning alive with two outs. Williams stepped into the batter’s box 0-for-0 with four walks. As usual, he was ready to do damage.
From the left side, the switch-hitter blasted a two-run homer to the deepest part of the park in left-center field just a few feet away from the batter’s eye. As South Florida center fielder Roberto Pena crashed into the wall, Williams trotted around the bases with his Horns raised.
Cole Quintanilla picked up Stevens in the sixth inning and turned the game over to Aaron Nixon in the bottom of the ninth inning after 2.1 scoreless frames. Nixon, again working with a huge lead in the weekend’s final game, punched out two with a perfect ninth inning. Immediately, the Longhorns poured out of the dugout and were guided onto the infield by an ecstatic home crowd on its feet.
They celebrated. They exchanged hugs. They yelled. They made a quick trip around the outfield to left field and soaked it in, getting the heroes greeting they deserved. They took pictures with family and friends. And then after some time passed, they began returning to their clubhouse like a group ready to get back to work.
“Our kids are young, for the most part. They're not afraid of anything. They're not afraid of the work and never had a team that works so hard for each other. It's incredible,” Pierce stated. “So, now we get an opportunity to go stay together for a little longer and compete.”
******
Sunday 7:18 p.m. update
First pitch at 8:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
Lineups:
View attachment 1169
****
Sunday 12:40 a.m. update:
Postseason baseball can deliver a unique rollercoaster of happiness, anxiety, sadness, shock and elation all in the span of minutes. And drama. Tonight’s final inning had plenty of drama. After cruising through the Austin Regional in dominant fashion and never playing in anything even resembling a close game, Texas found themselves in a completely different situation to open the Austin Super Regional. As it has done all season, it found a way to win.
A critical component to Texas’ outstanding consistency and success this season has been its ability to respond to adversity and a lineup top-to-bottom capable of providing a huge, game-changing swing of the bat. Stunned by a game-tying homer in the top of the ninth inning by South Florida (31-29), the Longhorns (46-15) proved their merit immediately in the bottom of the ninth inning when Eric Kennedy delivered a walk-off double to hand Texas a thrilling 4-3 victory.
“We could be talking about how we let that one get away, but we didn't,” said David Pierce after the win. “So, my job is to get them re-center early and just get their head back down and they've been great at that all year. So, I don't expect anything different. Is it kind of a blessing. Such a mature young team. You're hearing Trey in the dugout going, ‘Let's compete. That's all we do. That's all we do. Let's compete.’ And you know, there was not one sign of a guy throwing his glove including Tanner; not one sign of, we let that get away, it's a tie ball game. It's just a tribute to the staff, and the players that just pull for each other every single day. We talk a lot about how much more enjoyment it is when it's about your teammates, and to go out there and watch them celebrate with their teammates is very rewarding.”
Following a very strong performance from Ty Madden, Tanner Witt looked untouchable through his first 1.1 innings of relief. Then, the ninth inning proved problematic for the freshman. Daniel Cantu led off the frame with a solo homer to put USF on the board for the first time Saturday night. Jarrett Eaton kept the inning alive with a two-out double, which brought Drew Brutcher, a tall lefty with some power, to the plate.
In a 3-2 count with first base open and a weak-hitting No. 9 hitter on deck, Texas elected to pitch at Brutcher but did so with a curve. In the previous innings, Witt’s curve racked up ugly swings and misses. The thinking, probably, was bury the hook to try to get a swing and miss or put Brutcher on first with a walk. Unfortunately for Texas and Witt, he hung by far his worst curve of the game and Brutcher demolished it onto Comal Street to tie the game, 3-3.
As Brutcher crossed home plate, he had some energetic words for the UT crowd and was greeted by very animated teammates. Meanwhile, the Texas crowd was stunned. But the crowd, like the Longhorns, quickly regrouped.
“We never had a doubt,” responded Madden about the mood of the team after USF tied the game. “This team is special. And I mean… Tanner made two bad pitches. And they made him pay for it… never had a doubt. This team's gone through a bunch of crazy things this year. And we got a lot of confidence in our pen and our bats. And definitely was crazy, but there wasn’t a split second where I think anyone that dugout thought we were going to lose that game.”
Silas Ardoin reached on an error when his slow grounder was bobbled by shortstop Nick Gonzalez, who to that point played an excellent game defensively. The same couldn’t be said about USF center fielder Roberto Pena. He looked very, very shaky all night even on routine fly balls. The one Kennedy hit at him wasn’t routine, and his read off the bat gave him no chance on a ball he probably didn’t have a chance to catch to begin with.
The left fielder from Tampa, Florida arrived in the batter’s box ready to attack a first-pitch fastball. After the game, Kennedy said something he’s worked on in recent weeks is getting his swing started earlier so he can be on time. He was perfectly on time with a 94 MPH fastball and sent the first pitch screaming towards the deepest part of the park in left-center. With two outs, Ardoin was on the move off the bat and as he neared third, Pierce, with the help of around 7,000 assistant coaches, aggressive waved the UT catcher home.
“There's a lot of energy in there,” said Pierce with a chuckle about the crowd waving Ardoin home. “I had a lot of assistants right then. When he hit it with two outs, I knew he's gonna score. And even if he would have got a very clean hop off the wall, we were sending him. With two outs we’re sending him and they’re going to have to make the play.”
Pierce then began chasing Ardoin towards home plate as players began to pour onto the field. Just before he slid across home, Smokey the Cannon fired because it was obvious he was going to score. And he did.
“That's the deepest part of the ballpark. There was little doubt in my mind, like, ‘Why [do we have] Silas running here? Can’t we have a pinch-runner or something? So, I was a little nervous,” Kennedy said with a big grin. “But I know he's busting it. He was scoring no matter what. If coach Pierce is beating him down the line, we got some problems.”
Pierce pumped his first in the air as Ardoin crossed home. Soon, Kennedy was mobbed by teammates on the field and the burnt orange faithful at UFCU Disch-Falk Field erupted. In just a few minutes Texas went from a stunning loss to a thrilling victory, a victory that totally changes the feel of the Super Regional.
“I was just hoping Silas didn't fall down or something crazy. I told him that I was a little nervous whenever he was running. He just yelled at me in the locker room and said that there was never a doubt he was going all the way,” joked Madden. “But I think it was a split second that we thought it could have been snagged, but EK smoked that ball. So, it was just, I was nervous someone's gonna run on the field and they're gonna call us out before Silas got to the plate.”
As for Madden, the way the ninth inning unfolded robbed the future first-round pick of the starring role in what was undoubtedly be his final home start at Texas. But he didn’t care. Because tonight put him one step closer to making another start. Saturday night, Madden went to his slider early and during the second and third times through the USF order, he threw the pitch as much or more than he has all season. It worked.
Across 6.2 innings, he gave up just three hits, walked four and struck out nine. In the second inning, he touched 99 MPH and although he worked more in the 93-94 MPH range to finish his outing, he had 97 MPH in the tank when he wanted it. Madden’s confidence in his slider has grown in recent weeks and his willingness to throw it more often, even in situations like tonight when he threw a lot of them consecutively, has allowed him to be more effective with his fastball. And once again, Madden started showing his changeup to lefties the third time through the order and backed it up with better inside command of his fastball to lefties.
As Madden left with a 2-0 lead in the to of the seventh inning, he was greeted by a standing ovation. The hard-throwing righty exchanged hugs with Texas infielders and was greeted with a few teammate hugs outside the dugout. Texas fans began changing “Ty!” and were rewarded with a curtain call. Madden arrived big on potential but far from a finished product. He’ll leave an All-American and a first-round pick.
What might be overshadowed about Kennedy because of his walk-off hit is his seventh-inning at-bat. With Trey Faltine, who doubled to lead off, standing on third with one out, Kennedy found himself down in the count 1-2 against a tough lefty after Pierce trusted him to swing the bat. He protected the strike zone and lifted a fly ball to center fielder and the sacrifice fly allowed Texas to grab a 3-0 lead. At the time, it seemed like an important insurance run. In hindsight, it was obviously one of the biggest plays of the game.
Kennedy finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Mitchell Daly and Mike Antico both contributed offensively as well, but credit South Florida’s pitching for doing what it did so well in the Gainesville Regional – competing, executing quality pitches and throwing any pitch in any count. In the end, UT’s defense proved to be one of the game’s biggest difference-makers.
Sunday night the two teams return to action at 8:00 p.m. Tristan Stevens will be on the mound for Texas. Aaron Nixon was set to enter the game in the 10th inning, but thanks to Kennedy’s walk-off hit, the bullpen is as rested as UT could have hoped.
******
Saturday 7:05 p.m. update:
First pitch just a few minutes after 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
Lineups:
View attachment 1161
******
The Longhorns (45-15) are two wins away from Omaha. Expect electricity in the air tonight at UFCU Disch-Falk Field when a sold-out crowd greets the No. 2 overall seed at 8 p.m. (ESPNU) when it begins the Austin Super Regional against South Florida (31-28). South Florida stunned the college baseball world by winning the Gainesville Regional as a No. 4 seed. No matter who fills the opposing dugout, the Longhorns know the weekend is about what they do and not their opponent.
“Every team that's playing right now is confident and potentially very hot. If you're overlooking any team in the tournament right now, you're just not paying attention. And I don't think there's something that we have to constantly discuss. I don't want to go that route. I think we're a very good team. And I think we got a chance to go out there and play at a level that puts pressure on them. But I feel like they're gonna play at a high level as well. This is a Super Regional to advance Omaha.
“And so we don't change that either. And I don't want to sound like, ‘Oh, they just do the same thing over and over.’ But our game is such a game of repetition. Now, every kid on the field is going to have nerves. If you don't have nervous energy, then you're probably not in the right spot. I'm gonna have nervous energy and I've been doing this forever. It's just what we work for. But we also spent a lot of time on this mental game of learning how to breathe, slowing the game down, and then trusting your skill and all the work that you put in. So, that's all we will do and go out there and try to play our game and not worry about our opponent.”
Don’t expect the heavily favored Longhorns to take them lightly, though. As Pierce explained, South Florida will arrive a confident team with nothing to lose and will also arrive with a pitching staff finding its form at the right time.
“The thing that sticks out the most is you look at how teams start the beginning of the season, you look at numbers, and then we always talk about through the media as well as back and forth with coaches of, you know, how do you see your pitching staff? How do you see it evolving? And that's the case. It takes some time. And if you look at our staff right now, you know that Witt’s in a critical role; you got Cole in a critical role, but both similar. And then you have Nixon that works around three very good starting pitchers. So, you kind of kind of know what you want to do - maybe Gordon in a matchup - you really know what you want to do from there. And I've seen the same thing with South Florida.
“Their starters may go 70 pitches. They may go 100, but they use three to four guys potentially. So, they're not a team that you're really going in there to pitch count. They're throwing strikes. They’re throwing quality strikes. They’re [locating] with the breaking ball. They got a couple of guys that really trust and like the changeup. So, you can see them pitching with confidence. And then defensively they're solid. They're not going to do a lot of small game or run a lot, I don't believe. But I do think that they're going to be in a, ‘Yes, yes, hit, hit,’ mindset when they get a pitch they’re going to let it go. And so they're very aggressive with their swings. And they've had some success. So, you piece that together with the team that has nothing to lose and play with a lot of confidence, and you got a tough Super Regional.”
Unlike last weekend, Texas shouldn’t expect USF’s pitching staff to beat itself. The Bulls competed and executed on the mound very well in the Gainesville Regional, and have the pieces to do the same in Austin. While USF’s staff won’t throw a ton of big velocity, besides occasionally out of the bullpen, at Texas, projected game one and two starters Jack Jasiak and Collin Sullivan will sit in the low 90’s and can keep a lineup guessing with quality breaking stuff. If South Florida is going to complete a stunning upset in Austin, it’ll have to do it on the mound.
MORE PREVIEW THOUGHTS…
--- South Florida’s offense is very aggressive and has a lot of swing-and-miss through the lineup. While it’s capable of punishing mistakes and will likely try to ambush some early-count fastballs, the lineup is a bit of an all-or-nothing approach. USF doesn’t run much and will try to put up some crooked numbers with the longball.
Riley Logan and Carmine Lane were the team’s best hitters during conference play and made a loud presence felt throughout the Gainesville Regional.
--- As Pierce noted, it’ll be interesting to see if USF uses its starting pitchers like traditional starters throwing deep into games or tries to limit how many times the opposing lineup sees the same pitcher.
--- USF enters the Super Regional with a .968 fielding percentage and defense has occasionally been a major issue. The Longhorns could again have some success testing USF’s defense with the occasional bunt and electing to again be aggressive on the bases.
--- On that note, I think a guy to watch this weekend is Eric Kennedy. Texas treated the starting left fielder as a platoon player in the Austin Regional. Texas will see two right-handed starters to open the Super Regional. So, Kennedy should be in the lineup. Quietly, he’s swung the bat very well for a few weeks now, including the Austin Regional when he smashed three balls right at defensive players.
The Texas lineup is a different beast when Kennedy is providing a dynamic presence at the bottom of it and turning it over for the top of the order.
--- Finally, I’ll leave you with this quote from Cam Williams when asked if the team is concerned about South Florida:
“Never concerned about anybody. I mean [if] they want to bring it on, let's bring it on,” he said, adamantly.
In order to reach Omaha, teams must be capable of rising to the occasion, responding and consistently winning games in a variety of ways. During the biggest weekend of the season, up to this point because there is now a bigger one waiting, the Longhorns (47-15) put all those things on full, championship-level display. They again took USF’s best punch. They again responded. And they emphatically beat South Florida, 12-4.
For a record-setting 37th time, the Texas Longhorns are heading to the College World Series. They’re going back to Omaha. And unlike last time, these Longhorns truly seem capable of making a run at a national title.
“So proud and happy… we’ve talked about it since day one of keeping our head down and just continuing to try to get better,” an emotional David Pierce following the victory. “And just to watch it develop and the growth of these guys has been really, really rewarding. And now to have an opportunity to go compete for a national championship is pretty special.”
As Aaron Nixon struck out the game’s final batter and the official celebration began, because thanks to Cam Williams’ seventh-inning homer it unofficially started earlier, there was a familiar feeling in the air at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. For the second-straight weekend, there was a feeling of something bigger awaiting these Longhorns and they played and acted like they knew it too.
Sure, the Longhorns and their fans were excited. They were jubilant. But there was also an unmistakable feeling that this was expected, and this team is on a mission to achieve something bigger. Perhaps they are. Soon, we’ll find out in Omaha, and we’ll find out because all season the Longhorns have responded.
Last night, they immediately responded to a ninth-inning blown lead by winning the game in thrilling, walk-off fashion. Tonight, adversity arrived in the first inning. Tristan Stevens wasn’t as sharp as usual, and issued two first-inning walks, an extremely rare occurrence for a pitcher who entered tonight with 17 walks all season. The veteran labored through 5.2 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits, two walks and struck out three.
“It was one of those days where I didn't have my stuff to be honest with you… But when you have those kinds of days, you pitch with heart,” said Stevens about his outing Sunday night. “You don't pitch of what you got, you know? And I knew that was gonna be a dogfight, and I was gonna grind it out. But at the end of the day, I got the job done. And I couldn't be more proud of our team and how we handled it.”
USF (31-30) took advantage and scored two runs, but UT’s defense picked up its starter with an excellent play to limit the damage. Then, the Texas offense took over in the top of the second inning. Cam Williams walked, which would be the first of four tonight. Douglas Hodo then reached on a bunt single. The original plan for Trey Faltine was a sacrifice bunt, and the UT shortstop failed to get a bunt down twice. But with two strikes, Faltine showed bunt, pulled it back and smacked a RBI double into right-center field.
“Like I've always told y'all we can win in multiple ways,” said Stevens following the win.
Run prevention matters too, and it was obvious Texas was the far superior defensive team this weekend. Silas Ardoin’s high fly ball to shallow right field resulted in the right fielder and second baseman colliding. Hodo scored, Faltine moved to third and Ardoin hustled into second. With a very hard liner right at the right fielder, Eric Kennedy put Texas ahead with his RBI sacrifice fly. Mike Anitco was robbed of a RBI single, but it was more than enough to score Ardoin from third. Before South Florida could believe for a full inning it had a chance to win, Texas instantly delivered a bigger, meaner, louder punch.
As Stevens found his control, Texas added to its lead in the top of the third inning and it was again Faltine, who finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs, providing a big presence. Known for being a big-game performer in high school and select baseball, Faltine hit a hard two-RBI double to the wall in left field, which put the Longhorns ahead 6-2. Later, he dazzled with his glove.
USF, trailing 6-2, had runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. On a grounder deep in the hole at shortstop, Faltine made a diving stop before throwing to third from the seat of his pants and doing so in time to get a crucial force out. Following a RBI single, Stevens showed off his athleticism and helped himself by making a tremendous defensive play on a safety squeeze attempt.
Although the Bulls inched closer, the inning felt like a win for Texas, especially once it responded immediately with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and just over 7,000 Texas fans loudly making their presence felt, South Florida issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks, gifting Texas an 8-3 lead.
Texas fans started their celebration early because Cam Williams removed any doubt about the Longhorns punching their Omaha ticket. Peyton Powell, who pinch-hit for Ivan Melendez after an 1-for-4 performance with three strikeouts, hit a RBI single to keep the inning alive with two outs. Williams stepped into the batter’s box 0-for-0 with four walks. As usual, he was ready to do damage.
From the left side, the switch-hitter blasted a two-run homer to the deepest part of the park in left-center field just a few feet away from the batter’s eye. As South Florida center fielder Roberto Pena crashed into the wall, Williams trotted around the bases with his Horns raised.
Cole Quintanilla picked up Stevens in the sixth inning and turned the game over to Aaron Nixon in the bottom of the ninth inning after 2.1 scoreless frames. Nixon, again working with a huge lead in the weekend’s final game, punched out two with a perfect ninth inning. Immediately, the Longhorns poured out of the dugout and were guided onto the infield by an ecstatic home crowd on its feet.
They celebrated. They exchanged hugs. They yelled. They made a quick trip around the outfield to left field and soaked it in, getting the heroes greeting they deserved. They took pictures with family and friends. And then after some time passed, they began returning to their clubhouse like a group ready to get back to work.
“Our kids are young, for the most part. They're not afraid of anything. They're not afraid of the work and never had a team that works so hard for each other. It's incredible,” Pierce stated. “So, now we get an opportunity to go stay together for a little longer and compete.”
******
Sunday 7:18 p.m. update
First pitch at 8:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
Lineups:
View attachment 1169
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Sunday 12:40 a.m. update:
Postseason baseball can deliver a unique rollercoaster of happiness, anxiety, sadness, shock and elation all in the span of minutes. And drama. Tonight’s final inning had plenty of drama. After cruising through the Austin Regional in dominant fashion and never playing in anything even resembling a close game, Texas found themselves in a completely different situation to open the Austin Super Regional. As it has done all season, it found a way to win.
A critical component to Texas’ outstanding consistency and success this season has been its ability to respond to adversity and a lineup top-to-bottom capable of providing a huge, game-changing swing of the bat. Stunned by a game-tying homer in the top of the ninth inning by South Florida (31-29), the Longhorns (46-15) proved their merit immediately in the bottom of the ninth inning when Eric Kennedy delivered a walk-off double to hand Texas a thrilling 4-3 victory.
“We could be talking about how we let that one get away, but we didn't,” said David Pierce after the win. “So, my job is to get them re-center early and just get their head back down and they've been great at that all year. So, I don't expect anything different. Is it kind of a blessing. Such a mature young team. You're hearing Trey in the dugout going, ‘Let's compete. That's all we do. That's all we do. Let's compete.’ And you know, there was not one sign of a guy throwing his glove including Tanner; not one sign of, we let that get away, it's a tie ball game. It's just a tribute to the staff, and the players that just pull for each other every single day. We talk a lot about how much more enjoyment it is when it's about your teammates, and to go out there and watch them celebrate with their teammates is very rewarding.”
Following a very strong performance from Ty Madden, Tanner Witt looked untouchable through his first 1.1 innings of relief. Then, the ninth inning proved problematic for the freshman. Daniel Cantu led off the frame with a solo homer to put USF on the board for the first time Saturday night. Jarrett Eaton kept the inning alive with a two-out double, which brought Drew Brutcher, a tall lefty with some power, to the plate.
In a 3-2 count with first base open and a weak-hitting No. 9 hitter on deck, Texas elected to pitch at Brutcher but did so with a curve. In the previous innings, Witt’s curve racked up ugly swings and misses. The thinking, probably, was bury the hook to try to get a swing and miss or put Brutcher on first with a walk. Unfortunately for Texas and Witt, he hung by far his worst curve of the game and Brutcher demolished it onto Comal Street to tie the game, 3-3.
As Brutcher crossed home plate, he had some energetic words for the UT crowd and was greeted by very animated teammates. Meanwhile, the Texas crowd was stunned. But the crowd, like the Longhorns, quickly regrouped.
“We never had a doubt,” responded Madden about the mood of the team after USF tied the game. “This team is special. And I mean… Tanner made two bad pitches. And they made him pay for it… never had a doubt. This team's gone through a bunch of crazy things this year. And we got a lot of confidence in our pen and our bats. And definitely was crazy, but there wasn’t a split second where I think anyone that dugout thought we were going to lose that game.”
Silas Ardoin reached on an error when his slow grounder was bobbled by shortstop Nick Gonzalez, who to that point played an excellent game defensively. The same couldn’t be said about USF center fielder Roberto Pena. He looked very, very shaky all night even on routine fly balls. The one Kennedy hit at him wasn’t routine, and his read off the bat gave him no chance on a ball he probably didn’t have a chance to catch to begin with.
The left fielder from Tampa, Florida arrived in the batter’s box ready to attack a first-pitch fastball. After the game, Kennedy said something he’s worked on in recent weeks is getting his swing started earlier so he can be on time. He was perfectly on time with a 94 MPH fastball and sent the first pitch screaming towards the deepest part of the park in left-center. With two outs, Ardoin was on the move off the bat and as he neared third, Pierce, with the help of around 7,000 assistant coaches, aggressive waved the UT catcher home.
“There's a lot of energy in there,” said Pierce with a chuckle about the crowd waving Ardoin home. “I had a lot of assistants right then. When he hit it with two outs, I knew he's gonna score. And even if he would have got a very clean hop off the wall, we were sending him. With two outs we’re sending him and they’re going to have to make the play.”
Pierce then began chasing Ardoin towards home plate as players began to pour onto the field. Just before he slid across home, Smokey the Cannon fired because it was obvious he was going to score. And he did.
“That's the deepest part of the ballpark. There was little doubt in my mind, like, ‘Why [do we have] Silas running here? Can’t we have a pinch-runner or something? So, I was a little nervous,” Kennedy said with a big grin. “But I know he's busting it. He was scoring no matter what. If coach Pierce is beating him down the line, we got some problems.”
Pierce pumped his first in the air as Ardoin crossed home. Soon, Kennedy was mobbed by teammates on the field and the burnt orange faithful at UFCU Disch-Falk Field erupted. In just a few minutes Texas went from a stunning loss to a thrilling victory, a victory that totally changes the feel of the Super Regional.
“I was just hoping Silas didn't fall down or something crazy. I told him that I was a little nervous whenever he was running. He just yelled at me in the locker room and said that there was never a doubt he was going all the way,” joked Madden. “But I think it was a split second that we thought it could have been snagged, but EK smoked that ball. So, it was just, I was nervous someone's gonna run on the field and they're gonna call us out before Silas got to the plate.”
As for Madden, the way the ninth inning unfolded robbed the future first-round pick of the starring role in what was undoubtedly be his final home start at Texas. But he didn’t care. Because tonight put him one step closer to making another start. Saturday night, Madden went to his slider early and during the second and third times through the USF order, he threw the pitch as much or more than he has all season. It worked.
Across 6.2 innings, he gave up just three hits, walked four and struck out nine. In the second inning, he touched 99 MPH and although he worked more in the 93-94 MPH range to finish his outing, he had 97 MPH in the tank when he wanted it. Madden’s confidence in his slider has grown in recent weeks and his willingness to throw it more often, even in situations like tonight when he threw a lot of them consecutively, has allowed him to be more effective with his fastball. And once again, Madden started showing his changeup to lefties the third time through the order and backed it up with better inside command of his fastball to lefties.
As Madden left with a 2-0 lead in the to of the seventh inning, he was greeted by a standing ovation. The hard-throwing righty exchanged hugs with Texas infielders and was greeted with a few teammate hugs outside the dugout. Texas fans began changing “Ty!” and were rewarded with a curtain call. Madden arrived big on potential but far from a finished product. He’ll leave an All-American and a first-round pick.
What might be overshadowed about Kennedy because of his walk-off hit is his seventh-inning at-bat. With Trey Faltine, who doubled to lead off, standing on third with one out, Kennedy found himself down in the count 1-2 against a tough lefty after Pierce trusted him to swing the bat. He protected the strike zone and lifted a fly ball to center fielder and the sacrifice fly allowed Texas to grab a 3-0 lead. At the time, it seemed like an important insurance run. In hindsight, it was obviously one of the biggest plays of the game.
Kennedy finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Mitchell Daly and Mike Antico both contributed offensively as well, but credit South Florida’s pitching for doing what it did so well in the Gainesville Regional – competing, executing quality pitches and throwing any pitch in any count. In the end, UT’s defense proved to be one of the game’s biggest difference-makers.
Sunday night the two teams return to action at 8:00 p.m. Tristan Stevens will be on the mound for Texas. Aaron Nixon was set to enter the game in the 10th inning, but thanks to Kennedy’s walk-off hit, the bullpen is as rested as UT could have hoped.
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Saturday 7:05 p.m. update:
First pitch just a few minutes after 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
Lineups:
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The Longhorns (45-15) are two wins away from Omaha. Expect electricity in the air tonight at UFCU Disch-Falk Field when a sold-out crowd greets the No. 2 overall seed at 8 p.m. (ESPNU) when it begins the Austin Super Regional against South Florida (31-28). South Florida stunned the college baseball world by winning the Gainesville Regional as a No. 4 seed. No matter who fills the opposing dugout, the Longhorns know the weekend is about what they do and not their opponent.
“Every team that's playing right now is confident and potentially very hot. If you're overlooking any team in the tournament right now, you're just not paying attention. And I don't think there's something that we have to constantly discuss. I don't want to go that route. I think we're a very good team. And I think we got a chance to go out there and play at a level that puts pressure on them. But I feel like they're gonna play at a high level as well. This is a Super Regional to advance Omaha.
“And so we don't change that either. And I don't want to sound like, ‘Oh, they just do the same thing over and over.’ But our game is such a game of repetition. Now, every kid on the field is going to have nerves. If you don't have nervous energy, then you're probably not in the right spot. I'm gonna have nervous energy and I've been doing this forever. It's just what we work for. But we also spent a lot of time on this mental game of learning how to breathe, slowing the game down, and then trusting your skill and all the work that you put in. So, that's all we will do and go out there and try to play our game and not worry about our opponent.”
Don’t expect the heavily favored Longhorns to take them lightly, though. As Pierce explained, South Florida will arrive a confident team with nothing to lose and will also arrive with a pitching staff finding its form at the right time.
“The thing that sticks out the most is you look at how teams start the beginning of the season, you look at numbers, and then we always talk about through the media as well as back and forth with coaches of, you know, how do you see your pitching staff? How do you see it evolving? And that's the case. It takes some time. And if you look at our staff right now, you know that Witt’s in a critical role; you got Cole in a critical role, but both similar. And then you have Nixon that works around three very good starting pitchers. So, you kind of kind of know what you want to do - maybe Gordon in a matchup - you really know what you want to do from there. And I've seen the same thing with South Florida.
“Their starters may go 70 pitches. They may go 100, but they use three to four guys potentially. So, they're not a team that you're really going in there to pitch count. They're throwing strikes. They’re throwing quality strikes. They’re [locating] with the breaking ball. They got a couple of guys that really trust and like the changeup. So, you can see them pitching with confidence. And then defensively they're solid. They're not going to do a lot of small game or run a lot, I don't believe. But I do think that they're going to be in a, ‘Yes, yes, hit, hit,’ mindset when they get a pitch they’re going to let it go. And so they're very aggressive with their swings. And they've had some success. So, you piece that together with the team that has nothing to lose and play with a lot of confidence, and you got a tough Super Regional.”
Unlike last weekend, Texas shouldn’t expect USF’s pitching staff to beat itself. The Bulls competed and executed on the mound very well in the Gainesville Regional, and have the pieces to do the same in Austin. While USF’s staff won’t throw a ton of big velocity, besides occasionally out of the bullpen, at Texas, projected game one and two starters Jack Jasiak and Collin Sullivan will sit in the low 90’s and can keep a lineup guessing with quality breaking stuff. If South Florida is going to complete a stunning upset in Austin, it’ll have to do it on the mound.
MORE PREVIEW THOUGHTS…
--- South Florida’s offense is very aggressive and has a lot of swing-and-miss through the lineup. While it’s capable of punishing mistakes and will likely try to ambush some early-count fastballs, the lineup is a bit of an all-or-nothing approach. USF doesn’t run much and will try to put up some crooked numbers with the longball.
Riley Logan and Carmine Lane were the team’s best hitters during conference play and made a loud presence felt throughout the Gainesville Regional.
--- As Pierce noted, it’ll be interesting to see if USF uses its starting pitchers like traditional starters throwing deep into games or tries to limit how many times the opposing lineup sees the same pitcher.
--- USF enters the Super Regional with a .968 fielding percentage and defense has occasionally been a major issue. The Longhorns could again have some success testing USF’s defense with the occasional bunt and electing to again be aggressive on the bases.
--- On that note, I think a guy to watch this weekend is Eric Kennedy. Texas treated the starting left fielder as a platoon player in the Austin Regional. Texas will see two right-handed starters to open the Super Regional. So, Kennedy should be in the lineup. Quietly, he’s swung the bat very well for a few weeks now, including the Austin Regional when he smashed three balls right at defensive players.
The Texas lineup is a different beast when Kennedy is providing a dynamic presence at the bottom of it and turning it over for the top of the order.
--- Finally, I’ll leave you with this quote from Cam Williams when asked if the team is concerned about South Florida:
“Never concerned about anybody. I mean [if] they want to bring it on, let's bring it on,” he said, adamantly.
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