Tennessee beats Texas A&M to win first baseball national title in school history
The Vols’ offense built a 6-1 lead and the defense held off a late rally to win the deciding Game 3 on Monday night, 6-5.
OMAHA, Neb. (WSMV) - For the first time in the school’s history, the University of Tennessee’s baseball program owns a national championship.
On Monday night, the Tennessee Volunteers held off a late rally by the Texas A&M Aggies to win, 6-5, and took home the College World Series trophy from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
It took the full three games in the final series to decide which team would be national champions, but Game 3 had it all.
The Vols struck first when second baseman Christian Moore led off the bottom of the first inning with a missile into the left-field bullpen for a solo shot. That was Moore’s second homer in Omaha.
Tennessee’s 1-0 lead lasted until the third when third baseman Gavin Grahovac drove in centerfielder Travis Chestnut with a liner to left to tie the game, 1-1.
After retaking the lead on a sacrifice fly, Tennessee’s shortstop Dean Curley ripped a two-out single to left center to bring in center fielder Hunter Ensley in the bottom of the third. Curley got caught in a rundown between first and second to end the inning and the rally. Vols led, 3-1, at that point.
More Tennessee offense came two innings later when centerfielder Dylan Dreiling lined a 2-run shot to right. Two batters later, with a runner on first, right fielder Kavares Tears smacked one off the right-center wall. The relay throw to the plate beat Ensley at home, but he slipped past the tag with an incredible slide to score. The call would be challenged on the field, but the replay showed that catcher Jackson Appel never touched Ensley. That put Tennessee up, 6-1, through seven.
The Aggies’ bats woke up in the 8th, with an RBI single to center by DH Hayden Schott and a double to left center by OF Caden Sorrell. That rally was squashed by lefty Kirby Connell, who came out of the bullpen to strike out two batters, ending the threat. The Aggies trailed, 6-3, at that point.
Over to the 9th and the Aggies were down to their final at-bats. Appel singled to left to bring in a run, then later scored with two outs on a wild pitch from closer Aaron Combs. Texas A&M had cut the lead to one.
But Combs got first baseman Ted Burton to chase a nasty breaking ball for strike three, sealing the championship for the Volunteers.
Top-seeded Tennessee held on to win its first College World Series title, 6-5. It was the first time a #1 seed won the championship since the Miami Hurricanes succeeded in 1999 at the old Rosenblatt Stadium.
A celebration parade was held on Tuesday night in Knoxville for newly crowned champions of college baseball.
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