What a way for the super regional round to end. Six hours and three minutes after the first pitch, a throwing error at the plate gave TCU a walkoff 5-4 win in the bottom of the 16th inning and booked the final spot in the College World Series.
Vanderbilt took down Illinois and Cal State Fullerton outlasted Louisville to fill out the eight-team field in Omaha.
Sitting on a 4-2 lead with shutdown closer Riley Ferrell on the mound in the top of the ninth, it didn’t look like it would be a dramatic finish for the Horned Frogs. But Ferrell, who has struggled this postseason, gave free passes to the first two Aggies he faced and had to be yanked. After another walk loaded ’em up, Mitchell Nau and Logan Taylor put consecutive groundouts in play to tie the game.
TCU blew chance after chance in the late innings. They got the leadoff man on in seven of the last nine frames and had a man on second in the eighth, ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th. But nobody could get the big hit, going 0-for-12 with men in scoring position during that span.
A&M reliever Ryan Hendrix was an absolute iron man, repeatedly working out of jams as he gave up just four hits in 4.2 innings of work. No, but really, dude was an iron man — after the Frogs loaded the bases with one out in the top of the 14th, he knocked down a would-have-been game-winner with his freakin’ chest.
Texas A&M still has a chance at Omaha… thanks to this amazing 1-3-2 out! #RoadToOmaha http://t.co/PQNK4fyYWC
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 9, 2015
But all those baserunners finally came back to haunt the Aggies in the bottom of the 16th. Third baseman Ronnie Gideon misplayed a grounder, then made a low throw as Crain ran through a stop sign to score from second.
WALK OFF TO OMAHA!!! TCU is heading to the #CWS! http://t.co/N9ZQDxqlcf
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 9, 2015
Cal State Fullerton 4, Louisville 3
Instant replay was the difference in this one. With the game tied at three in the top of the 11th inning, Cal State Fullerton’s David Olmedo-Barrera sent an oppo shot into the left field corner that umps ruled a home run.
But was it? Replay made it tough to tell whether the ball sailed left of the foul pole or caromed off of it.
When the ump emerged from his consultation with the command center in Atlanta, he twirled his fingers to signal a homer. Given the inconclusiveness of that video, it makes sense that they couldn’t overturn the call, though ESPN reported during the game that the command center had somehow confirmed the original call as conclusive.
It was a tough way to go for the Cardinals, who took a 3-1 lead in the seventh when Zach Lucas went first to home on a pair of wild pitches. But for the second time in a three-day span, the Louisville bullpen — a group that came into the weekend with a 22-0 record on the season — let them down. They went through three different pitchers in the eighth inning and eventually big-armed closer Zack Burdi gave up a two-RBI single that tied the game.
TITANS TIE IT UP! Jerrod Bravo brings home 2 on the 2-out single in the 8th. #RoadToOmaha http://t.co/hygBgpCdgP
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 9, 2015
And this last highlight doesn’t necessarily tie into my game narrative, but OH MY GOD HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN?
Josh Rogers with the SNAG!!! #RoadToOmaha #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/QaQ7vPVtYx
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 9, 2015
Vanderbilt 4, Illinois 2
It was one hell of an afternoon for Dansby Swanson. About 15 minutes after he and his Vandy teammates dogpiled in Illinois — a super regional-clinching win fueled in part by his fourth-inning solo shot — the superstar shortstop heard the Diamondbacks call his name as the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft.
Here he is getting the news.
Dansby reacts to being drafted No. 1 by @Dbacks !!! pic.twitter.com/6AALJHWEZo
— Vandy Baseball (@VandyBaseball) June 8, 2015
Interesting enough, the man that allowed that homer went just five picks later. But Tyler Jay, who got nabbed by the Twins, probably wasn’t in quite the same celebratory mood. He allowed 10 hits and all four of Vandy’s runs, including one-spots in the sixth and seventh that turned a tie game into a two-run Commodore lead.
Two more guys from this game went in the first round, both from Vandy. Carson Fulmer, who pitched 6.1 scoreless innings during Saturday’s 13-0 route, went No. 8 to the White Sox and Walker Buehler, who never even had to take the mound in Champaign, went 24th to the Dodgers.
At the end of the day, the fact that Vandy had three first-round picks to Illinois’ one sums this series up: the Commodores were just a more talented team.
The field in Omaha is set
Here’s your 2015 College World Series bracket, via NCAA.com.
