OMAHA, Nebraska — Tennessee baseball claimed the national championship with a 6-5 win in Game Three of the College World Series Finals against Texas A&M on Monday night at Charles Schwab Field.
The Vol claimed their first national title in program history by winning the series 2-1.
The Vols got off to a strong start on defense after allowing the Aggies to score in the first inning in back-to-back games. In Game Three, Zander Siecrest started on the mound for UT and they got three quick outs.
In the bottom of the first inning, Christian Moore hit a lead-off home run to put UT up 1-0 just like that with a thump to left field. Later in the inning, the Vols got runners on first and second base with one out after Blake Burke hit a single and Dylan Dreiling drew a four-pitch walk. UT wouldn't score any more runs after Hunter Ensley struck out and Kavares Tears grounded out
In the top of the second inning, the Vols had another quick defensive inning. The Aggies got a runner on first base following a hit, but two pop-outs in a strikeout sent it to the bottom half of the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, Cal Stark would get on base after drawing a walk. UT wouldn't score any runs though.
In the top of the third inning with one out, Travis Chestnut put down a bunt with two strikes. It got him on first and then a throwing error trying to get him out at first allowed him to advance to second base. After that, he stole third base.
Gavin Grahovac brought him home with a single to left field to tie the game at 1-1. Jace LaViolette then hit a single to first base that just dribbled up the infield. Burke tried to charge forward and get a force out at second base but the out didn't happen, giving the Aggies runners on first and second out.
Tennessee forced a double play after that though to get out of any more danger.
In the bottom of the third inning, Burke got things started with a double. Billy Amick was grounded out, but it advanced Burke to third base. Dreiling then hit a sacrifice fly to bring Burke home to give the Vols the lead back at 2-1.
Ensley and Tears then hit back-to-back singles to get runners on first and second base with two outs. The inning ended with a run and an out. Dean Curley hit a single that scored Ensley but got tagged out trying to advance to second base. UT took a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth inning.
The Aggies got a runner-in-scoring position in the top of the fourth inning after Ed Burton stole second base with two outs. UT forced a ground out though to end the half-inning. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Vols went up three up to the plate and all three went down without getting on base.
Sechrist struck out all three batters he faced in the top of the fifth inning, bringing his total to six for the game. Dreiling doubled in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs but UT couldn't cash in on with a run.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Aggies got two singles with one out. Siecrest's day came to an end He pitched 5.1 innings, allowed six hits, one run, and finished with seven strikeouts.
Texas A&M got runners on first and third base with two outs after Curley couldn't get the ball out quick enough to turn a double play. He had to tap the ball off his glove to Moore to get the out at second base. Caden Sorrell lined one to first base with some pace, but Burke snagged it for a line drive out.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Curley hit a double with one out. Cannon Peebles flew out in foul territory but Curley advanced to third base. Stark would ground out to end the inning though and no run would come home.
Texas A&M had runners on first and third in the top of the seventh inning. LaViolette hit a ball that got by Burke at first base but Moore was behind him a little deeper in the infield. He fielded the ball and got it to Burke who got the out by inches to get out of the tense moments.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Amick broke a hitless streak of eight straight at-bats to get a single. Then Dreiling hit his third home run of the College World Series Finals to right field. It gave UT a 5-1 lead.
Ensley then hit a single followed by a double from Tears that brought Ensley home as the tag at home plate was narrowly missed. Ensley made an athletic move to dodge the tag at home to put UT up 6-1.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Aggies got a runner on third base with no outs. Hayden Schott singled up the middle to score a run and make it 6-2. Sorrell then hit a double to drive in another run to cut the lead to 6-3. Nate Snead gave up a run and Dylan Loy gave up the other.
The Aggies got runners on first and second base with one out. Kirby Connell delivered a three-pitch strikeout to get the second out. Then he dealt another to end the half-inning with a scream and a fist pump.
In the bottom of the eighth inning with one out, Stark reached second base after a single and an error allowing him to advance. Tennessee didn't score any runs in the eighth.
The Aggies had a shot to score some runs in the ninth. Grahovac hit a lead-off double to left field. Aaron Combs strikeouts out LaViolette for a huge first out. However, Jackson Appel hits an RBI knock to make it a two-run game, 6-5. Combs struck out the next batter, and there was one out left to go before the game was over. The Vols got it, and it ended the game.
Tennessee is the first top overall seed to win the national championship since Miami did so in 1999. They are the first team to get 60 wins in a season and win a national title since Wichita State in 1989.
After the game, Dylan Dreiling received a trophy for Most Outstanding Player for his role in the College World Series.
