Dylan Dreiling’s two-run homer kept Tennessee’s championship dream alive on Sunday in Omaha.
Dreiling’s two-run homer gave the team a more stable start Monday night in Omaha.
of Tennessee Volunteers Winning the NCAA Men’s College World Series for the first time in school history Texas A&M We won the third game with a final score of 6-5.
And just like Sunday, Dreiling took center stage.
A sacrifice fly by Dreiling gave the Volunteers a 2-1 lead in the third inning, but Tennessee was leading 3-1 when Dreiling came to bat with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Billy Amick singled to left-center field before Dreiling to take the lead.
But then he started jogging.
Dreiling caught a 78 mph curveball from Texas A&M pitcher Evan Aschenbeck and sent a fly ball high to right field. Aggies right fielder Caden Sorrell dove for it with all his might but missed it by inches.
That gave Dreiling his third home run in three games of the Men’s College World Series finals, and the outfielder’s two-run homer gave the Volunteers a 5-1 lead.
Tennessee wasn’t behind in the seventh, adding another run on perhaps the most amazing slide I’ve ever seen. After Dreiling’s home run, Hunter Ensley got on base with a Seeing Eye single, sending Cavares Tears home. Tears immediately hit a deep fly ball off the center field wall, and Ensley tried to circle from first base on the play, but a great Aggies relay got the ball to home plate before Ensley.
But somehow, Ensley avoided a touch from catcher Jackson Appel.
Ensley read the play perfectly: He saw the throw coming toward Appel’s glove, cut inside, crossed home plate with his left hand and touched home. Texas A&M contested the play, but video replay confirmed the call as safe on the field.
The slide will end up being huge.
The Aggies led 6-3 after scoring two runs in the eighth inning, but left-hander Kirby Connell came on to pitch and finished the inning with two strikeouts to stop the run. Aidan Combs, who was a key contributor to Tennessee’s win Sunday as a relief pitcher, also pitched in the ninth and faced off against the top of Texas A&M’s batting lineup.
The Aggies didn’t make it easy.
Gavin Grahovac led off the inning with a double, sending the dangerous Jace Laviolette home. Combs struck out Laviolette, but Appel singled to left field to score Grahovac and give Tennessee a 6-4 lead as Hayden Schott hit the tying run. Schott was 3-for-4 on the night with three singles.
Combs struck out Schott on a high fastball and Ted Burton walked to home plate for the final Aggies out, but a wild pitch allowed Appel to score, making it 6-5, with Burton driving in the tying run and the winning run into the on-deck circle.
Combs struck out Burton with a 79 mph curveball, striking Burton out swinging and sparking a celebration: For the first time in the school’s history, the baseball national championship trophy will be handed over to Rocky Top.
In recognition of his performance throughout the series, Dreiling was named the Tournament MVP.
With the title, the Volunteers became the first team to win the Men’s College World Series as the No. 1 overall seed since Miami won in 1999, the first year the tournament expanded to its current 64-team format.
