Oxford, Miss. – With yet another spot in the College World Series on the line, Will Crouch gave Texas the lead and J. Brent Cox made sure the Longhorns wouldn’t lose it.
Crouch put Texas ahead to stay with a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, Cox pitched out of another late jam and the Longhorns earned their fourth straight trip to Omaha with a 6-4 win over Mississippi in the decisive game of their best-of-three super regional series Monday night.
Crouch led off the sixth with his sixth homer of the year, a drive to left-center off Eric Fowler (7-3) that broke a 3-3 tie.
“Since we’d been battling with them all series, I knew it would take that (homer) to win it,” Crouch said.
Ole Miss brought the go- ahead run to the plate with two out in the ninth after a walk to Chris Coghlan and a single by Brian Pettway, but Cox struck out Stephen Head to end it and earn his 17th save.
Cox, one of the nation’s best closers whose throwing error in Game 1 led to a loss, bounced back by saving both of the Longhorns’ wins in the series – including a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning of Game 2.
Texas (51-16) overcame a raucous, football-like atmosphere at Swayze Field to win the final two games of the series and advance to the CWS for a record 32nd time, remaining in the hunt for its sixth national championship. The most recent title came in 2002.
Freshman Kenn Kasparek (8-0) came on in the sixth and allowed one run on two hits.
Baylor 6, Clemson 1
Waco, Texas – Kevin Sevigny hit a three-run double in the fourth to lead the Bears (44-22) to their third CWS and first since 1978.
Cory VanAllen (8-4) got the victory, giving up seven hits and only one run over six innings. Ryan LaMotta pitched three innings of shutout relief for his seventh save.
Robert Rohrbaugh (8-3) took the loss for Clemson (43-23).
Tulane 9, Rice 6
New Orleans – Top seed Tulane scored seven runs in the final two innings to rally.
Micah Owings drove home the decisive run in the top of the ninth with a blistering line drive over the glove of Rice shortstop Josh Rodriguez, breaking a 6-6 tie.
“It would have been a shame if this club had not had a chance to compete in the College World Series,” Tulane coach Rick Jones said. “To go through the season playing the toughest schedule we’ve ever played and go 55-10 … That shows it has been a great year.”
Oregon State 10, USC 8
Corvallis, Ore. – Andy Jenkins hit for the cycle and drove in four runs to lead Oregon State to its first CWS since 1952.
Jenkins went 5-for-5 for the Beavers (46-10). They will play top-seeded Tulane in Omaha.
The Trojans erased a 7-3 deficit with a four-run sixth inning.
Jenkins completed his cycle in the bottom of the inning with a triple. He scored on Shea McFeely’s sacrifice fly to make it 8-7. Darwin Barney had an RBI single in the seventh for the Beavers, then scored on Jenkins’ single.
