College World Series Sunday Recap: Texas A&M and Oklahoma Roll

Written by: Will O’Shea

A&M demolishes Texas 10-2, send Longhorns home

Though Texas A&M left the big 12 several years ago, the rivalry with Texas remained completely intact. After deflating losses on Friday, both teams were forced into the most entertaining game in all of sports: win, or go home.

Texas struck first, scratching a run in the first two innings at the hands of Austin Todd and Douglas Hodo. But the game took a complete 180 for the rest of the way. The Aggies strung together four hits and a walk in the second, evaporating the Texas deficit in a hurry.

Getting to Lucas Gordon early would expose Texas’s only weakness, that being their bullpen.

The Aggies got on the board in five of the remaining six innings in the elimination game. No Aggie had three or more hits, but Ryan Targac scored four runs, while Jordan Thompson got on base in all four plate appearances.

Micah Dallas would go the first five innings, only allowing one earned run. Trusted bullpen arms, Jacob Palisch and Brad Rudis punched out a combined seven over the final four frames of shutout ball.

A&M captured their first win in Omaha since 1993, while sending home their biggest rival and the most historic program in college baseball. The Aggies will face Notre Dame tomorrow afternoon.

Boomer Sooner! Oklahoma beats Notre Dame 6-2

Hard to argue that these aren’t the two hottest teams in the country at the moment. Oklahoma off winning the Big 12 tournament, and upsetting No. 13 Florida and No. 4 Virginia Tech. Notre Dame off one of the biggest super regional upsets of all-time, taking down juggernaut Tennessee.

This game started off with a bang, as Blake Robertson caught a foul pop-up on the first pitch of the game, tumbling into the Irish dugout like he was in a royal rumble. Tanner Tredaway and freshman Wallace Clark brought the first two runs in with singles in the third.

In the fifth, the Notre Dame first basemen had a costly throwing error off a bunt from Clark. The extremely wide foul territory in Omaha helped score Jared Crooks all the way from first, with Tanner Tredaway coming in before. That error would keep the door open for Jackson Nicklaus to bring in another, making the lead 5-0.

Sooner freshman Cade Horton absolutely dominated a gritty, veteran Irish offense. He struck out 11 over six innings, only allowing two runs in the sixth from a David LaManna home run. He had done the same to a potent Hokie offense in the super regional, extremely impressive. A Tanner Tredaway single brought in another the next half inning, and the score would stay at 6-2 going forward. Tredaway went 3-for-4, with two runs, two RBIs, and a walk. Six-foot-four shortstop and MLB prospect Peyton Graham also showed up, going 4-for-4 with a walk.

Oklahoma entered the tournament as one of, if not the biggest longshot to win it all. They now sit in the driver’s seat to make the College World Series final. Notre Dame now faces a tough road ahead of them, but the good news is they didn’t use Alex Rao or Jack Findlay, saving their top-two bullpen arms for tomorrow’s match with Texas A&M.