The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Miami (Oh)
No. 5 Baseball defeats Miami University, advances to Austin NCAA Regional Championship game
06.05.2005 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Redshirt freshman Adrian Alaniz (Sinton, Texas) tied a career high with nine strikeouts during his second career complete-game effort to propel No. 5 Texas (47-15) to a 12-5 victory Miami University (Ohio) (45-18) in front of 3,989 fans at Disch-Falk Field during an elimination game at the Austin NCAA Regional on Sunday, June 5. With the win, the Longhorns will face Arkansas in a regional championship game on Sunday, June 5 at 6 p.m. Central, while the RedHawks conclude their year with a 45-18 overall record and Mid-American Conference Championship.
The Longhorns broke on top 1-0 in the top of the second inning when first baseman Chance Wheeless (Round Rock, Texas) opened the frame with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a one-out, RBI-base hit off the bat of designated hitter Will Crouch (Austin, Texas). A one-out walk followed by a hit batter and a fielding error in the top of the third led to an unearned run and a 2-0 advantage for the Horns. One inning later, Texas made it a 4-0 ballgame as Crouch was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on fielder's choice grounder from David Maroul (Benbrook, Texas) that combined with a throwing error. Robby Hudson (Redlands, Calif.) then lined the first pitch he saw into center field to drive in Maroul and give the Horns a four-run lead.
Miami University would answer in the bottom of the fourth when left fielder Ryne Robinson led off with a triple and scored on a groundout to make it a 4-1 contest. While the Redhawks would threaten for more in the fourth as catcher John Slone reached second with one out on a single and error, Alaniz got a popup and a strikeout to end the inning. Following a scoreless fifth for both sides, the Longhorns received a two-run home run off the bat of Maroul in the sixth followed by a Hudson single and a RBI-triple off the left-field wall from Drew Stubbs (Atlanta, Texas) to push UT in front by a score of 7-1. In the bottom of the inning, the RedHawks put two runners on with two out via a hit batter and an error on a fielder's choice before second baseman Geoff Orr connected on his ninth home run of the season to bring Miami back within three at 7-4. Answering right back in the top of the seventh, Wheeless tripled to open the inning and then scored on an infield hit from Crouch to stake the Horns to an 8-4 advantage.
After Alaniz worked out of a two-out jam with runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh, the Horns managed to load the bases with one out in the eighth on a single, a double and an intentional walk, but reliever Jeff Day induced a short flyout that resulted in an inning-ending double play as right fielder Tyler Tabler fired a strike to home plate that cut down the runner from third. Miami then received a leadoff double from catcher Jon Franzese and a RBI-single off the bat of Paul Frietch to pull the RedHawks within three with no outs in the bottom of the eighth. With his opposition rallying, Alaniz then induced a double-play groundout and registered his sixth strikeout of the afternoon to keep Texas on top by a score of 8-5. In the ninth, after Wheeless reached on an error to begin the inning, Carson Kainer (Tomball, Texas) hit a ground-rule double in front of a RBI-single from Crouch and a three-run home run from Taylor Teagarden (Carrollton, Texas) to establish a 12-5 UT lead. From there, Alaniz returned to the mound in the bottom half of the inning and proceeded to strike out the side to seal the victory. While Alaniz picked up his fifth win after allowing only two earned runs on seven hits and walking only one, Miami starter John Ely shouldered the loss.
Leading the way for Texas' 15-hit attack was Crouch, who went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI to set a career-high for hits and equaled his best individual game performance for RBI, Hudson, who tallied a three hits while scoring one run and driving in another, and Wheeless, who went 2-for-5 with a career-high three runs scored. The RedHawks, meanwhile, were paced by Robinson, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Orr, who accounted for three of Miami's five runs with his three-run, round-tripper in the sixth. Of additional note for UT, both Stubbs and Nick Peoples (Round Rock, Texas) upped their current hit streaks to eight games.
Of note, if Arkansas wins the regional championship game on Sunday evening, the Razorbacks will advance the NCAA Super Regional round against the winner of the Oxford (Miss.) NCAA Regional Tournament next week. If Texas wins, these two teams will square off again on Monday, June 6 at 1 p.m. Central at Disch-Falk Field to determine who will win the Austin NCAA Regional and advance.
Postgame Notes & Quotes
MIAMI UNIVERSITY (OHIO)
Team
- Miami is now 7-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament .
- The RedHawks fall to 0-2 all-time against the Longhorns with both played in NCAA Tournament action.
- With one triple in the game, Miami has now hit nine triples in three regional games.
Individual
- LF Ryne Robinson's triple marked his eighth of the season which establishes a single-season record for the RedHawks surpassing the old standard of seven set by Mark Naehring in 1977.
- 2B Geoff Orr's three-run home run marked his ninth of the season, a career high.
- 1B Paul Frietch registered his team-best 64th RBI on the season on a single in the eighth inning, which moves him into sole possession of third place on Miami's all-time single-season list and extended his hitting streak to 16 games.
TEXAS
Team
- Texas is now 117-44-1 in NCAA Regional play. The Longhorns are now 61-35 under head coach Augie Garrido in NCAA Regional Tournaments.
- By defeating Miami (Ohio) 11-1 in an elimination game of the 2000 NCAA Tempe (Ariz.) Regional and 12-5 today, UT has now eliminated Miami in each of its previous two NCAA Regional Tournament appearances.
- With 15 hits on the day, the Texas offense has now tallied 10 or more hits in 34 of 62 games to date as well as in all three regional tournament games and seven straight contests.
Individual
- P Adrian Alaniz matched a season-team high and career high with nine strikeouts while throwing his second complete game of the season and his career.
- DH Will Crouch established a career high with four hits on the day, has now multiple-hit games in two of three regional tournament games and has extending his hitting streak to four games.
- 2B Robby Hudson's three hits matched a career best. Hudson has a hit in 13 of his last 15 games and owns multiple-hit games in three of the last six games.
- C Taylor Teagarden's home run in the ninth inning marked his fourth of the year and now has six hits in three NCAA Regional games.
- 3B David Maroul connected on his ninth home run of the season and has six HR in the last 13 games.
- 1B Chance Wheeless extending his hitting streak to six games. Wheeless' triple in the seventh inning marked his third triple of the year.
- CF Drew Stubbs extended his hitting streak to eight games and has now hit safely in 52 of 62 games this season. Stubbs' triple in the sixth inning marked his fourth of the season.
- RF Nick Peoples extended his hitting streak to eight games with a double in the eighth.
Attendance: 3,989
TEXAS
Head Coach Augie Garrido
On the game: I think the game was dominated by the consistency of our offense. We scored in all of the innings except three, and I think that's what gave us the separation that allowed Adrian to battle and complete the game, which is what we needed.
On playing a doubleheader: Personally, I think it's exciting when you consider the alternatives. I'm going to stick with the exciting part and stay excited as long as I can.
Freshman RHP Adrian Alaniz
On pitching the complete game: I knew that our bullpen was a bit down because we used some guys in our other games, and I knew that I needed to go for a long run. I felt I had it in me because I was well rested. The main thing I wanted to do was to go out there and have a good tempo, focus on that, and I just try to keep them off balance.
MIAMI UNIVERSITY (OHIO)
Head Coach Tracy Smith
Opening statement: We are disappointed, and that is not to take away from Texas who is a great baseball team. Ely threw an outstanding baseball game. I'm not saying that we would have won in the end, but I think we certainly deserved better than that. Anytime you travel half way across the country and play in a great environment like this against a wonderful, storied program, a lot of things are stacked against you. I am just proud of how our kids played hard all weekend and all the way through the end of the ballgame.
On Texas: I love the way they always keep pressure on you. When they come ready to play, they are most certainly as good as anyone in the country.
Freshman RHP John Ely
On his pitching performance: I was throwing right at the guys today, and they just swung the bats well. I don't think the heat was too big of a factor. Overall I think I threw the ball well, but they are just a great hitting team, and I have to give them credit.
