Belt again a world champion

KANSAS CITY -- For the second time in three years, Brandon Belt and the San Francisco Giants have captured the World Series title.

Belt, who starred at Texas in 2008 and 2009, helped the Giants defeat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 in Game 7 on Wednesday night. The Giants, who were a wild card in the National League, have won three titles in the last five years with Belt apart of the 2012 and 2014 teams.

Belt had an impressive postseason, hitting .295 with a .397 on-base percentage. The fourth-year Major Leaguer also had eight RBIs and scored six runs. In Game 2 of the divisional series vs. the Washington Nationals, he hit a solo home run that broke a tie in the 18th inning, lifting the Giants to a victory.

During the regular season, Belt got off to the best start of his career -- hitting nine home runs in the first 35 games. A broken thumb, however, sent him to the disabled list for two months and shortly thereafter, a concussion sidelined him for another two months. Belt was able to return to the lineup by mid-September and hit his stride in October, providing elite defense at first base.

Belt was part of a Texas squad in 2009 that reached the NCAA College World Series championship final against LSU. During his junior season, Belt batted .323 in 63 games (76-for-235) with 17 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 43 RBI and 15 stolen bases while recording a .989 fielding percentage.

A transfer from San Jacinto College, the Lufkin, Texas, native batted .319 in his 2008 sophomore season at UT with six home runs and a team-high 65 RBI while also pitching in 16 games as a reliever with a 1-0 record, 4.08 ERA and two saves.

It marks the third straight year a Longhorns has been on the world championship team. Between Belt's two titles, Brandon Workman and the Boston Red Sox won it all in 2013.

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics