Baseball wins Big 12 Championship, 6-3 over Oklahoma State

Sunday, May 24

Tulsa, Okla.

Noon

University of Texas

30-25

Oklahoma State

37-18

Texas

Oklahoma State

Baseball wins Big 12 Championship, 6-3 over Oklahoma State

05.24.2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Tournament Most Outstanding Player Zane Gurwitz roped game-winning single in the eighth

TULSA, Okla. -- Trailing 2-1 heading to the eighth inning, Texas rallied for five runs and knocked off Oklahoma State 6-3 to win the Big 12 Championship Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Big 12 Championship gives Texas an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, beginning next weekend (May 29-June 1). The Longhorns (30-25) find out where they are headed for NCAA Regional play tomorrow during the NCAA Selection Show at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.

The crucial five-run rally was generated after three Cowboy errors to begin the eighth inning that tied the game at 2-2. After a walk, a bases-loaded one-out single from Tournament Most Outstanding Player Zane Gurwitz then broke the game wide open.

Tournament Co-Most Outstanding Pitcher Parker French (5-3, 2.33 ERA) earned his second win of the tournament, tossing one inning of relief while being charged with one run. The senior finished the tournament having thrown 10 innings of two run ball to along with his two victories.

Freshman pitcher Kyle Johnston started and set career highs in innings pitched (six) and strikeouts (seven) in what was just his fourth career start. He allowed just two runs over his six plus innings of work on three hits, two walks and a hit batsmen.

Left-hander Kirby Bellow nabbed his fifth save of the season by pitching the eighth and ninth innings without a run being charged to his name. The senior entered the game in a bases-loaded jam in the eighth with a 6-2 lead, but allowed just a bloop single before getting a strikeout and double play to shut down the Cowboy rally.

Gurwitz once again led the way at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and the clutch two-RBI base knock in the eighth. Ben Johnson (.339) also had two hits in the contest and scored two runs. It marked the 26th multi-hit game of the season for Johnson.

Despite not allowing an earned run, relief pitcher Remey Reed (3-2, 1.43 ERA) was charged with the loss for the Cowboys (37-18).

The Horns got out front 1-0 in the top of the third. Johnson laced his second single of the game with one out, and a bunt moved him to second for C.J Hinojosa, who came through with a liner up the middle to score Johnson and give Texas the lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, a one out walk followed by an infield single set the table for Corey Hassel, who produced an RBI base hit through the left side to tie the game at 1-1. Johnston zoned back in from there however, retiring the next two hitters to dodge further damage.

Johnston went back out for the seventh and walked and hit a batter before being removed for French. French entered and retired all three batters he faced on a sacrifice bunt, groundout and pop out, but a run was able to come across on the grounder to make it 2-1 Cowboys.

The Longhorns countered by exploding for five runs in the top of the eighth to take a 6-2 lead. Three Oklahoma State errors allowed the Horns to tie the game at two on a sacrifice bunt from Tres Barrera that scored Johnson, and a walk loaded the bases for the hot-hitting Gurwitz who delivered the two-RBI knock down the first baseline on a 2-2 count to make it 4-2 in favor of the Horns.

A Brooks Marlow squeeze bunt with runners on the corners then brought in the fifth run of the game, and an RBI base knock from pinch hitter Patrick Mathis – the first hit of his collegiate career - scored Gurwitz to cap the inning's scoring.

The Cowboys rallied right back in their half of the eighth, loading the bases with no outs, forcing Texas to remove French for Bellow. Bellow came in and surrendered a bloop single to make it 6-3, but then forced a strikeout and a huge 5-4-3 double play that limited the damage to just one run.

In the ninth, Bellow returned to the hill and issued just a walk before retiring the side, ending the game and championship on a pop out to shortstop.

Gurwitz was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player for his 8-for-13 performance at the plate while also playing excellent defense in center field. The sophomore finished the four games with three runs scored, three RBIs, two walks and a double.

French and Connor Mayes were dubbed Co-Most Outstanding pitchers along with Michael Freeman of Oklahoma State. French won two games and allowed just two runs over 10 innings of work, and the freshman Mayes spun a complete-game shutout with 10 punch outs on Saturday vs. Baylor on his 19th birthday.

Catcher Tres Barrera, second baseman Brooks Marlow, third baseman Bret Boswell and designated hitter Joe Baker all also made the Big 12 All-Tournament Team.

The Big 12 Championship marked the 10th for The University of Texas this season, which sponsors 20 teams. It also added to what has been a successful season for the baseball program in the classroom, which last week earned a NCAA Public Recognition Award for scoring in the top 10 percent of Academic Progress Rate. The Longhorns also placed a league-best 12 student-athletes on the Academic All-Big 12 team.

Quotes

Head Coach Augie Garrido

Opening Statement: "It's nice to be the last speaker four times in a row. Obviously, the name of the game has always been pitching and that certainly was the name of the game for our team. All of the four starters did an excellent job of getting their outs on time, pitching to contact, pitching without fear, showing a purpose on the mound, trusting their teammates behind them and going about their business of playing baseball. A vacation was the key to our deal. The 13 days that we were away from the ballpark, and it's kind of like the golfer that goes out and he misses about 10 two-foot putts in three consecutive tournaments, that takes him from first to fifth. He just takes his golf clubs, throws them in the closet and swears to never play the game again. It's the same thing. We got away from it, and got focused on their academics and took their minds off of baseball. There was heartbreak, frustration and it built doubt. Once that doubt sets in, it's contagious and everyone loses confidence and starts to try. The vacation and refocusing on an important part of their life, the academics. If you listen to the roll call, we have the highest number of athletes on the academic honor roll for the Big 12. That same mentality that transferred from the classroom, transferred from the field, once they completed it. I think there has been a good transition of getting in touch with ourselves at 17-8 at one point, we lost that and we gained it in this tournament. Our players came in with this frame of mind, we're just starting one tournament earlier this year and that's the way they played it."

On ever having a team improve like this: "I've had one unfold and reconnect, and I've had one unfold and continue to unfold, until there was no more unfolding. It can go all different ways. I never gave up on this team. Some people just think I was making it all up. I believed in the champion in these guys from day one. Maybe that's where I didn't act quickly enough to get them back in touch with that champion. Today was a moment of glory and a moment of redemption. The more difficult the season, the greater the joy of success."

On noticing a difference in the team after the 13 day layoff: "Well, we didn't practice much. I noticed they had a lot more life in their step. We didn't try to do a crash course. We didn't want them to get back in touch from where they were. We wanted to be able to see the into the future and the opportunities that were in front of them. We wanted to connect. We showed them a highlight film because we wanted to show them the times that really brought them teamwork and joy. We showed them how happy they were, at the beginning of the season. That's the person we wanted them to be again. We didn't do a lot of practicing because we didn't want them to do the same routine. We did fun things."

On pinch-hitting Patrick Mathis late in the game: "He was due. He's really been working hard and he's made some really important strides forward. It was a great opportunity to give him a chance to get an at-bat in a big game because he's going to be a really good player. We see him replacing Colin Shaw in right field next year."

So. C Tres Barrera

On being able to play the game: "We've been living right. Coach says, 'just do the right thing no matter what it is. On the field, off the field, with your parents. If you do the right things everywhere, good things will happen to you. That's just the way life is.' We're happy to come out here. It's just the type of guys we have in the locker room, just a bunch of fighters. We've been through a lot together, but it has brought us closer together. Everyone is 0-0 now and we're looking forward to next week."

So. CF Zane Gurwitz

On what is working for him: "I have the easy part. My teammates in the eighth inning they got the bases loaded for me, they tied the game. All I had to do was put the ball in play and I found a hole. It's not one thing, it's your teammates sticking with you good or bad and believing in you and that's one thing we've gained back is our trust in each other and I think that's what helped us win these four games."

On the 13 day layoff: "It cleared our minds. It let us get back to just remembering the good times we've had in baseball and forgetting all of the bad. We came back with a clean slate and it has worked."

Sr. LHP Kirby Bellow

On limited activity in the bullpen this week and if he got bored: "It's not too boring. You get to watch your brothers go out there and compete. They go out there and throw strikes and that's all you can ask from the bullpen. If we don't get to throw we're just as happy throwing because we know our guys are doing their jobs and our defense is playing great defense and our hitters are doing their jobs. It wasn't too boring out there."

On coming in when bases loaded: "I'm just happy to go out there. I just went out there and trusted myself and focused on the glove and didn't worry about the runners. I just went out there and tried to do my job."

Team Notes

- The victory marked Texas' record fifth Big 12 Tournament title (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2015), one ahead of Nebraska with four. Texas is now 5-0 all-time in the Big 12 Championship title game. No other program is undefeated in multiple title game appearances.

- Texas head coach Augie Garrido has now won 12 combined Big 12 regular season and postseason titles.

- Texas now holds the Big 12 record for fewest runs given up in the championship with six. The previous record was eight (Oklahoma – 2014, Baylor – 1999).

- Texas went a perfect 4-0 in Big 12 Championship play for the first time. They had never advanced to a conference tournament title without suffering a loss along the way.

- The win is the 30^th of the year for Texas. The Longhorns have hit the 30-win mark in 16 of the last 17 seasons.

- Texas holds a 6-4 edge over Oklahoma State in Big 12 Championship play.

- The last time a No. 5 seed won the championship game was 2008, when No. 5 Texas beat No. 7 K-State, 15-7.

- Texas used just five pitchers (French, Culbreth, Mayes, Johnston, Bellow) in four games en route to the conference title.

- Texas scored first in all four games this week. The Longhorns are 22-6 this season when doing so.

- The Longhorns finish the tournament with a team ERA of 1.50 in four games. A similar effort to what the Longhorns did in the postseason last year when they had a 1.25 ERA in 11 NCAA Tournament games.

- Texas now owns a 35-25 (.583) all-time record in the Big 12 Tournament.

- The win today marked UT's fifth win of the year when trailing after seven innings.

- 13 different Longhorns batted in the Big 12 Tournament and 11 got at least one hit. Last season, only 10 players batted throughout the entire duration of the postseason.

- The win is the 1,950^th of Augie Garrido's career, and his 799^th at Texas.

Player Notes

- Johnston (1-1, 2.13 ERA) set new career highs in innings pitched (six) and strikeouts (seven) in today's contest. It was just Johnston's fourth career start after spending the majority of the season in the bullpen.

- Gurwitz was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player for his 8-for-13 performance at the plate while also playing excellent defense in center field. The sophomore finished the four games with three runs scored, three RBIs, two walks and a double.

- Gurwitz had multiple hits in three of the four tournament games, now giving him 11 on the season.

- French and Connor Mayes were dubbed Co-Most Outstanding pitchers along with Michael Freeman of Oklahoma State. French won two games and allowed just two runs over 10 innings of work, and the freshman Mayes spun a complete-game shutout with 10 punch outs on Saturday vs. Baylor on his 19th birthday. French tied a Big 12 Championship record with two wins. The feat was last accomplished by Steven Okert (OU) in 2012.

- Catcher Barrera, second baseman Marlow, third baseman Bret Boswell and designated hitter Joe Baker all also made the Big 12 All-Tournament Team.

- Johnson's 2-for-5 performance gave him his team-leading 26th multi-hit game.

- C.J Hinojosa and Gurwitz extended their reached base streaks to 12 games with hits today while Johnson began a new one after his 15 game streak ended on Saturday.

- Joe Baker extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 1-for-3 effort.

- Gurwitz finished the tournament hitting .615 (8-for-13), Baker hit .353 (6-for-17) and Marlow .333 (3-for-9).

- The win is the 1,950^th of Augie Garrido's career, and his 799^th at Texas.

- Patrick Mathis recorded the first hit and RBI of his career in the eighth inning. He was 0-for-15 at the plate entering the game.

- Kirby Bellow got the save for Texas and recorded his 13^th-consecutive outing without surrendering an earned run.