A change in the college baseball landscape has arrived as the Tennessee Volunteers secured their first-ever national baseball championship. The Volunteers clinched the title in dramatic fashion, taking down the Texas A&M Aggies with a narrow 6-5 victory in Game 3 of the College World Series final round.
The decisive game was marked by early fireworks from Tennessee’s Christian Moore, who launched a home run to kick off the bottom of the first inning, setting the tone for the Volunteers. Texas A&M, however, quickly responded and evened the score at 1-1 in the third inning. A well-executed bunt by Travis Chestnut led to him advancing to second base due to an error, followed by a steal to third. Gavin Grahovic then drove Chestnut home with a single, putting the Aggies on the board.
Tennessee was quick to regain control. Blake Burke doubled, and Dylan Dreiling brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Hunter Ensley and Kavares Tears contributed with singles, and Dean Curley added another run, expanding Tennessee’s lead to 3-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Dreiling’s two-run homer significantly bolstered their position. Tears followed up in the same inning, doubling home Ensley to push the Volunteers’ lead to 6-1. Texas A&M continued to battle, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to narrow the deficit to 6-3. However, Tennessee’s reliever Kirby Connell managed to contain the Aggies' rally by striking out two crucial batters in that inning.
Despite a valiant effort by Texas A&M, scoring two additional runs in the ninth inning, Tennessee held firm to achieve a historic 6-5 win and claim their first national title. Zander Sechrist, Tennessee's starting pitcher, delivered a commendable performance, allowing just one run over 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven and issuing only one walk.
The Volunteers entered the College World Series as the No. 1 overall seed, a status they justified with a strong postseason showing. Hosting a regional, Tennessee outscored Northern Kentucky, Indiana, and Southern Mississippi by a combined score of 33-15. They then advanced through the Super Regional against Evansville, concluding with a decisive 12-1 victory in Game 3.
Looking back at their journey, Tennessee’s path through the College World Series was impressive. They topped Florida State 12-11 in a nail-biter and subsequently defeated North Carolina 6-1. The Volunteers then bested Florida State once more, this time with a convincing 7-2 victory, to progress further.
The finale against Texas A&M had its ups and downs. The Aggies took Game 1 of the final series 9-5, but Tennessee roared back in Game 2, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit with two-run innings in both the seventh and eighth to secure a 4-1 win, setting up the thrilling decider.
Significant performances marked Tennessee’s entire series, including Christian Moore’s rare feat of hitting for the cycle in their CWS-opening win against Florida State. Tennessee showcased resilience, ending with an unbeaten 3-0 record in elimination games throughout the tournament.
The College World Series, starting with eight contending teams, had contributions from established programs like Virginia, NC State, North Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State, and Florida, each bringing high levels of competition and talent to the field. Notably, Texas A&M’s run to the finals was without their top hitter, Braden Montgomery, sidelined by a leg injury.
Tennessee’s triumph concluded the 2019 College World Series on June 24 with a momentous 6-5 victory. The Volunteers' championship title not only signifies a remarkable achievement for the program but also cements their status as a rising powerhouse in college baseball.