Stanford Claims Men’s College World Series Berth After Texas Loses Walk-Off Hit in the Lights

The Longhorns will be stinging for a while after this heartbreaking defeat.

There are heartbreaking losses, and then there’s the way Texas saw its season end during Monday night’s super regional game against Stanford.

With the series tied at one game apiece and the winner of Game 3 clinching a spot in the College World Series, the Longhorns rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game, 6–6. The score stayed the same heading to the bottom of the ninth, when Stanford got two baserunners with two outs. 

Cardinal infielder Drew Bowser lifted a high fly ball that looked like a sure out to right-center field—but nobody on the Texas defense was able to come down with it after both the center fielder and right fielder appeared to lose sight of the ball in the stadium lights.

The ball dropped and allowed Stanford catcher Alberto Rios to score from second base, securing the 7–6 win for the Cardinal. The brutal end to the season was understandably difficult for Texas players, several of whom had tears in their eyes immediately after the pivotal play.

Texas won the first game of this best-of-three series on Saturday, while Stanford bounced back for an 8–3 win on Sunday to force Monday’s do-or-die game. The Cardinal broke a 3–3 tie in the bottom of the fourth by scoring three runs on two hits and three walks.

The win earns Stanford a third consecutive trip to the College World Series and the 19th in program history. A win would have sent the Longhorns to Omaha for a third straight season.