A Texas College World Series Title? Time To Trust The Rotation

Texas' pitching might be what keeps them in the running for a College World Series title

In baseball, the more runs scored seem to keep the fans intrigued well into the evening. A pitcher's matchup feels like a game of catch. Throw by throw, swing by swing, it's a duel between the man on the mound and one at the plate. 

Stellar pitching performances won't entice the average fan, but it will be the reason Texas returns to the College World Series for the first time since 2018. 

If Texas (45-15) can take anything away from the Austin Regional, it's that the blueprint to Omaha goes from the mound. Tristian Stevens will trick up batters with his flamethrower. Pete Hansen will win with the off-speed. 

As for Longhorn ace Ty Madden, even a bad outing to his standards is a high-end one on most standards. 

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“Ty’s not only a great pitcher, but just a great competitor,” Texas first baseman Zach Zubia said following a 10-3 win over Arizona State. “And whether it’s an A day or a C day for Ty, you know you’re going to get a solid outing. And it’s a boost of confidence for your team rolling out there with your guy on the mound.”

Sure, Madden's control was erratic against the Sun Devils. Allowing four walks wasn't in his game plan when walking out of the dugout. Then again, when looking at the rest of the game, is four walks even bad?

Madden fluttered around 99 miles per hour throughout the evening, zipping fastballs down the heart of the plate against Arizona State. Seven Sun Devils sat down with strikeouts while the junior jammed grounders to get out of trouble. 

A pitcher that won't panic is special. With bases loaded in the fifth, Madden could breathe after forcing a groundout to cease any comeback talks. 

Madden said after the victory he couldn't wait to watch Hansen close out the weekend. Instead of matching his fellow teammate's numbers, Hansen surpassed them.

Trusting the slider as his ace in the hole, Hansen worked 6 2/3 innings against Fairfield. He gave up three extra-base hits but didn't register a walk. He also struck out 13 Stags before tipping his cap to the Disch faithful. 

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“That was a dominating performance,” Texas manager David Pierce said into the early hours of Monday. “Best stuff. Best fastball. Best slider. Kid’s never pitched in a postseason game, goes out and just dominates against a team that has had success and a team that knows how to win.”

Hansen's season-high in strikeouts was just one of the highlights on the evening. Sophomore Cole Quintanilla only needed eight pitches to get out of the eighth,  but he left a mark on the radar gun. 

His average speed? Try 98 miles per hour. 

The day before, freshman Tanner Whitt relaxed after giving up a two-run homer to ASU's Nate Baez in the seventh. Seven of the next eight batters wouldn't reach base to end the game.

"He's a freshman, this is the first time he's been in that environment," Pierce said. "I didn't say a word to him. Sean (Allen) went out and just slowed him down a little bit. He regained his form and did a nice job of finishing."

Just in case you forget about Stevens, let's remind you of the game-sealing fastball. Seven innings of work, seven strikeouts, and 82 pitches of work. The Jaguars tallied four hits, none were for more than a single. 

"When we play with Tristan on the mound, I think the games are about 2 hours and 15 minutes," UT outfielder Mike Antico said Friday. 

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Texas returns to the Disch Friday night. They've outscored their opponents 33-5 over the past three days. Fans still have yet to see what names like Quintanilla, Lucas Golden, and Aaron Nixon can do. 

In a game of poker, a royal flush all but seals you a win. Texas might not have that, but three aces but a pair of high cards give them the edge. 

Antico said Sunday that it didn't matter how many runs Texas scored to make it to Omaha. As long as they win, they're content with the offense. 

The funny thing? Antico might be onto something. 

Texas' hitting revival was a fond sight, but with the steady hand of the Longhorns' pitching, a run might be enough to claim two wins in Austin.  

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