Texas survives late Baylor rally, Barrera hits walkoff

By Tim Ahrens

CollegeBaseballInsider.com

 

TULSA, Okla. – It almost seemed textbook that Texas was going to lose.

 

After leading by as many as three runs through 8.1 innings, Ty Culbreth gave up a three-run shot down the right-field line to Baylor’s Mitch Price, tying the game. It was the second game in which Baylor overcame a late lead against a higher-seeded opponent; in the first, the Bears scored a run in each of the last three innings to stun No. 1 TCU.

 

But Tres Barrera wasn’t interested in his Longhorns collapsing as the Horned Frogs did.

 

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Texas catcher delivered an RBI single to left that drove in the game-winning run in a 4-3 Longhorns victory Thursday afternoon at ONEOK Field in Tulsa.

 

With the win, Texas advanced to the division finals of the Big 12 Tournament and is a win away from making Sunday’s championship game. But the Longhorns (28-25) might have had to play for the win in extra innings had coach Augie Garrido not had a chat with Barrera.

 

“Up comes the hero, Tres Barrera takes the right-handed batter’s box and swings through the first change up,” Garrido said. “I went out and talked to him and I told him a dirty joke in Spanish. Apparently, it fired him up.”

 

Culbreth pitched a complete game for Texas, staying in despite giving up the tying home run. Both Culbreth and ace Parker French went the distance for the Longhorns in their first two games, giving Texas a well-rested bullpen heading into the weekend.

 

“Those two complete games give us a much better chance to be successful in this tournament,” Garrido said. “It gives us a real good chance to get through this with quality pitching.”

 

Texas will play the winner of the Texas Tech-Baylor game, which takes place Friday at 3:15 p.m., on Saturday. With a 2-0 record in the tournament so far, the Longhorns could lose the first game Saturday and play another to determine which team will advance to the championship Sunday. The loser of the game between the Bears and Red Raiders will be eliminated from the tournament.

 

Day 2 results

 

No. 4 Texas Tech 8, No. 1 TCU 1 (TCU eliminated)

 

No. 3 Oklahoma 6, No. 7 West Virginia 1 (West Virginia eliminated)

 

No. 5 Texas 4, No. 8 Baylor 3

 

No. 2 Oklahoma State 10, No. 6 Kansas State 1

 

Friday, May 22

 

No. 4 Texas Tech (1-1) vs. No. 8 Baylor (1-1), 3:15 p.m. CT*

 

No. 3 Oklahoma (1-1) vs. No. 6 Kansas State (1-1), 7 p.m. CT*

 

*Losing team eliminated from Big 12 Tournament

 

Saturday, May 23

 

No. 5 Texas (2-0) vs. Texas Tech/Baylor, 9 a.m. CT*

 

No. 2 Oklahoma State (2-0) vs. Oklahoma/Kansas State, 12:30 p.m. CT*

 

*Should Texas or Oklahoma State lose their first game, they will play an elimination game against the same opponent for a trip to the Big 12 title game Sunday at noon CT