 "Photo: Matt Norris")
OMAHA, Neb. - Chance Wheeless and David Maroul helped Texas travel a perfect journey through the 2005 College World Series.
It's only fitting that the duo guided the Longhorns home.
Wheeless and Maroul combined to go 5-for-8 in Texas' 6-2 championship victory Sunday with a pair of home runs and five RBIs.
"It feels good," said Maroul, a man of few words.
Texas completed a dream season by earning the school's sixth national championship and their second in four years. The Longhorns had to beat three Southeastern Conference schools to advance to each round of the tournament and went 6-2 in those games.
With the win, the unseeded Longhorns avenged their second place finish from a year ago when they were ranked No. 1 in the country but fell to unseeded Cal State Fullerton in the championship.
"We felt like we were the better team last year," catcher Taylor Teagarden said. "We felt like we were the better team this year too, but that doesn't matter, it comes down to winning games. A lot of people didn't think we'd get this far, and look what happened."
Maroul was voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player with another stellar performance Sunday. The Longhorns' third baseman is noted for his defense but played an integral part in the Texas victory at the plate.
"All of us know he's capable of that," Nick Peoples said. "He struggles every now and then, but we all know he's one of the scariest hitters in our lineup because pitchers underestimate him, then he'll hit two or three bombs. Every time we needed a hit, he was there."
Kyle McCulloch tossed four innings of no-hit ball then went on to complete 6 2-3 total innings, allowing two runs on five hits. The outing marked the fifth time in this College World Series that a Texas starter lasted through the sixth inning.
"I was just trying to get ahead of hitters," said McCulloch, whose change-up helped him accumulate eight strikeouts on the day. "I was trying to change speeds and keep them off balance."
Randy Boone got his first action of the series in relief and pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up one hit and two walks before yielding to J. Brent Cox. The national Stopper of the Year closed out the game for his 19th save of the year, tying a school single-season record. Cox appeared in each of the Longhorns last eight games and set a school record for career appearances at 106, surpassing Huston Street's former mark.
For the fifth time in five games at the CWS, Texas jumped out to the early lead. Wheeless roped a single then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. He scored on a Maroul single that was just out of the reach of third baseman Brandon McArthur.
Texas doubled its advantage to 2-0 in the fourth when Taylor Teagarden scored on Maroul's line drive to left field that bounced off the glove of Gavin Dickey.
Wheeless kicked off another rally in the sixth inning with a solo home run to the opposite field. Taylor Teagarden followed with a double, and Carson Kainer walked to set up Maroul once again. Texas' hottest hitter cleaned up the bases and gave the Longhorns a comfortable 6-0 lead with a towering home run to right-center field.
"When Chance hit an opposite-field home run, I'd pretty much seen everything," senior shortstop Seth Johnston said.
The Longhorns scored first in every game and trailed in only one out of 45 innings in the tournament.
Texas set up its position Sunday with a 4-2 victory on Saturday.
Adrian Alaniz gave up two runs on three hits and four walks in seven innings for his second quality start of the CWS.
Will Crouch and Maroul combined to drive in all of Texas' runs. Both players had three hits and a pair of RBIs and were a triple shy of the cycle.
Alaniz never allowed more than one runner on base in an inning until the eighth, Texas' lone trouble spot.
The redshirt-freshman gave up a single and a walk to the first two batters before Cox entered the game. Cox struck out the first two hitters, but Matt LaPorta grounded a single up the middle to drive in the runners. He loaded the bases again with two more walks but struck out Brian Leclerc on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat and preserve the Longhorns' 4-2 lead.
"Isn't it cool that these kids have become the very best at what they are doing?" Texas head coach Augie Garrido said. "How many times in any of our lives do we get to say that? That's the magic in it. It's pretty cool."
For a complete photo gallery of the College World Series click here
Be the first to comment on this article!