David Pierce talks frustration from Super Regional weather delay, Texas' plan to stay ready

After the start of Game 3 of the Texas–ECU Super Regional on Sunday was pushed back an hour due to a weather delay, coach David Pierce and the Longhorns were eager to get going. Players trotted out on the field at 5:05 p.m. ET under cloudy skies but with the threat of lightning now seemingly gone.

However, moments later a second weather delay was called before the top of the first had even concluded. This one would last much longer, as teams would not be cleared resume until 10:15 p.m. ET. The game would ultimately go on well past 1 a.m. ET, with Texas claiming a 11-1 victory to advance to the College World Series.

“I was a little frustrated (with the delays),” Pierce said. “I think both of us were to start and play half an inning in less than 30 minutes in a Game 3 to go to Omaha. You’ve got pitchers that are hot on both teams. You’d like to have a better window. They looked at it and evidently it was fine. I don’t even really want to go there, but I’m glad we won. I’m glad for these guys.”

The Longhorns entered the second weather delay with a 4-0 lead after a big first inning highlighted by Ivan Melendez’s three-RBI home run. When they came back to the field, they added on five more runs in the second inning to increase the advantage to 9-1. Texas began the second inning with three consecutive hits to drive in the first run and cause the Pirates to make a change at pitcher.

During the weather delay, Pierce said he tried to keep his players ready to return to the field while also giving them freedom to roam around a bit. The team met back up shortly before the game was set to resume and did not appear to be phased at all by having to sit and wait.

“I throw so much at these guys that they handle everything,” Pierce said. “We don’t go over the top and go, ‘All right, everybody sit down. Everybody lay down. Everybody eat at once.’ We have a space, guys have some freedom and then as we get closer to a start time we kind of bring ’em back together and start what we call our ‘funneling system.’ Getting your minds right and getting back to the next pitch. They did a really nice job of that.”

The College World Series appearance is the 38th in school history for Texas, the most of any program in NCAA history. They have claimed the title six of those times and will aim for a seventh when the action begins in Omaha on Thursday. The Longhorns will start out CWS play against Notre Dame, which upset No. 1 overall seed Tennessee in Super Regional play to reach Omaha.