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College World Series: Tennessee-Texas A&M final averages 2.82 million viewers, 2nd most-watched in ESPN history

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© Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

After a historic start, the College World Series went out on a high note. Tennessee won its first-ever national championship, defeating Texas A&M in Game 3 of the final to rally back from the 1-0 deficit and bring home the title.

It was also a big series for ESPN. The network announced the finals brought in historic viewership.

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The three-game series averaged 2.82 million viewers, including 3.34 million tuning in for the decisive Game 3. It became the second most-watched final on ESPN, trailing only last year’s series which averaged 2.86 million.

Game 1 of the finals drew 2.26 million people as Texas A&M took a 1-0 series lead. As the Aggies looked to clinch, the next matchup was on ABC, drawing 2.92 million viewers to become the most-watched Game 2 in ESPN history. It all culminated with the decisive Game 3 on ESPN, which went directly against Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.

The 3.34 million people who watched Tennessee’s victory was slightly less than last year’s Game 3, which averaged 3.58 million viewers as LSU defeated Florida to win the national championship.

ESPN caps off impressive College World Series ratings run

Just as it did with softball and the Women’s College World Series this year, ESPN capitalized on an exciting Men’s College World Series, as well.

Heading into the finals, ESPN announced the second most-watched pre-finals viewership in its history. An average of 1.2 million people tuned in for the first rounds of the CWS, headlined by 1.8 million viewers for Texas A&M’s win over Florida to become the most-watched pre-finals matchup.

That set the table for an exciting final, which delivered in a big way. The all-SEC matchup also guaranteed a first-time champion, and there was no shortage of drama.

Texas A&M took the first game of the series 9-5, thanks to a quick start on a Gavin Grahovac lead-off home run. But Tennessee didn’t back down, rallying back to win Game 2, 4-1, to force the winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday night in Omaha.

The Volunteers – much like the Aggies two games prior – didn’t waste any time. Christian Moore hit the first pitch he saw over the fence for a lead-off home run to take a 1-0 lead. The Tennessee lead then grew to as much as 6-1 before Texas A&M mounted a rally.

In the eighth inning, the Aggies scored two runs to make it a 6-3 game. Then, in the ninth, Texas A&M scored two more to cut the deficit to 6-5. But Tennessee pitcher Aaron Combs stayed the course and got the final out, sealing the Volunteers’ first national championship in program history.