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Johnson’s complete-game gem, Campbell lead Texas past No. 9 Miami

Steve Habelby:Steve Habel•06/03/23•

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Lebarron Johnson

Lebarron Johnson produced a career-best nine-inning complete game on the mound and Dylan Campbell blasted a home run to continue his record hitting streak as Texas defeated No. 9 Miami 4-1 on Saturday in an NCAA Regional game in Coral Gables, Florida.

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The Longhorns (40-20) advance to the championship game on Sunday evening against the winner of Sunday afternoon’s elimination contest between Miami and Louisiana. Earlier on Saturday the Ragin’ Cajuns sent home Maine in the loser’s bracket matchup.

The winner of the Sunday’s elimination game will have to beat Texas twice to advance to the super-regional.

It was the first time Texas and Miami have squared off since the 2003 College World Series, in which the Longhorns took two games from the Hurricanes. And this one was delayed two and a half hours by a weather delay.

Johnson was dynamite, allowing one run on seven hits with three walks while striking out eight. He threw a career-high 129 pitches, 40 of which came in the first two innings. 

“It was surreal,” Johnson said afterward. “Honestly, I just gotta keep going for my team for my bullpen, and for my offense. I just tried to dig deep.”

Johnson (8-3) gave up three of the hits he surrendered in the whole game and all three of the walks in the first and second innings but settled down in a big way, retiring 15 of the 17 batters he faced from the third to the seventh inning.

“I had to get my nerves out the way,” Johnson said. “I was nervous coming in with the with the rain delay and all of that. But I just knew that I just had to trust my work, trust my coaches, trust my ability to go out there and do my job. And you know, I just had to put forth and pull through for my team.”

Karson Ligon (3-2) took the loss for Miami (41-20), allowing four runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three. Lipon was lifted with two on and no outs in the third after hitting Texas catcher Garret Guillemette in the face with a 90-mph fastball.

Campbell’s first-inning home run extended his team and Big 12 Conference record hitting streak to 37 games and his on-base streak to 43 consecutive contests.

Texas finished with nine hits led by two each from Campbell and Guillemette. The Longhorns earned just one base on balls and struck out 12 times.

The Longhorns – and Campbell – jumped on Miami early on, as he ripped a two-run home run to left field in to put Texas up 2-0 in its first at-bat. Jared Thomas set the table for Campbell’s blast, legging out a double to start the game and eventually scoring ahead of the Longhorns star.

The Hurricanes threatened in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with one out before Johnson coaxed a pop out from Zach Levinson and then fanned Renzo Gonzales.

Jack O’Dowd added to Texas’ lead in the second with a solo homer over the centerfield fence. Johnson then found a way to get out of another bases-full jam in the bottom of the frame, getting Yohandy Morales to foul out to right field with two outs to end the threat.

Jalin Flores drove home pinch runner Jayden Duplantier in the third to push Texas’ lead to 4-0. The Hurricane answered in the fourth on a leadoff solo home run to left field by Dominic Pitelli to cut their deficit to 4-1.

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That was all the scoring, with Johnson finding a way to go the distance and keep the Longhorns’ relief pitching fresh for the rest of the regional.

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