Outright Big 12 Champions

Texas Baseball, 2018 Big 12 Champions (Joe Cook/IT)

It’s been a while since those words have been heard in Austin for one of the three major sports. Even Longhorn baseball’s most recent Omaha appearance in 2014 didn’t come on the heels of a regular season championship. For football, Mack Brown was one half away in 2013 until he wasn’t. Both basketball teams are on decade-long championship-less runs.

The drought ended today. David Pierce, in just his second season leading the Longhorn baseball program, helped Texas win its first regular season conference title in the three men’s major sports since 2011.

The season has been tumultuous. Early season matchups against LSU, Arkansas, and Stanford weren’t the most confidence inspiring performances. Pierce and his team persevered. The team, lead by Kody Clemens, Zach Zubia, and David Hamilton, hit its way out of problems the pitching staff gave the team every so often.

No lead was insurmountable. Nothing got in the way of this team. Those three started comeback after comeback, and guided the Longhorns to important series victories on the road against two top 20 teams in Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

The pitching improved series by series. The hitting remained strong. The team had additional motivation in the wake of the death of former head coach Augie Garrido. After his passing, they no longer were simply playing for each other, still a strong motivation, they also were playing for him.

The Longhorns needed help to get to this spot, but they got that help from the Red Raiders. Texas Tech took the first two of three from Oklahoma State, and all Texas needed to do on Sunday was win in order to take at least a share of the conference crown.

They did. Gatorade was poured on David Pierce. The team celebrated in front of one of the largest crowds UFCU Disch-Falk Field has seen all year. The Big 12 Trophy was hoisted in a place where 77 other conference championship trophies have been raised. Later in the afternoon, Tech swept Oklahoma State in Stillwater to help make sure the Longhorns sat alone atop the conference.

The Big 12 Tournament lies ahead for Texas. The No. 1 seed Longhorns head to Oklahoma City. Barring an 0-2 performance, the Longhorns likely have earned a one seed in an Austin Regional.

Pierce speaks consistently about how the Longhorns compete for five championships each season; regular season, conference tournament, regional, super regional, and College World Series.

One down.

Postgame David Pierce quotes:

Opening statement: “Our team went out and won a championship. We weren’t handed anything. I can’t be any more proud of a group of guys who just fought together and have just grinded together. They deserve this. They deserve this championship, and they went out and took it. I’m proud of them.”

On handing the trophy off to his team: “We talk about how we have an opportunity to win five championships. That’s the first one. We’ve got that one done. Now we’ve got a chance to keep going. It’s the best time in college baseball right now. It’s just about opportunity and our guys really seizing these moments. It’s just fun to watch them play and fun to watch their energy. It looks like we’re struggling on the mound a little bit today, and we come up with just great defensive plays. Then we have a big inning, and Kody Clemens can just flat out hit. That’s the way it is.”

On how fitting it was that Fields helped stop the bleeding before the bats came to life: “He hadn’t pitched in about three weeks. That’s the other side of what we talk about every year. Recruiting is the number one thing that you have to have, then you have to have great development. It’s continued because our guys are open minded, they want to work, they want to get better, and they want to be in that moment. Kam was ready for that moment today. We needed him and he came through great.”

On how he would describe his team: “This group is special. They’ve got talent, don’t get me wrong. They have heart. They have such desire. The love for each other in our clubhouse is what’s made this happen, and the unselfish play and not worrying about their stats. Just filling in their piece to help the team win. It’s an incredible group because of that. Not because we’re so overly talented. We know that we have to do little things right to win ball games. When it comes together, it’s worth watching and seeing this development because this team is so special.”

On rebounding from the tough stretch over Stanford and Arkansas: “Every year there’s growing periods throughout the season and it starts in the fall. There’s a lot of offseason stuff that you do then. It’s hard to really grow until you play together, when you lose together or you win together, and you have to go through so many adversities. That’s what they’ve done. They just had enough. They committed themselves to each other and they’re reaping the benefits right now.”

On if they’re peaking: “I hope not. I think they’re playing well, but I know we can do some little things much better. I like their confidence. I don’t think they’ve peaked. I don’t.”

On how a great fall led to this moment: “I think that’s where it started because we lost so many players last year. We bring in JC kids, we bring in new freshman that we even signed in the summer and we didn’t hardly know them. Then the returning guys, there’s some expectations with some guys, but there’s some new guys within the returning guys. Parker Joe Robinson steps up, Andy McGuire, Josh Sawyer, who is our trio in the back of our bullpen. Then, getting our starters to really regain their confidence. Blair wasn’t good today but he’ll bounce back. That’s what this team’s been about. One guy fails, and somebody else picks them up. That’s what a team is about right there. I’m just very proud of them, our support staff, our coaches, everyone involved.”

On a regional: “In my mind, there’s no doubt we should host a regional. We’ve earned it. We’ve played really well down the stretch. We have an unbelievable resume. We’re the Big 12 champions. The Big 12 is the No. 2 RPI league in the country, how do you not?”

On how he wants the team to think coming off of the championship heading to OKC: “I don’t think you forget about this. I think what you do is you build off of it. You don’t get arrogant. You don’t get complacent. You continue to understand why you got into this position, and that’s because you did little things and you worked for it. That’s what we’ve got to continue to do. We are off tomorrow though.”

On Kody Clemens sparking the win with his two-run HR: “He can just flat hit. He proves it every single day, but he has such confidence. It’s like a defender wanting the ball. He wants the pitch, and it’s always yes, yes, yes, and make that decision. He never has doubt, and that’s confidence. He’s just so big for this team. He and Kacy together have been unbelievable, but now he’s had the opportunity to be the solo leader of this team. They’ve really, really fed off of it.”

On if some Disch-Falk magic has been awakened: “The fans the last week have been incredible. This is your vision when you come to a place like this that has been struggling with fanbase and confidence in the team and what’s happening, and for us to get it in year two and continue to feed off of it, this is what Disch-Falk Field and University of Texas baseball is about. I think our kids are going to be great ambassadors for our program. To watch this grow right now is just a lot of fun.”