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By John Manuel
June 22, 2002

Augie Garrido

OMAHA--The scouting report on Texas coming into the 2002 season was depth. In his preseason remarks in the team's media guide, coach Augie Garrido noted his sixth Longhorns team had "more than one Division I player at every position on the field."

Never was that depth more evident than in the College World Series, where Garrido called on a host of stalwarts and a couple of surprise heroes to make history. Garrido's 'Horns, behind a solid performance by national wins-leader Justin Simmons, Huston Street's record-setting save and a home run by surprise starter Chris Carmichael, defeated South Carolina 12-6 to win the program's fifth national championship Saturday.

For Garrido, it's his fourth CWS title, joining an elite trio that includes Southern California's Rod Dedeaux (10) and LSU's Skip Bertman (five). He becomes the first coach to record CWS crowns in four different decades, having previously won with Cal State Fullerton in 1979, 1984 and 1995.

He also ended Texas' title drought, one that had lingered since 1983 for the program that, with 29 trips, has been to the CWS more than any other. The Longhorns had lost their last three trips to the championship game, the latest one in 1989.

"When you win one of these, a lot of things go through your mind besides the game," Garrido said. "This team redefined the word 'team,' and they have redefined themselves. They are the very best at what they do, and that will help them be the best at what they do for the rest of their lives."

Among starting pitchers, few if any were better than Simmons, a sophomore lefthander, in 2002. Simmons (16-1), who won his first 14 decisions, also won his last two here in Omaha. He went 6 2/3 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits. He avoided big innings, escaping a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the first when he gave up only one run.

The Longhorns answered with a three-spot in the bottom half and never looked back.

"It's a lot easier when you give up a run and the offense comes back with runs," said Simmons, who had struggled in postseason play prior to the CWS. "I had a couple of rough starts in the regional and super-regional, but that's what this team is about. When I have struggled, someone comes out of the bullpen or gets a big hit or home runs and picks me up."

Saturday, no one did more heavy lifting for the Longhorns than Carmichael, a senior who missed the 2001 season with a broken right wrist. Garrido played a hunch by starting him, considering he'd started one game since a mid-March series at Missouri. Making the decision after batting practice, Garrido said he wanted to reward the energy and work ethic Carmichael continued to bring to the team despite his lack of playing time, and try to find some offense in the outfield.

Carmichael made his coach look like the baseball genius many believe him to be, striking the game's decisive blow in the fifth inning. Texas led 4-2 when Jeff Ontiveros led off the inning by reaching on Kevin Melillo's error at second. Reliever Chris Spigner, passed over as the starter in favor of freshman Aaron Rawl, walked Fahey, and one out later had a 1-2 count on Carmichael. He left the next pitch over the plate and down, and Carmichael pounced on it, driving it into the right-field bleachers for a 7-2 lead. It was his second homer of the season--Texas' 68th of the year, a program record--and pushed Carmichael's season RBI total to a mighty 11.

"I felt good today--I was having fun in BP, in the clubhouse," Carmichael said. "I just felt better. I don't know what it was. When I was put into the lineup, I just wanted to take that good feeling into the lineup

"I wouldn't have been able to handle all that drama being on the bench."

Even though Texas added a run to go up 8-2, South Carolina created some late drama. The Gamecocks (57-18), who set a single-season wins record, chased Simmons in the seventh with a pair of runs and had runners at second and third with two outs. Righthander Alan Bomer, the Iowa State transfer who had become Texas' No. 2 starter, came out of the bullpen and struck out pinch-hitter Demetric Smith to quell the threat.

When the 'Cocks bounced back in the eighth, putting two runners on against Bomer with one out, Street entered. Drew Meyer worked a 10-pitch walk, and a fielder's choice and error brought home two runs to make it 8-6. South Carolina's tying runner was senior Yaron Peters, who led the Southeastern Conference and ranked second in the country with 29 homers. But Street fanned him on a 3-2 pitch.

Texas came back with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to put it away, the key hit being Fahey's two-run single off reliever Matt Campbell. Then, Steet finished up for his 14th save of the year and became the first pitcher to save four games in a CWS.

Texas had big innings early and late. Both teams had first-inning opportunities, but Texas made more of its chance. Drew Meyer led off the game for South Carolina with a grounder that went through the legs of his counterpart, Brendan Fahey. Justin Harris followed with a single, and Simmons walked Yaron Peters to load the bases.

Then Simmons showed his best quality--his inability to panic. He got ahead of the next two hitters, retiring Steve Thomas on a harmless pop to third base, then getting Trey Dyson on a fly to right. The latter plated a run, but Simmons struck out Garris Gonce on a full-count fastball to end the inning relatively unscathed.

Meanwhile, Gonce helped Texas get on board in the bottom half. Tim Moss greeted Rawl (7-2) with a single, and Omar Quintanilla's double put runners at second and third. Dustin Majewski, who had the game-winning homer against Stanford in Thursday's semifinal, lofted a high fly to left that Gonce never tracked properly. It glanced off his glove on the warning track and was scored a two-run triple. One out later, Fahey's fly to left brought home Majewski for a 3-1 lead that held up.

"Aaron said he felt great, and he's in great physical shape," South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. "I thought he threw very well today. We had a couple of plays we didn't make behind him."

Tanner wasn't able to come through in his effort to become the first coach since Pepperdine's Andy Lopez in 1992 to win the CWS in his first trip.

Instead, it was Garrido and Texas making a little bit of college baseball history.