Texas players, coach react to elimination game matchup with Texas A&M
By Andrew Olson
Published:
For the second time this year, Texas and Texas A&M will meet on the diamond. This time, there’s a lot more at stake.
The Aggies and Longhorns each fell in their College World Series openers, setting up 2022’s first elimination game. No. 5 national seed Texas A&M fell to Oklahoma 13-8 in the first game Friday. The elimination game matchup was set after Game 2, in which Texas lost to Notre Dame 7-3. After the game between the Longhorns and Irish, Texas players and coach David Pierce were asked about facing Texas A&M in Omaha. Longhorns players are looking to stay focused on the task at hand.
“I’d say we just kind of look at it as just another game. I know it’s bigger than that,” Dylan Campbell told reporters at the postgame press conference. “But if we go into the game thinking like, oh, this is a big game, like don’t want to get sped up and stuff. We just want to take it one pitch at a time and try to minimize as much as we can.”
Tristan Stevens downplayed the rivalry aspect, noting that being hated is nothing new for this Texas squad.
“It’s just another game at the end of the day,” Stevens said postgame. “Not a lot of teams like us anyway. So there’s nothing new with that. It’s just another game.”
Longhorns coach David Pierce appreciated his players’ responses ahead of a do-or-die game against an in-state rival.
“It’s going to be huge for our fan base. These guys downplayed it, and they should,” Pierce said postgame. “We just can’t get caught up into playing Texas A&M. We have to keep it about us and just do our prep and they’re good. They swing the bats well. They’re a good team.”
Right now, Pierce is most concerned with his own squad’s approach.
“It wouldn’t matter if it was A&M or whomever,” the coach said. “It’s just a game we’re playing for our lives to continue, our baseball lives for this year. I know the guys will be ready to go. I don’t want them playing tight. I want them to go out there, relax, let it fly and see what happens. But I think it’s huge for our fan base. It would be nice if it was in the winners’ bracket. But it’s not.”
On March 29, Texas A&M went to Austin and defeated a then-No. 8 Texas squad 12-9. Round 2 is set for Sunday.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
