Stanford outlasts Texas, punches College World Series ticket - ESPN

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal punched their ticket to the College World Series on Monday night, posting a memorable 7-6 victory over Texas in a game that ended in odd fashion.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Texas outfielders Dylan Campbell and Eric Kennedy lost Drew Bowser's high fly in the twilight sky. The ball dropped about 15 feet in front of Campbell, allowing Alberto Rios to score from second base, securing the Cardinal's third straight bid to the championship tournament in Omaha, Nebraska.

Rios was nearly thrown out at second for the third out of the ninth after his long fly to left hit off the wall just moments before the game-winning hit.

A celebratory Stanford team then jumped over the dugout railing to celebrate with teammates, a congregation that eventually settled in the outfield, as the stunned Longhorns stood and sat in silence.

Stanford (44-18) will advance to play top-seeded Wake Forest on Saturday. Texas (42-22), meanwhile, saw its season end just shy of its third consecutive appearance in the College World Series.

Tennessee and Southern Mississippi played for the final CWS spot later Monday, in a game that started four hours late because of rain and lightning.

This year's field has its usual mix of regulars among the eight teams, but it's a couple of relative newcomers that could provide the biggest storylines at the annual two-week party at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.

The Demon Deacons have been the dominant team in the country since February and are the first No. 1 national seed since 2018 to reach the CWS. Wake Forest hasn't gone this far since their 1955 team won the national championship.

Oral Roberts is the lowest seed to make it to Omaha since Stony Brook in 2012 and is