Kyle Teel cemented his place in Virginia baseball history in just one season.
The freshman hit a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to help the Cavaliers get past Dallas Baptist 5-2 on Monday In the deciding game of the best-of-three Super Regional at Founders Park in Columbia.
Virginia advances to the College World Series and will face Tennessee in the first game Saturday or Sunday.
It is UVa’s first trip to Omaha since 2015 when it won the national championship. But the journey to get back there wasn’t an easy one. The Cavs spent 12 days in Columbia between the NCAA tournament regional and super regional — and had their backs against the wall for much of their time in the Palmetto State.
Virginia became the third team in Division I history to win six elimination games on its way to Omaha.
They lost the first game of the Columbia Regional to the host Gamecocks before winning four straight. In the Super Regional, the Cavs lost 6-5 Saturday to DBU before coming from behind to win both games Sunday and Monday.
Virginia trailed 2-1 going into seventh Monday. The Cavs loaded the bases with two outs after a walk to Zack Gelof and a Max Cotier infield single. Then, Teel, the 2020 New Jersey Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year, belted a Payton Sherlin pitch over the center field fence to make it 5-2.
It was Teel’s ninth homer of the season, which tied him with Gelof. Nic Kent also added a solo homer in the fourth for the Cavaliers.
The loss denied Dallas Baptist its first trip to the College World Series, which is about the only thing missing from the program’s resume since moving up from Division II to Division I in 2004.
The Patriots have been to seven straight NCAA tournaments, 10 overall, but just one Super Regional before this season. A trip to Omaha will have to wait for another season.
College World Series bracket, schedule
Games at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska
June 19 or 20
North Carolina State vs. Stanford
Vanderbilt vs. Arizona
Texas vs. Notre Dame/Mississippi State
Tennessee vs. Virginia