Texas Baseball: COVID-19 eliminates College World Series in 2020

As far as the impact of novel coronavirus on the Texas baseball program goes, not playing in the College World Series has to be the most severe.

Any thoughts the Texas baseball program had of making a run back to the College World Series for the first time since 2018 was erased when the novel coronavirus started to have an impact on almost every sphere of sports. Texas baseball won’t be able to hit the diamond again to compete in game action at least until March 29.

Texas athletic director Chris del Conte responded to the NCAA and Big 12 announcements on March 12 that all activity will be suspended at least until March 29. The Texas Longhorns baseball program will be one of the programs that not only abide by the halt in game action until the end of the month, but they will likely be without the motivation of a true postseason at season’s end.

The NCAA announced on March 12 that it will be cancelling all winter and spring sports championships this year. That would include maybe the most watched college championship event outside of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The College World Series will not be played in Omaha this year. There could still be a Big 12 Tournament that the Longhorns compete in, though.

The last game that Longhorns baseball played in before action was halted due to COVID-19 precautions came against the Abilene Christian Wildcats at home at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on March 11. That matchup against Abilene Christian resulted in a win for the Longhorns by the final score of 9-1.

Moreover, the next game that was to be cancelled for was a March 13 showdown at home against the New Mexico Lobos out of the Mountain West Conference. That was set to be the second weekend series against a Mountain West opponent for the Longhorns. The first saw Texas sweep the Boise State Broncos at home last month.

Texas carried a record of 14-3 through 17 games this season under head coach David Pierce. That was good enough to get Texas ranked in the most recent Coaches Poll, at No. 22. Given the hot start for Texas, they could’ve been a real contender for host a Regional and make a possible run to the College World Series.

Watching their team make a run to the College World Series is also a favorite past time of Longhorns sports fans. Texas owns the NCAA record for the most College World Series appearances in the history of college baseball, and they have the most wins once they get to that point.

The next game for the Longhorns on the regular season schedule after the COVID-19 halt comes up for the Big 12 and the NCAA is against the rival Texas A&M Aggies on the road in College Station on March 31. Their next Big 12 series after that would come on the road against the West Virginia Mountaineers starting on April 3.