Longhorns win Game 1 in NCAA tournament via performances from Lucas Gordon, Dylan Campbell

Throughout the course of the 2023 season for the Texas Longhorns, no two players have been more consistent than left-handed starter Lucas Gordon and right fielder Dylan Campbell. Gordon, the Big 12 pitcher of the year and a Collegiate Baseball first-team All-American, and Campbell, a first-team All-Big 12 selection, continued their standout campaigns in Texas’ postseason opener on Friday versus Louisiana in the Coral Gables regional.

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Gordon pitched seven innings of one-run ball for his seventh win of the season, while Campbell made game-changing contributions with his bat and glove. In the late stages of a tight contest with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Campbell made a five-star diving catch in right field, extended his hitting streak to a Big 12-record 36 games, and drove in two insurance runs as part of a 4-2 Longhorn win.

Gordon controlled the first five innings of the game, allowing only three hits and striking out six.

Louisiana scored the first run of the game in the sixth after Gordon surrendered a double to Heath Hood on a 3-0 count with two outs. Connor Higgs drove in the first run of the game the next at bat with a RBI single.

The damage could have been worse if not for Campbell’s incredible diving catch one at bat prior to Hood’s two-bagger. Campbell ranged to his left and made a full-extension dive at the ball. He snagged it, keeping the basepaths clear ahead the quick Cajun spurt.

“I don’t think I’ve ever dove for a ball like that before,” Campbell told the Longhorn radio broadcast postgame. “That was cool. I can’t wait to watch a video of it just to see how high I climbed up.”

Texas responded in the bottom of the sixth with production from the end of the lineup. Mitchell Daly pulled an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence to even the game at 1-1.

“We give up a tie ballgame,” head coach David Pierce said on the postgame radio broadcast. “They get one, the big thing (was) answering right back. I’m so proud of Mitch Daly. He’s had a rough one, but at the same time he’s just kept putting his head down and working.”

Three batters later, Campbell extended his streak to 36 games to put a runner in scoring position. Porter Brown then gave Texas the lead with a RBI single, making the score 2-1.

It was then Gordon’s turn to complete his mark on the game. He finished his outing with a strikeout, a fly ball to left, and another strikeout. He pitched 7.0 innings, allowing one earned run and five hits on 83 pitches, giving Pierce the chance to utilize his staff ace in a situation of dire need on Sunday or Monday. Gordon struck out eight batters and walked none in his outing.

“I thought I commanded the inside part of the plate well, that’s just what it was,” Gordon told the ESPN broadcast. “I got them off balance and just did my job today.”

As the Longhorns came in for the seventh-inning stretch, Campbell once again changed the complexion of the game. With the bases loaded and two outs, Campbell smacked an 0-1 pitch off the top of the wall in left-center to give the Longhorns two crucial insurance runs and make it 4-1.

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Campbell wasn’t the only player who made a contribution with his glove. In the fourth inning with two runners on, UL second baseman John Taylor crushed a ball to deep center. Longhorn outfielder Eric Kennedy ran back to the track and made a leaping catch at the wall to rob what would have been a three-run homer.

“That was huge out of EK,” Campbell said. “That three-run homer there, that completely changes the game. Him making that catch was just amazing.”

Gordon was relieved by Zane Morehouse in the eighth. Morehouse, who has had an up and down year, allowed a solo homer in his first inning of work to make it a 4-2 contest, but pitched around it to earn his sixth save in a 2.0-inning outing.

“To give us those last two innings was big,” Pierce said of Morehouse.

The Longhorns have won their opening game of a regional in every NCAA tournament under Pierce. This is the first time Texas had to win Game 1 of a regional away from UFCU Disch-Falk Field since the 2017 Longhorns took the opening game of the Long Beach regional versus UCLA.

Texas awaits the winner of a Friday night matchup between Coral Gables regional host Miami and No. 4 seed Maine.

“We’ve just got to get ready now, catch our breath, get some rest, and start preparing for the winner of the next game,” Pierce said.

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