TAMPA, Fla — During Sunday's NCAA regional championship game, the University of Tampa baseball team found itself in unfamiliar territory. The top-ranked, defending national champions trailed Mississippi College 8-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
WATCH: Number 1 ranked UT Baseball survives and advances to super regionals
"Before that game we had talked about Mike Tyson and his saying 'Everyone’s got a plan until you get punched in the face,'" UT infielder J.D. Urso said before Wednesday's practice. It was Urso who delivered a game-winning, RBI double in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Spartans a 9-8 win, complete a miraculous comeback.
"Easily, the biggest moment of my career, the biggest at-bat of my career. Honestly, going into it, trying to think about anything but that," Urso explained. "That pitcher had just come in. I was the first batter he faced. I just wanted to focus on him. He has the ball in his hand, I have the bat in my hands. Hoping to make something good happen, and that’s what happened."
Urso's heroics vaulted UT into the super regional round, which the Spartans will host this week. But Urso didn't pull off the miracle by himself. Starting pitcher Jake Stipp made what was only his second relief appearance of the season when he entered the game in the top of the 10th.
"I was just really focused on my breathing, a lot. I knew if I could control that I would be good," Stipp explained. "I tend to speed up a lot, even on starts. If I was able to slow down and go in there and trust my stuff."
Stipp picked up the win, improving to a ridiculous mark of 11-0 this season.
"This being my last year, just thinking about my career and how I really didn’t want it to end," he said.
UT head coach Joe Urso said sometimes a little or a lot of adversity is just what the doctor ordered.
"You talk about 'team' and what it takes to be great. It’s not just the nine starters. It’s not just the starting pitcher and the closer," he said before jogging out to the practice field. "It really does take everyone. And we used a lot of guys that game, and that makes me even more proud."
No matter the situation, the standard at UT remains the same: win a national championship. Urso's coached the Spartans to six of their nine national championships, and he thinks this team can add number ten.
"This group has done all the right things. The personality of the team, I really love," he added. "Hopefully we get through this super regional and get back and have a chance to defend our title."
UT (47-8) hosts West Florida (36-19) in a best-of-three series that runs Thursday, Friday, and (if necessary) Saturday. All games start at 1pm at the University of Tampa Baseball Field.
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