Walk-off grand slam pushes UCSB to first College World Series
Like many, UC Santa Barbara catcher Sam Cohen probably dreamed of this moment as a kid. It’s the bottom of the ninth inning and the bases are loaded. His team is down by three. With the game on the line, the manager calls for him. With one swing of the bat, he can play the hero.
This time, though, it wasn’t a dream. It was reality. Cohen was called upon in that exact situation against Louisville closer Zack Burdi. UCSB already led 1-0 in the best-of-three series, and Cohen could punch the team’s ticket to the College World Series if he came through.
Turns out, dreams do come true.
With one swing of the bat, the freshman catcher became the hero. Cohen smashed a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam to right field to push his team to the College World Series for the first time in school history. Our favorite part, aside from the excellent hit, is the umpire getting engulfed by all the UCSB players during the celebration at home plate.
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If the accomplishment wasn’t enough, consider his competition. The pitcher Cohen faced, Louisville closer Zack Burdi, was just selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He was taken with the 26th overall pick by the Chicago White Sox. Burdi came on in relief and was hitting an incredible 103 mph on the radar gun.
Of course, Cohen’s teammates deserve credit too. With one out in the ninth, they managed a rally against one of the best college pitchers in the game. Second baseman JJ Muno picked up a single against Burdi to kick things off, and both Dempsey Grover and Billy Frederick walked to load the bases. Without their efforts, Cohen may have never had the chance to play the hero.
To all the kids out there playing baseball, let this be a lesson. The more you imagine yourself hitting walk-off grand slams, the better. Who knows, one day reality might just thrust you into that situation. If that times comes, you know you’ll be ready.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
