ALPINE, TX (05.06.18) - For the sixth time in program history, the UT Dallas baseball team will be playing for an American Southwest Conference championship after winning the ASC's Red Bracket finals Sunday, 10-2, over LeTourneau University at Sul Ross State's Kokernot Field.

POST-GAME INTERVIEW: COACH SHANE SHEWMAKE & COLE HANSON

The Comets (28-15) will meet Concordia Texas in a best-of-three ASC Championship Series that will run Thursday-Saturday, May 10-12. The series is scheduled to be played at Concordia' field in Austin at 6 pm each evening.

Playing a YellowJacket team that was trying to win its third straight game after dropping the tournament opener to the Comets Friday, UTD broke loose against a tired LETU bullpen, answering each of two YellowJacket rallies with five-run outbursts to stake its claim to the Red Bracket title. LETU (23-19) would have had to defeat the Comets twice to advance.
 

For the third consecutive day, UTD posted double digits in the hit column, raising its tournament totals to 38 runs on 40 hits over the three-game weekend. Sophomore Luke Richter led the pack with a 3-for-5 afternoon, driving in a pair of runs with a triple. Designated hitter Thomas Craig and third baseman Connor Scruggs each had doubles in a 2-for-5 game while Ryan Burciaga also finished 2-for-5.  Senior Cole Hanson improved to 6-3 on the season, holding the YellowJackets to just one earned run in a 7.0-inning start before giving way to Tristin DerMargosian, who fired two shutout innings to end the game.

Comet first baseman Barry Casey was named the Red Bracket Tournament Most Valuable Player and joined on the All-Tournament Team by pitchers Hanson and Ruben Renteria, and hitters Richter and Rodney Corbin.

The UTD bats started slow against YellowJacket starter Gonzalo Sosa, who retired eight straight UTD hitters after getting out of a first-inning jam. LETU actually got on the board first when Will Bradshaw led off the 4th inning with a solo homerun to put LETU up, 1-0 - the first time the Comets had trailed in the tournament. But Scruggs opened up the flood gates with a one-out double to start a UTD answer in the bottom of the frame. Corbin reached on a dropped popup and Richter and Craig each followed with RBI singles to left field to regain the lead for the Comets. After a walk to load the bases, Matt Mikusek drew an RBI walk and Josh Covey then brought home two more runs with a single into the left field corner to put UTD ahead, 5-1.

Hanson then fired two more three-up, three-down innings before LETU got on the board again in the 7th with a hit batter, single, catcher's interference call and an RBI walk. A seeming hit batter would have forced in another run, but the home plate umpire ruled the ball bounced in the dirt before clipping Lee Hosie, who eventually struck out.

With the lead sitting at 5-2, the Comets went back to work in their half of the 7th. Richter and Craig again delivered RBIs with back-to-back extra base hits in the 7th. With two outs in the 8th, Ryan Burciaga doubled and Casey was intenionally walked. An errant throw by the LETU shortstop on a ground ball from Scruggs allowed Burciaga to come home, then Corbin singled to right to plate Casey and Scruggs.