COLLEGEVILLE, MN (05.30.21) - The 2021 season came to an end for the UT Dallas baseball team Sunday afternoon with a 19-2 loss to No. 25-ranked Chapman in an elimination game in the regional round of the NCAA Division III National Championship, played at Haugen Field at Becker Park on the campus of Saint John's University.
 
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
 
The Comets wrapped up the spring with a 30-12 overall record, winning the second American Southwest Conference championship in program history and making the squad's third-ever trip to the national tournament.
 
After a 14-9 win over Chapman to open the regional tournament Friday, the Comets managed just five runs over its two losses. UTD fell to Pacific, 4-3, Saturday night in the second round.
 
With Sunday's game tied, 2-2, in the middle of the 4th, the Panthers scored 17 unanswered runs to pull away for the victory and advance to regional semifinals. Chapman would score five runs in each the 4th, 5th and 7th frames.

"This was not exactly how we wanted the season to end," head coach Shane Shewmake said afterwords. "But things sort of started unraveling for us after we tied the game up and we couldn't contain them. Chapman's a good squad with a lot of good hitters and a deep pitching staff. We managed to beat them Friday night, but couldn't get it done again today."
 
Chapman (15-5) kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd, plating two runs on three hits and the first of what would be four Comet errors in the ballgame. Keagan Vance cut the Panther lead in half with a solo home run in the top of the 3rd and then added a second RBI in the following frame, scoring Deylan Moreno with a two-out single to left to tie the game. Vance's long ball was his second of the tournament and third of the season for the Comets.
 
Comet starter Kenny Garza (4-3) was handed the losses after giving up seven runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in three innings of work. The Comets would then use five relief pitchers to close out the game.
 
Vance wrapped up the day 2-for-3 from the plate with two RBI and a run scored while A.J. Liu was 2-for-3 as well with a pair of walks.
 
The Comets managed just seven hits in the loss, while giving up 19 to Chapman, the second-most allowed by the UTD pitching staff this spring. The 19 runs allowed were also the second-most giving up the season by the Comets and most-ever allowed in the postseason by the program.

UTD outfielder A.J. Liu was named to the Regional All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the event.
 
UTD recorded its third 30-win campaign in the last five seasons and sixth time in program history.

"Overall, I'm really proud of all we accomplished this season," Shewmake said in conclusion. "We survived some ups and downs, but we stuck together and fought in every game. This was a great group of guys that battled throughout the year. A loss like this does not define our season."