1983 University of Texas Longhorns, 66-14 (18-3 Southwest Conference), SWC Champions, College World Series Champions

The 1983 Longhorns ended up winning more games than any team in school history, but they tended to do so in heart-stopping fashion.  It was a team built on great pitching and defense, leading the nation in pitching with a 2.72 staff ERA and finished fourth in team fielding with a .966 percentage.  The Horns thus won a lot of one-run games, came from behind in many others, and they were maddeningly inconsistent--the team could lose a doubleheader to an unknown non-conference foe, and then sweep a series against impressive opponents like Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State.  But in big moments, the team was superb. The season featured four different win streaks of eight or more games, including a season high 12-game win streak through most of April and a season-ending nine-game streak.  Coach Cliff Gustafson had a pitching staff that was anchored by All-American Calvin Schiraldi (14-2, 1.74) and closer Kirk Killingworth (12-3, 7 SV, 2.56), and rounded out the rotation with Mike Capel (13-1, 2.98) and #3 starter Roger Clemens (13-5, 3.04, 151 SO in 166 IP).   The balanced offense was led by first baseman Jose Tolentino, who hit .339, smashed 12 home runs, collected 100 hits and drove in 73 runs. Designated hitter Doug Hodo hit .345 in a platoon role with double-duty Killingworth. Catcher Jeff Hearron hit .341 with six home runs and 48 RBI. Mike Brumley and Bill Bates manned the infield with Brumley hitting .298 with 82 runs and 56 RBI as a shortstop and Bates batting .296 with 13 doubles and 69 runs as a second baseman. In the team’s 66 wins, 16 different players delivered game-winning blows.

After winning the Southwest Conference to host the NCAA Regional in Austin, the club began slowly and faced elimination after two games.  However, as had been characteristic of the team all season, they bounced back to beat Tulane, Pan American and Mississippi State twice to advance to Omaha.  The excitement continued in the CWS; after defeating James Madison in the opener, Texas needed come-from-behind wins against Oklahoma State, Alabama and Michigan to earn a spot in the championship game, a rematch against Alabama.  However, the Longhorn pitching staff had been severely depleted by the succession of close games, and Coach Gustafson was forced to turn to his #3 starter for the championship match, a hard-throwing righthander who had finished the season with the worst ERA of the Longhorns' four starting pitchers: Roger Clemens.

1983 Texas Longhorns, CWS Champions

The Crimson Tide took a 2-0 lead on Clemens after a sacrifice fly in the third and a solo homer in the fifth. Texas battled back to tie the game in the sixth when Alabama pitcher Rick Browne walked in a run, and then gave up another on an infield out. One inning later, Texas took the lead for good on Killingsworth's RBI triple and a two-out, RBI bunt single by Tolentino.  Clemens, meanwhile, shut the door on the Crimson Tide. Still on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, Clemens let in a run but quelled the Alabama rally, preserving the one-run lead and earning the complete game victory and Texas' fourth national championship. Clemens' final line: nine innings, three earned runs, no walks and nine strikeouts.