CATCHER’S FIRST HOME RUN LEADS VIRGINIA

Logan Michaels gave his dad one of the greatest Father’s Day gifts imaginable Sunday.

In his first College World Series at-bat, the light-hitting catcher for Virginia homered for the first time this season. Jeff Michaels, a threeyear pancreatic cancer survivor, was there to see his son do it — and more — in the Cavaliers’ 6-0 victory over Tennessee.

After the game, television cameras showed a beaming Jeff Michaels holding the treasured ball in the stands behind the Virginia dugout.

“For someone to bring him the home run ball, and obviously for it to happen on Father’s Day and at the College World Series — definitely a special moment for our family and for my dad and I,” Logan said.

Logan Michaels hit Chad Dallas’ hanging breaking ball out to left in the second inning for only his second homer in 343 at-bats since he joined the Cavaliers in 2019. His RBI single to center began a fourrun seventh inning, and he singled and scored the Cavs’ final run in the ninth.

Mississippi State 2, Texas 1: Will Bednar struck out a careerhigh 15 over six innings, the most at the College World Series in 25 years, and Mississippi State held off Texas (47-16).

Bednar and Landon Sims set a CWS team record, combining for 21 strikeouts, and the Bulldogs (4616) ran their season total to a Division I record-tying 766.

Bednar’s total was the highest by an individual since Clemson’s Kris Benson struck out 15 against Miami in 1996.