Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park will lie empty tonight. But oh what it would have been.
An always electric stadium, the voltage would've been turned up a few notches.
This was supposed to be Texas and Texas A&M on the baseball diamond for the 377th time.
Yes, that's right, the 377th time.
Great players, coaches and atmospheres have graced this game dating back to 1904. After all, this rivalry gave us Olsen Magic's beginnings when John Byington walked off the Longhorns twice in on the same day, April 16, 1989.
When A&M joined the SEC, the series went on hiatus from 2013-2015. The two teams did meet three times in an NCAA Regional in 2014, but the matchup returned to the regular season schedule in 2016.
That season, even a Florida native was anticipating this game. Michael Barash, a JUCO transfer, was in his first year as a catcher in the A&M program. One would think he'd been watching this rivalry his whole life.
"When I committed to A&M from Palm Beach (Community College) I watched the regional in 2014," recalled Barash. "You could feel the tension between the two teams. I felt that through the TV. I remember sitting in the living room thinking 'man I want to be a part of that'."
He'd become more than just a part.Â
When he steps into the moment the Longhorns walked back into College Station, he's clear about what flows through the players on each side.
"You can feel Olsen change," Barash recalls. "Your respect their presence. They respect our presence."
A&M stayed in control for most of the game, and led 4-0 entering the ninth. But disaster struck in the top half of the final frame. Texas scored four. Tied, the game extended to the bottom of the ninth. Barash was the leadoff hitter.
"The energy in the dugout remained so even-keeled," Barash recounts. "If we got a baserunner, we knew we were winning that game."
Texas brought Ty Culbreth in from the bullpen. Barash felt like he had a little of info on him. More importantly, he was self-aware. Barash knew what he could do, and what he shouldn't do.
"For the type of hitter I was, if I thought big I just shot myself in the foot. I didn't have that kind of juice."
The Aggie catcher had singled in the sixth. A&M didn't have a hit since. The at bat in the ninth had every bit of what makes baseball all-encompassing. As in, it had everything.
Culbreath threw high and away, then right down the outer half, then low and in to make the count on Barash 2-1.
His next pitch, Barash fouled to shallow right, barely foul. A play the Longhorns should've made for the first out. They didn't.
"The wind was howling. The Bermuda triangle out in short right," Barash said, knowing he got away with something and with a nod to Olsen's subtleties that sometimes led to it's magic.
The ball dropped, and instead of one out, it was 2-2.
With new life, Barash could've gone down on the next pitch too.
"I remember getting blown up on a fastball in. It trickled foul down the third base line."
With another 2-2 pitch, Culbreath threw a bit low, the count went full.
The crowd was starting to come to life again. Only they weren't really given enough time to fully rev up. Culbreath's next offering seemed like it came in a flash. Barash saw it clearly. And created a brief pause.
"He threw a fastball in. Because I was relaxed. Because I was true to it. Good things happen."
And what happened is one of those moments that aren't forgotten.Â
His swift stroke, quick through the zone, found that fastball. It sailed over the left field wall for a game-winning homerun. A boy from Florida etched in himself into Texas lore. He'd just become a story in the storied Aggie-Longhorn rivalry.
"I'd never hit a walk-off homerun in my life," says Barash. "That's kind of the way baseball works. It's a beautiful game."
It was picture perfect in College Station, Texas on the night of March 15, 2016.
The rivalry was renewed, and Olsen Magic came back with it.
The image of Barash arriving at home plate, his helmet already tossed, the ones he'd put in the work with waiting, won't leave the hearts or minds of Aggies.
"That was the coolest part," he says. "Celebrating with my teammates."
Tonight, Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park will lie empty. Only the ghosts of Byington and Barash will be there.
A&M and Texas will play again. The 377th matchup is waiting. In the meantime, maybe something can be learned from Barash's epic at bat.
"The mindset was to be a catalyst," he remembers. "Do whatever it takes."
With what's facing us today, perhaps that's it. Be a catalyst. Do what's asked of us. Our small part. Do whatever it takes to help this nation and world move past the difficult days we're in. Just do that, and it may end in heroism.
What Barash experienced, he says, "makes this game the beautiful game that it is."
Do our small part, for the greater good.Â
It's what makes this life so beautiful as well.
Â
An always electric stadium, the voltage would've been turned up a few notches.
This was supposed to be Texas and Texas A&M on the baseball diamond for the 377th time.
Yes, that's right, the 377th time.
Great players, coaches and atmospheres have graced this game dating back to 1904. After all, this rivalry gave us Olsen Magic's beginnings when John Byington walked off the Longhorns twice in on the same day, April 16, 1989.
When A&M joined the SEC, the series went on hiatus from 2013-2015. The two teams did meet three times in an NCAA Regional in 2014, but the matchup returned to the regular season schedule in 2016.
That season, even a Florida native was anticipating this game. Michael Barash, a JUCO transfer, was in his first year as a catcher in the A&M program. One would think he'd been watching this rivalry his whole life.
"When I committed to A&M from Palm Beach (Community College) I watched the regional in 2014," recalled Barash. "You could feel the tension between the two teams. I felt that through the TV. I remember sitting in the living room thinking 'man I want to be a part of that'."
He'd become more than just a part.Â
When he steps into the moment the Longhorns walked back into College Station, he's clear about what flows through the players on each side.
"You can feel Olsen change," Barash recalls. "Your respect their presence. They respect our presence."
A&M stayed in control for most of the game, and led 4-0 entering the ninth. But disaster struck in the top half of the final frame. Texas scored four. Tied, the game extended to the bottom of the ninth. Barash was the leadoff hitter.
"The energy in the dugout remained so even-keeled," Barash recounts. "If we got a baserunner, we knew we were winning that game."
Texas brought Ty Culbreth in from the bullpen. Barash felt like he had a little of info on him. More importantly, he was self-aware. Barash knew what he could do, and what he shouldn't do.
"For the type of hitter I was, if I thought big I just shot myself in the foot. I didn't have that kind of juice."
The Aggie catcher had singled in the sixth. A&M didn't have a hit since. The at bat in the ninth had every bit of what makes baseball all-encompassing. As in, it had everything.
Culbreath threw high and away, then right down the outer half, then low and in to make the count on Barash 2-1.
His next pitch, Barash fouled to shallow right, barely foul. A play the Longhorns should've made for the first out. They didn't.
"The wind was howling. The Bermuda triangle out in short right," Barash said, knowing he got away with something and with a nod to Olsen's subtleties that sometimes led to it's magic.
The ball dropped, and instead of one out, it was 2-2.
With new life, Barash could've gone down on the next pitch too.
"I remember getting blown up on a fastball in. It trickled foul down the third base line."
With another 2-2 pitch, Culbreath threw a bit low, the count went full.
The crowd was starting to come to life again. Only they weren't really given enough time to fully rev up. Culbreath's next offering seemed like it came in a flash. Barash saw it clearly. And created a brief pause.
"He threw a fastball in. Because I was relaxed. Because I was true to it. Good things happen."
And what happened is one of those moments that aren't forgotten.Â
His swift stroke, quick through the zone, found that fastball. It sailed over the left field wall for a game-winning homerun. A boy from Florida etched in himself into Texas lore. He'd just become a story in the storied Aggie-Longhorn rivalry.
"I'd never hit a walk-off homerun in my life," says Barash. "That's kind of the way baseball works. It's a beautiful game."
It was picture perfect in College Station, Texas on the night of March 15, 2016.
The rivalry was renewed, and Olsen Magic came back with it.
The image of Barash arriving at home plate, his helmet already tossed, the ones he'd put in the work with waiting, won't leave the hearts or minds of Aggies.
"That was the coolest part," he says. "Celebrating with my teammates."
Tonight, Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park will lie empty. Only the ghosts of Byington and Barash will be there.
A&M and Texas will play again. The 377th matchup is waiting. In the meantime, maybe something can be learned from Barash's epic at bat.
"The mindset was to be a catalyst," he remembers. "Do whatever it takes."
With what's facing us today, perhaps that's it. Be a catalyst. Do what's asked of us. Our small part. Do whatever it takes to help this nation and world move past the difficult days we're in. Just do that, and it may end in heroism.
What Barash experienced, he says, "makes this game the beautiful game that it is."
Do our small part, for the greater good.Â
It's what makes this life so beautiful as well.
Â