Unlikely hero shines in huge Chanticleer win

David Parrett was hitting .130 going into Thursday night’s game against Texas Tech. He hits ninth in the Chanticleers’ batting order.

But tonight? All of that was irrelevant. Pure nonsense, really. Because in Coastal Carolina’s biggest game of the season, Parrett had one of the biggest games of his life.

David Parrett... officially on !

Coastal catcher belts a 2-run single and the Chants lead 7-3 in the 5th. #CWS pic.twitter.com/clyqSbXsxZ

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 24, 2016

Isn’t this why we love the College World Series?

The Coastal catcher went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in a 7-5 win. Parrett’s run-scoring single to left in the second inning plated the first run of the game, while his two-RBI knock in the fifth was part of a three-run frame that put the game out of reach.

The Chanticleers are known for their heavy hitters -- Zach Remillard, Connor Owings and G.K. Young might be the most fearsome 3-4-5 trio in Omaha -- so they can afford to have a .130 hitter at the bottom of the order. Parrett is immensely valuable as a defensive backstop and a leader.

"We're don't want to say goodbye to each other yet." - David Parrett. pic.twitter.com/6TcfgNKtP8

— Coastal Baseball (@CoastalBaseball) June 24, 2016

But tonight, his stick did the talking. And he is no longer a .130 hitter.

"Every time I'm behind the plate, every time I'm up to bat I know the whole team's behind me," Parrett said following the game. "The whole day has been awesome. I had a great feeling about tonight."

Coastal Carolina’s lineup is already nightmare for opposing pitchers to face. Tonight was a prime example; the Chanticleers had 19 base runners, and Texas Tech ran through four pitchers to get 27 outs. The game clocked in at just a tick under four hours.

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Going into the College World Series, Coastal had belted 40 more home runs than any squad in Omaha. They were, and are, an offensive juggernaut. If Parrett performs half as well at the plate against TCU as he did on Thursday, look out, Horned Frogs.

"And this guy right here, this guy right here works harder than anybody on this team," Coastal reliever Mike Morrison, who had a memorable outing of his own, said. "I couldn't be happier for him on this stage. We always joke with him that he rakes in the Midwest, so it's definitely good."

Coastal’s 3-4-5 combo was fine, but not its spectacular self tonight. Remillard, Owings and Young combined to go 4-for-14 at the dish, and it didn’t matter. Baseball is a wacky game, and sometimes, its heroes are the most unlikely.

David Parrett was a hero on Thursday night, on a grand stage in front of a packed TD Ameritrade Park house.

But he's still got unfinished business.

"Tomorrow's another one-game season," Parrett said. "So we're very excited about that."