Pensacola Catholic alum and Ole Miss champion T.J. McCants fires first pitch at Blue Wahoos game

It was a night of champions on Tuesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

During the first part of a two-night rehab assignment, Miami Marlins outfielder Jorge Soler was in uniform for Pensacola Blue Wahoos in the team's series opener against the Chattanooga Lookouts.

Soler, a two-time World Series champion, batted second in the Blue Wahoos lineup as the team's designated hitter and finished the night 1-for-4 at the plate. Many Atlanta Braves fans were in the building to cheer on the 2021 World Series MVP as Soler served as the night's main event.

Meanwhile, between signing autographs, posing for photos and interacting with fans, another recently-crowned champion stood on the bump to serve as the night's opening act.

Pensacola Catholic alum and Ole Miss outfielder T.J. McCants tossed the first pitch prior to Tuesday's contest. His appearance comes just more than two weeks after helping the Rebels complete an unlikely run to the program's first-ever College World Series title.

Ole Miss was one of the final teams to earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament. But once the tournament began, the Rebels couldn't be stopped as they won 10 of 11 games.

And whether he started or came off the bench, McCants was clutch in the team's most crucial moments.

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During the CWS opener against Oklahoma, the pride of Cantonment blasted a pinch-hit two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to extend a Rebels lead that they would not relinquish. One day later with his team trailing 2-1 in the bottom of eighth, McCants ripped a single to right field to kick off a game-winning three-run rally.

Prior to tossing out the first pitch to Tuesday's game, McCants sat down with PNJ sports reporter Patrick Bernadeau to discuss what it was like to bring a national title to Oxford, Miss. and represent the Panhandle.

Q and A with T.J. McCants

PNJ: After the final out, the dog pile and the celebration, how many messages were on your phone when you got back to the locker room?

McCants: “I still haven’t gotten to a bunch of them, but it was a lot from every platform, from Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram. There were a lot of text messages, more than I can even count.”

PNJ: I imagine the support was crazy, not only in Oxford, but in this area as well. Did you hear from a lot of people from Catholic and the Pensacola area in general?

McCants: “Yeah, the Pensacola area is really supportive. I heard from a bunch of people from Facebook and some of them even have my number, so they just texted me. I got a bunch of texts from people around here.”

PNJ: It’s been a couple of weeks since the Rebels sealed the title. I know this ride has felt like a dream, but have you been able to look back and realize what you and your team accomplished?

McCants: “It really didn’t sink in how important it was to the community of Oxford to bring back a national championship until the (parade) ceremony. There were a lot of people there and it was really emotional to see how much it meant to those guys. Anytime I go back and re-watch the game, it all re-sinks in. So yeah, it’s been pretty cool.”

PNJ: That’s something that’s going to be remembered until the end of time, bringing home the program’s first national title. Was that something that was discussed prior to the College World Series, that the team could make history?

McCants: “Honestly, it’s every team’s dream to make it there and win it, but we didn’t really talk about the history part until after. It was historic and it was our first one, and just the way we did it being the last team in and still winning the whole thing. We didn’t talk about it until after we won it.”

PNJ: The team only lost once during the NCAA Tournament, but at that stage, were there any moments where you and the team felt any pressure?

McCants: “Yeah, it’s the playoffs, you play to win or you lose and you go home, So, there’s always pressure, but you just remember what you’ve been working hard for your whole life and stick to the basics of what you’ve been doing the whole year.”

PNJ: Individually, when it came down to pressure time and pressure moments, whether it was your two-run home run in Game 1 of the World Series or your base hit that started the rally in the series-clincher, you came up big. If you had to compare those two moments, which is your favorite?

McCants: “I think a lot of people would think I would say the home run, but we were already winning. They were good insurance runs, but the Game 2 hit actually helped tie the game up and come back. So I think one was my favorite.”

PNJ: As for the rest of the team, it was a senior-laden squad. A lot of seniors led the way, from Tim Elko, Justin Bench to Brandon Johnson, who got the final three outs. What was it like playing with that particular group of players that helped make history with you?

McCants: “It was really cool. Those guys played every game like it was their last. You just have to respect them for that, even the guys that didn’t play every day. The seniors, they really laid it on the line for the team. It’s big being under guys that are like that; guys that are mature, can help us grow and can lead the team. It was really cool playing under those guys.”

PNJ: Were your parents in Omaha when you won the title?

McCants: “Yes, they were.”

PNJ: What was it like having that experience with them?

McCants: “That was probably the highlight of the whole thing. At first I didn’t know where they were, so I was looking for them for a while. But when I finally found them, got up to them and gave them hugs, it was really cool to share that moment with them.”

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com. 

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Catholic baseball alum T.J. McCants talks CWS with Ole Miss