Christian Moore is the best player in America and I’m tired of you pretending he’s not

Tennessee baseball put together a legendary walk-off performance on Friday night to open its College World Series run. The Vols won 12-11 against Florida State largely to Christian Moore's 5-for-6 night at the plate. 

Moore finished Game One with a single, two doubles, one triple, and one home run. This makes him the second player to ever hit for the cycle in a CWS game, with the only other cycle coming in 1956. This isn't just a great outing by the Vols' second baseman; he's been doing it all year. 

Before the Vols clinched their spot in Omaha, Moore had the opportunity to seal Evansville's fate in Game Two of the Knoxville Super Regional. He came to the plate with the bases loaded, down two runs, and failed to drive across a run. Since then, he's gone 7-for-9 at the plate with three home runs. 

Moore faced a similar scenario on Friday night. He came to the plate down two runs with one runner on and two outs. He faced two strikes, turned to the dugout, said a few words, and hit a rocket down the third baseline to keep the Vols alive. 

It was only fitting that Moore was the game-tying run on Blake Burke's ninth-inning double. The Vols slugger drove in Moore to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, allowing the Vols to walk it off, and Dylan Dreiling did just that, putting the nail in the Seminoles' coffin and winning the game. 

He's proven to be the best player in the SEC throughout the season and one of the best in the nation. He has a .385 batting average with 33 home runs and 72 RBIs. He's slugging .822% with an on-base percentage of .460%. His defense isn't too bad either, posting a .954% fielding percentage. 

Regardless of the stats and numbers he's put up throughout the regular and post-season, Moore is not getting the respect he deserves. He was snubbed in the SEC Player of the Year Award, although he posted better stats in SEC games than the guy who won the award. He also wasn't a Golden Spikes finalist or 1st-Team All-American. 

If you take Moore's stats and put them next to a ghost player', he's automatically a first-team All-American, at least a Golden Spikes Finalist, and easily the SEC Player of the Year. 

Christian Moore is the best player in college baseball, and I'm tired of you pretending he's not. He just put together one of the best individual performances I've seen any player across any sport in a Tennessee uniform to prove to everyone who keeps doubting him that he's the real deal.