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HCU @ #16 Texas (Tuesday, 2/20, 6:30p on LHN)

MuellerHorn

By MuellerHorn
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MuellerHorn

MuellerHorn 4228

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Luke Harrison starts on the bump, tonight. Getting a solid showing from him would go a long way in improving my confidence of the SP cast.

Link to Texas' Preview (contents in spoiler below): https://texassports.com/news/2024/2/19/no-16-baseball-preview-houston-christian.aspx

Spoiler

#16 TEXAS vs. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
February 20, 2024
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Time: Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
TV: Longhorn Network
Radio: AM-1300 The Zone 
Live stats: https://texassports.com/sidearmstats/baseball 
All-time series: Texas leads, 7-0

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
TUESDAY–Texas LHP Luke Harrison (0-0, 0.00) vs. HCU LHP Ty Dagley (0-0, 0.00)

THE MATCHUP—Texas is set to play its first midweek game of the season, welcoming Houston Christian to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday. The Longhorns hold a 7-0 record against the HCU Huskies with all seven meetings coming in Austin. Houston Christian is coached by former Rice All-American and 15-year MLB vet¬eran, Lance Berkman. During his time at Rice from 1995-97, the Owls and Longhorns played 11 times with Texas holding a 6-5 advantage.

A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—Texas got off to a winning start to the 2024 campaign, taking the series over San Diego with wins on Friday and Sunday. The Longhorns got great production from the top of the lineup, with Jared Thomas batting .545 with two doubles and seven runs scored. Peyton Powell batted .462 with a triple, a homer and seven RBI. Jalin Flores also had a nice weekend, hitting a game-winning grand slam on Opening Day and driving in five runs total. The Longhorn bullpen was solid for most of the weekend, posting a 2.79 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched. David Shaw and Grant Fontenot both pitched twice and did not allow a run. 

PRESEASON PICKS—In a vote of the league's head coaches, Texas was selected to finish second in the Preseason Big 12 Baseball Coaches' Poll. The Longhorns sit behind preseason favorite TCU, who received 11 first place votes. Texas picked up the other two first place votes to finish second. Last season, Texas won the Big 12 regular season championship after being picked fourth in the preseason poll.  

PRESEASON HONORS—Lebarron Johnson Jr. picked up plenty of preseason praise, being named Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year as well as landing on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. OF Porter Brown joined Johnson on the Preseason All-Big 12 team as well as picking up some Preseason All-America recognition. Freshman OF Will Gasparino was also named Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.

PRESEASON RANKINGS—Texas made an appearance in all five of the major preseason polls and opens the season at No. 16 in the D1 Baseball poll. The Longhorns highest preseason rank is No. 8 in the Perfect Game poll, while Texas is also 9th in the NCBWA poll, and 13th in both the Baseball America poll and USA Today Coaches poll. 

DRAFT WINS AND LOSSES—Texas lost five players to the MLB Draft following the 2023 season but also got five key players back who will lead the Longhorns in 2024. The Longhorns biggest losses in the draft were 4th round selection Dylan Campbell and sixth-rounder Lucas Gordon. OF Porter Brown and INF Peyton Powell were not selected though and will lead the offense this season, while Charlie Hurley, Lebarron Johnson Jr. and Tanner Witt are expected to play big roles on the mound. Freshman OF Will Gasparino making it to the Forty Acres was also a big win for the program.  

FIFTIETH SEASON AT THE DISCH—Texas embarks on its 50th season at UFCU Disch-Falk Field after the facility opened in 1975. The first game at The Disch was played on Feb. 17, 1975 with the eventual National Champions sweeping a doubleheader of St. Mary's. Texas will officially celebrate 50 years of Disch-Falk Field and the 50th anniversary of the 1975 National Championship team during the 2025 season. 

OWN THE DISCH—A large part of the Longhorns success under head coach David Pierce has come down to dominating at home. Since 2017 Texas has produced a 179-49 (.785) record at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, including a 2-1 mark this season. Since the stadium opened in 1975, Texas has gone 1610-409-3 at home for a .797 winning percentage. The fan base has also done a great job of making the Disch a difficult place to play. With the exception of the 2021 season because of limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas has led the Big 12 in attendance for 15-consecutive seasons. Last season, the Longhorns averaged 6,729 fans per game, the sixth-highest average attendance in the country. 

MIDWEEK SUCCESS—In seven seasons under head coach David Pierce, the Longhorns have taken care of business in midweek games. Since 2017, Texas has gone 72-19 (.791) in midweek games including a 12-2 record last season. The Longhorns have been even more exceptional in home midweek games, winning 86% of the time for a 56-9 record.

DOWNTOWN PORTER BROWN—Porter Brown made an immediate impact after transferring from TCU last season and batted .323, with 14 doubles and 12 home runs. He led the team with 40 walks and finished second on the team with 59 RBI and 11 stolen bases, while also scoring 46 runs. Brown also etched himself into the Texas Baseball record book by becoming the seventh Longhorn ever to hit three home runs in a game, against West Virginia on May 18, 2023. 

POW!—Peyton Powell had a breakout season for the Longhorns in 2023 and led the team in hitting with a .339 batting average, 16 doubles, 10 homers and 46 RBI. Powell burst onto the scene during the month of March, making his first career start at third base and never letting go of the starting spot. He led the team with 27 multiple-hit games and added 12 multi-RBI games.

SNAKE FARM—Jared Thomas had an outstanding freshman campaign in 2023, batting .321 with 15 doubles, four triples, four homers, 29 RBI and 54 runs scored. He batted in the leadoff spot over the final 21 games of the season and Texas went 14-7 during that stretch. Thomas' season started to turn the corner in early April and over the final 30 games he batted .391 with nine doubles, four triples, three homers and 38 runs scored.

HOME SWEET HOME—Texas held a 28-8 record last season at the friendly confines of UFCU Disch-Falk Field. In the 36 home games, the Longhorns hit .323 and fielded .983, while the pitching staff had a 3.57 ERA. In the 28 games played away from UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Texas went 14-14 and batted .256 with a .974 fielding percentage. Of the Longhorns' 49 errors as a team last season, 27 of them came in the 28 games away from home. 

THE SCHEDULE—The 2024 schedule features 37 home games at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, including 19 of the first 25 games at home. The Longhorns will also play in the Astros Foundation College Classic at Minute Maid Park, March 1-3, against LSU, Texas State and Vanderbilt. The Longhorns open the season with an eight-game homestand, beginning with the Opening Weekend series against San Diego. Texas will also host rival Texas A&M at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday, March 5 before opening Big 12 play at Texas Tech March 8-10. In league play, Texas will host Baylor, BYU, TCU, Oklahoma State and Kansas and will also travel to Kansas State, Houston, Oklahoma and UCF. The 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship returns to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 21-25.

HEAR 'EM—In partnership with Learfield IMG College, Texas games will be broadcast on the Longhorn Radio Network, primarily on AM 1300 The Zone. Craig Way handles primary play-by-play duties alongside Roger Wallace. This season fans will also hear analysis from Longhorn greats Keith Moreland, Ty Harrington and Nathan Thornhill throughout the season.

WATCH 'EM—Nearly all of Texas' home games will be broadcast on Longhorn Network this season. The team of Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell will return to the booth to call the action for 34 home games. The first two games of the TCU series, April 19-20 will be broadcast on ESPNU.

traDISCHion—Texas Baseball will honor its history through¬out the 2024 season as part of the Saturday TraDISCHion series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. For the third-consecutive season the Longhorns are celebrating past greats every Sat¬urday (and a few Fridays) throughout the year. The 2024 TraDISCHion schedule: 
Feb. 18 vs. San Diego: LHP Richard Wortham (1973-76)
Feb. 24 vs. Cal Poly: LHP Justin Simmons (2001-04)
March 16 vs. Washington: RHP Beau Hale (1998-2000) 
March 23 vs. Baylor: LHP Austin Wood (2006-09)
April 6 vs. BYU: 1B Danny Peoples (1994-96)
April 20 vs. TCU: OF/LHP Dennis Cook (1984-85)
May 4 vs. OSU: RHP Cole Green (2008-11)
May 17 vs. Kansas: INF Spike Owen (1980-82)

 

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Hookem2147

Hookem2147 21188

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Facing a lefty starter for HCU. I'm hoping we see Nik Sanders at 1B at some point early this season with Thomas in CF as I think that is a combination that could potentially stick. Maybe that is tonight.

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MuellerHorn

MuellerHorn 4228

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43 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Facing a lefty starter for HCU. I'm hoping we see Nik Sanders at 1B at some point early this season with Thomas in CF as I think that is a combination that could potentially stick. Maybe that is tonight.

You kind of got your wish (on offense).

Also, Jack-O out of the cleanup spot is a refreshing change. 

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Hookem2147

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26 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

You kind of got your wish (on offense).

Also, Jack-O out of the cleanup spot is a refreshing change. 

Interesting that against a lefty starter, Pierce decides to go all lefties the top 3 in the order. I don't mind it because I think all 3 can hit lefties just as well as righties. 

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MuellerHorn

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35 minutes ago, thrillhammer said:

batting 5th is cleanup?  he had a pretty dismal first series.  hopefully this game jump starts him.

He was batting fourth. Now he’s fifth. Why I said he’s out of the cleanup spot. I see why that could be confusing. He’s not out of (not in) the cleanup spot. 

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Hondo

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2 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Pierce's strategy of going into the season with no starting pitchers or infielders was bold and we'll see if it pays off for him. 

 

2 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

Yeah, I’m going to temper my expectations for this team. 

Granted, Pierce’s teams always get better as the season progresses, but this squad seems to have a lot of holes. 

I don't think I'll truly understand how we have such issues stacking a roster.  We're only one of the top baseball programs in college baseball history.  Why are we always so damn thin while other programs just reload every year?

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MuellerHorn

MuellerHorn 4228

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1 minute ago, Hondo said:

 

I don't think I'll truly understand how we have such issues stacking a roster.  We're only one of the top baseball programs in college baseball history.  Why are we always so damn thin while other programs just reload every year?

He gets a little bit of a pass this year with the injury luck, but not upgrading at 2b was perplexing. 

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