Monthly Archives: March 2012

March 30, 2012 · 9:31 am

Series Preview: Cal

No. 18 ranked Texas plays a three-game series against the Cal Golden Bears of the Pac-12 Conference at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock this weekend. Cal is coming off a record 2011 season in which head coach David Esquer was named National Coach of the Year by the National College Baseball Writers Association and in which the Golden Bears made their first CWS appearance since 1992. So far this season, Cal has amassed a 14-9 record on the season and is 1-5 in conference play.

Players to Watch:
Matt Flemer (#49): Senior right-hander Matt Flemer is Cal’s Saturday starter, and has the experience and stats to back it up. Flemer is currently 3-2 in 42.1 innings over six starts with a 2.76 ERA. He has an impressive walks to strikeouts ratio of 5/25 and is holding batters to a .211 average. Flemer’s victories this season have come against Pacific, Lehigh, and, most recently, Arizona State, where he held the No. 14 Sun Devils to two runs.

Tony Renda (#14): Senior second baseman Tony Renda is currently leading the team in batting average (.364) and is second in home runs (2). A constant threat on the basepath, Renda has stolen eight bases out of nine attempted on the season and possesses the team’s highest on-base percentage at .427. Renda was named the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year and was named a 2012 first-team preseason All-American by Baseball America.

Game one of the series against Cal is scheduled for a 7pm start on Friday, March 30. This series will be played at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. Tickets are all general admission and are available for $10 through the Round Rock Express website.

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March 29, 2012 · 5:01 pm

My Boy: Jordan Etier

Today, we continue our My Boy series with a post from the Mr. half of Texas Baseball Blog, focused on senior shortstop Jordan Etier, who is currently batting .305 in his first season as a switch hitter.

Jordan Etier has had a roller coaster career at Texas, with the lowest low coming in this past off season when he was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and evading arrest by the Texas Department of Public Safety. It was not a good way to finish off 2011, the year in which he hit for a .237 batting average with only two home runs, and he was subsequently kicked off the team. At that point, Etier could have gone in any direction, including transferring to another school, but he decided to stick with the University of Texas and continue his academic pursuits. This went a long way toward convincing the administration that he was not only committed to the school, but also to improving on a personal level. A few weeks before the start of the 2012 season, after all charges were dropped, Jordan was reinstated and advised that he would need to serve a four game suspension before he could play again. From the start, he was eager to make the most of his second chance.

Mr. Etier, for all his faults in the batter’s box, had been a tremendous second baseman for the Longhorns, turning the best double play in college baseball with fellow middle infielder Brandon Loy and sporting a .980 fielding percentage over the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Unfortunately (for Texas fans), Mr. Loy would go on to be drafted by the Detroit Tigers leaving the shortstop position open. After the suspension, Jordan again struggled at the plate, but successfully made the switch over to shortstop from second base to help shore up a young infield occupied by two sophomores at third and first base, and a freshman at second base. As he once again flashed the leather, Jordan also provided a voice of leadership as a senior and was the reassuring voice as the defense broke from their customary first base huddle before every half inning. The contributors here at Texas Baseball Blog felt it was only a matter of time before his bat would finally come alive, as he had shown during at points during the regular season and during the Super Regionals where he extended a late inning lead against Arizona State. Sure enough, the last few weeks have seen a transformation from the sure-gloved shortstop.

Etier has been hitting .361 since the game two win over Loyola Marymount bringing his overall average to .305. Obviously, Jordan is seeing the ball much better as he has nearly matched his 2011 walk total (14) with 10 so far this year, even after changing his approach at the plate by batting from both sides, primarily from the left. His clutch hits mixed in with his fantastic defense and leadership have helped get this youthful team rolling with nine wins out of the last ten games. The selflessness displayed by Jordan demonstrates a maturity and strength that will do wonders for the young players in the days ahead and during the seasons long after Etier has left. Given his performance so far, and Jordan’s realization of the magnitude of the opportunity he has been given, I look forward to seeing the rest of Jordan Etier’s Redemption Tour 2012.

Photo: Donald Boyles

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· 11:03 am

Texas vs. UT-Pan American: Game Summary

The Texas bats remained hot on Wednesday evening when the Longhorns welcomed the UT Pan-American Broncs to UFCU Disch-Falk Field for a midweek game. UTPA first baseman Roger Bernal came into town leading the country in batting average with a scorching .494, but it was the bat of Texas left fielder Jonathan Walsh that proved most lethal last night. Texas went 11/32 with 9 walks as a team, winning the game 9-5 with some well-timed fireworks that couldn’t be dampened by rain.

Texas got the scoring started in the first inning when Mark Payton led off being hit by pitch. After Jordan Etier struck out, Payton stole second and was then joined on base by a walked Erich Weiss. Jonathan Walsh then stepped to the plate and delivered a triple off the wall in right center, plating Payton and Weiss.  After Brooks Marlow was walked, Walsh came home and Marlow moved to second on a wild pitch, pushing the score to 3-0. Alex Silver, continuing his hot streak of late, rocketed a double to the wall in left center, bringing home Marlow and giving Texas a 4-0 lead.

Freshman Dillon Peters got the start for Texas and served up two solid innings of pitching, allowing only one run on three hits, and stranding two Broncs in a tough second inning. Thanks to a stellar relay and tag play by Mark Payton and Jacob Felts, and strong defense from senior shortstop Jordan Etier, the Longhorns were able to hold the Broncs at bay for the first two innings. UTPA came back in the third when Ricky Jacquez took the mound in relief. Jacquez gave up back-to-back singles to the Broncs to lead off the third inning, and after recording a fly out to center, he gave Vincent Mejia the perfect pitch to hit over the wall in left field, knotting the game at four runs apiece. Angel Ibanez recorded his second hit of the evening on a one-out double and came home on a 4-3 ground out to give the Broncs a 5-4 lead.

Texas responded in the fourth when Jordan Etier hit a clutch two-out RBI double to re-tie the game at 5-5. Hoby Milner entered the game for Texas to start the fourth inning, throwing 101 pitches over six innings and virtually silencing the Bronc bats for the rest of the evening. The Longhorns tacked another run to the board on the seventh when Landon Steinhagen led off the inning with his second single of the night. Landon was joined on base by Taylor Stell who was walked, and then Mark Payton, who executed a perfect bunt single down the third base line. Jordan Etier ground into a double play, 4-6-3, while Steinhagen came home, bringing the score to 6-5. Texas answered the Broncs’ third inning home run with a little tit for tat, when Jordan Etier and Erich Weiss led off the eighth inning with singles. Jonathan Walsh promptly smashed the first pitch he saw through the rain and over the center field wall, extending the Texas lead to 9-5. Hoby Milner finished the game for Texas, continuing to dominate the UTPA batters, striking out eight while allowing no runs and only two hits.

Texas’ next game will be Friday evening at 7pm when the Longhorns face off against the Golden Bears of Cal, a fellow 2011 CWS participant. This weekend’s series will be played at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

Photos: Donald Boyles

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March 25, 2012 · 8:19 pm

Series in Review: Texas at Kansas State

Texas’ bats took a step back Friday, but rebounded Saturday and Sunday to claim a series victory in Manhattan against the Kansas State Wildcats. After amassing only seven hits on Friday, the Longhorns tallied an impressive 30 combined hits in their Saturday and Sunday efforts. Texas made extensive use of the bullpen this weekend, using their relievers for 14.1 innings on the weekend.

The Longhorns were only able to scrape together two runs on Friday night, as Kansas State starter Matt Applegate put together a solid 5.2 inning performance, striking out six batters. Texas starter Nathan Thornhill was plagued by walks, and a running Kansas State team was a constant nuisance on the basepaths, stealing two bases and utilizing the hit and run and sacrifice bunt to manufacture five runs. After scoring a run on two hits in the first inning, the Longhorn bats were silenced until the sixth, with Kansas State building a 4-1 lead through the fifth. Despite three hits, Texas was only able to cross the plate once in the sixth inning, stranding two baserunners before ending the inning on a ground out. Matt Applegate secured his second win of the season while Nathan Thornhill was burdened with his second loss.

Saturday afternoon saw a resilient Texas offense come together to neutralize a three run deficit and score the final four runs of the game to win in extra innings. Starter Parker French looked every bit as good as his previous start against Oklahoma would indicate in the first three innings, but began to struggle in the fourth allowing a hit and a walk, including a two run home run from Dan Klein. His struggles would continue into the fifth inning, as he gave up two hits and run, making the score 3-0. Hoby Milner would again come into the game to replace a struggling starter, and struck out the first batter he faced. Jacob Felts would end the inning by throwing out would-be base stealer, Jared King, at second. Felts would start the rally in the very next inning by doubling home Jonathan Walsh who reached base on a strike out wild pitch, and stole second base. Alex Silver, who was hit by a pitch, moved to third base and scored the second run of the game for Texas as Brooks Marlow grounded out to second base, cutting the Kansas State lead to one at 3-2. The bottom half of the inning would reveal more pitching woes, however, as Hoby Milner allowed two singles to put men on first and third and was subsequently replaced by John Curtiss. The Wildcats would only need one batter to score a run as Dan Klein hit a sacrifice fly to right field, driving in his third RBI of the game. It would be the fourth and final run for Kansas State, making it 4-2.

At this point in the game, Jonathan Walsh and Jordan Etier gathered the Longhorns in the dugout and showed some upperclassmen leadership, reminding the team of their goals in Manhattan. The team listened, rallying in the eighth inning to tie the game on a balk and an RBI single by Brooks Marlow. With the game tied, Texas closer Corey Knebel took the mound, sitting the Wildcats down in order in the eighth and ninth innings. Kansas State threatened in the tenth but stranded two base runners, extending the game to the eleventh inning. Using consecutive two-out singles from Mark Payton, Taylor Stell, Erich Weiss, and Jonathan Walsh, Texas gained a 6-4 lead over Kansas State. A prompt 1-2-3 inning from Corey Knebel made it final, giving Knebel his second win of the season and tying the series at one win apiece.

The Sunday rubber match started out all Texas when Jordan Etier (batting in the two-hole) and Erich Weiss hit back-to-back triples followed by a double from Jonathan Walsh. With the score 2-0 in favor of the Longhorns, freshman Ricky Jacquez took the mound. Jacquez glided through the first inning, but hit trouble in the second, in the form of a lead-off home run off the bat of Wade Hinkle. Texas answered in the third, when Jordan Etier singled and was brought home with a towering two-run homer from Erich Weiss. Texas maintained their 4-1 lead until the fifth, when Kansas State took advantage of two walks, a hit by pitch, and three hits to score three runs, knotting the score at 4-4. Hoby Milner, making his third appearance of the series, relieved Jacquez in the fifth, and showed control issues early. Thankfully, Hoby settled in, and provided Texas with a solid sixth inning. The Longhorns took the lead in the seventh, when Jonathan Walsh hit his second double of the day, bringing home Jordan Etier and Erich Weiss. John Curtiss, Dillon Peters, and Corey Knebel provided relief pitching in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, holding the Wildcats to only two more hits and one run. The last Kansas State run of the weekend occurred in the eighth, when Ross Kivett was walked and brought home by a Jared King triple. Alex Silver flashed the leather at first base to prevent further runs from scoring and ending the Wildcat threat. Erich Weiss led off the ninth inning with his second home run of the game, pushing the Texas lead to 7-5. Jonathan Walsh followed Weiss with a single, and after stealing second base, crossed the plate when Alex Silver doubled to right center, making the score 8-5. Corey Knebel, who had entered the game in the eighth, shut the door on the Wildcats on the ninth, earning his 24th career save. This moves Corey to number two on the all-time saves list at Texas, where he is tied with J. Brent Cox, and still 17 saves behind the all-time leader Huston Street.

For the second weekend in a row, the Texas hitters took a major step forward. The Longhorns are now batting .263 as a team, while holding opponents to a .234 average. Jonathan Walsh now leads the team in batting average, hitting at a staggering .360 clip. Even more impressive is the leap by Jordan Etier, who has lifted his batting average to .291 on the season after hovering near .100 only a few weeks ago. Erich Weiss now leads the team in home runs, with three, and is slugging .561. Texas returns to action this Wednesday evening when they host UT-Pan American (11-5).

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March 23, 2012 · 10:06 am

Series Preview: #21 Texas at Kansas State

The 21st ranked Texas Longhorns travel to Manhattan, Kansas this weekend for a three game series against the Kansas State Wildcats at Tointon Family Stadium. The Wildcats are 12-8 on the season after taking one game out of three against Texas A&M last weekend to open Big XII play. The Wildcats are batting .310 as a team so far this season, with three players hitting over .400, but also share a rather high team ERA of 5.50. Kansas State is a formidable home opponent, garnering a 6-1 record there.

Players to Watch:
Kayvon Bahramzadeh (#23): Senior right-hander Kayvon Bahramzadeh is the Sunday starter for Kansas State this year. Last season, he faced a No. 5 ranked Texas team and held the Longhorns to one run over five innings while the Wildcats took the lead. (Texas came back and took the game to extra innings, eventually winning on a walk-off double by Brandon Loy in the bottom of the 14th.) This season, Bahramzadeh holds a 3-1 record over four starts, with a 4.56 ERA, giving out 9 walks while striking out 20.

Jared King (#24): Sophomore center fielder Jared King is hitting a torrid pace of .431 for the season with 72 at bats, accruing three home runs and seven doubles. While he only has 14 RBI that can be attributed to the other hitters not getting on in front of him. He has stolen five bases out of seven attempts, so he appears to be an all around player that can hurt you at the plate and on the base paths.

Also of note is senior slugger Wade Hinkle, who leads the team in OBP at .538 and home runs, with 4 on the season.

Game one of the series at Kansas State is scheduled for a 6:30pm start on Friday, March 23. The forecast looks mostly clear for this weekend with only a 30% chance of showers today into the early evening hours. All three games in this series will be televised on Fox College Sports Central, channel 432 on Time Warner or channel 648 on AT&T U-verse in Austin

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March 22, 2012 · 10:15 am

My Boy: Tim Maitland

Today, we continue our “My Boy” series with a post written by the Mrs. half of Texas Baseball Blog, focused on senior outfielder Tim Maitland. Maitland is currently batting .254 on the season and filling the void left in center field by an injured Cohl Walla.

I’ll admit it. I am a fan of the underdog. I realize this greatly contradicts my stance as a Texas baseball fan, considering our team’s storied history and multiple national titles, but I just can’t help it. Something in me seeks out the players that most need support, and the next thing I know, I’m screaming my head off for the guy barely batting above .200. I guess it is the thrill of waiting…and waiting…and waiting, and then, finally, the payoff of having the player come through in the clutch, all the while, watching them improve bit by bit as time goes on. Take, for example, the case of Tim Maitland.

During his freshman year (2009), Tim batted .194 over 31 at bats. That dropped during his sophomore year (2010) to .071 in 14 at bats. His junior year (2011) saw an uptick to .206 with 34 at bats. Finally, in this, his senior season, Maitland is batting .254, with an OBP of .397. As with most players, these numbers don’t tell the full story of Tim Maitland. Maitland makes his living at the plate by being scrappy and coming through in the clutch. When the team is down, Timmy is there, ready, able, and willing to pick them up.

This year started off with a lull for many of the Texas hitters. Up until a week ago, much of the team was barely cracking .200, and we were averaging only 6 hits a game. Tim Maitland, on the other hand, started the season with a bang, and repeatedly found himself giving the Longhorns a much needed boost. Maitland paced the Texas offense against Houston Baptist, going 2-for-3 with a double, and helping Texas snap a five-game skid that had started opening weekend. When Texas faced Rice at the Houston College Classic, they found themselves in a 3-3 tie with the Owls heading into the fifth inning. Tim Maitland led off with a bunt single and started what became a six-run inning for Texas. In that game, Maitland went 2-for-4, scoring one run and bringing two other runners home. More recently, Maitland delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 12th inning to give Texas the victory over Dallas Baptist. Maitland has consistently found himself involved in scoring the winning run for Texas, scoring the winning run off the bench against Kansas State on March 20, 2011, and doing the same against Texas State during the NCAA Austin Regional on June 5, 2011.

Another level of Maitland’s charm lies in his willingness to take a few lumps, quite literally, for the good of the team. Maitland has been hit by pitch 11 times this year, almost twice as many times as anyone else on the team. In his career at Texas, he has been hit 24 times. When Texas faced Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday, he was hit twice, reaching the same number of HBP that Stephen F. Austin’s entire team had taken this year. Chris Hummer of The Daily Texan had a recent article profiling Maitland, and had the opportunity to talk to both Tim and head coach Augie Garrido. It is interesting to consider that, had Cohl Walla not been involved in a collision during pre-season practice, Maitland would not be seeing much time at the plate. It is extremely refreshing to see a senior such as Maitland step into the spotlight and excel at taking on one of the more challenging defensive roles, all the while, drastically improving his pitch selection and output at the plate. It is clear that Maitland has taken his new-found role as a starter for Texas very seriously, and the hard work and dedication he has shown is paying off in spades. His leadership on the field and during practice is evident in his playing time, and I have a feeling we can look forward to many more great things from Tim Maitland this season.

Plus, how can you not love a guy who used “I’m on a Boat” as his walk-up song last year?

Photo: Donald Boyles

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March 21, 2012 · 12:25 pm

Texas vs. Stephen F. Austin: Game Summary

The Texas Longhorns used a mixture of hit batsmen, walks, and timely hitting, as well as taking advantage of defensive errors, to beat the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjacks 9-1, Tuesday night at Disch-Falk Field. Dillon Peters earned his first win of the season in a declared 3 inning start, using 40 pitches to strike out four batters and only allowing one walk and no hits. After Peters, it was a revolving door on the mound with Nathan Thornhill, Ricky Jacquez, John Curtiss, and Hoby Milner all seeing work, combining for seven strikeouts and allowing only four hits and one run. Behind the pitching staff was another solid Longhorn defensive display, including a web gem from Mark Payton who completely laid out to catch a ball headed for the gap, ending the fifth inning and leaving a Lumberjack stranded on second.

The scoring started in the second inning for Texas, aided by a pair of Lumberjack errors. Freshman Brooks Marlow led off the inning with a base hit to right field, and errors by SFA’s second baseman and pitcher put Alex Silver and Jacob Felts on base soon thereafter. With the bases loaded and no outs, Kevin Lusson was issued a walk to bring home the first Texas run. Jordan Etier then smacked a single into the outfield, plating Silver and Felts, and moving Lusson to third. With Christian Summers at the plate, Etier stole second. After Summers hit a dribbler out in front of the plate, the bases were once again loaded. Texas couldn’t push any further runs across and ended the inning with a 3-0 lead.

While the pitching continued to dominate, Texas continued to drive in runs, scoring in the third after a lead-off triple from Brooks Marlow and a fielder’s choice RBI from Jordan Etier. Texas scored another two runs in the fourth, making great use of small ball tactics. Tim Maitland led off being hit-by-pitch and stole second before Mark Payton flew out to left field, advancing Maitland to third. After Erich Weiss earned a walk, Brooks Marlow came through again for the Longhorns, using a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt to bring Maitland home and move Weiss to second. Alex Silver then shot a triple through the gap in right-center, bringing home Weiss for the second run of the inning.

Mark Payton had a streak of reaching base for 18 straight games on the line as he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning, going 0-3 on his first few trips. But this time he drove the first pitch he saw to right center field, deep enough to scramble to second for a lead off double and 19 straight games of reaching base successfully. Weiss would follow up by drawing a walk and both base runners would advance as Marlow successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt. Pitcher Cameron Gann was relieved by Kevin Bishop who demonstrated control issues when he threw a wild pitch allowing Payton to score, and advancing Weiss to third. He then hit Alex Silver to put a man on first and third with one out. When SFA catcher Jarid Scarafiotti attempted to pick Weiss off at third, the ball sailed into left field, allowing Weiss to come home, unearned, while Silver moved to second base. The inning ended without further runs for the Longhorns, but Texas scored one more run in the seventh, when Tim Maitland was hit by pitch again, moved to third by a Mark Payton single, and then brought home by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Erich Weiss.

The Lumberjacks tacked one run on the board in the eighth when pinch hitter Chris Hernandez rocketed a solo home run into the visitor bullpen. John Curtiss regained his composure and collected three quick outs to dampen the Lumberjack spirit. Hoby Milner entered the game in the ninth and posted a 1-2-3 inning to end the game. Texas improved to 11-8 on the season while collecting its sixth consecutive victory. The Longhorns return to action this Friday night when they travel to Manhattan, Kansas for a three-game weekend series with the Kansas State Wildcats.

Photos: Donald Boyles

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March 19, 2012 · 9:35 pm

Monday Quick Hitters

  • Parker French was named the Big XII Newcomer of the week, a well-deserved honor after 5.2 innings of no-hit baseball in Norman. French is the second Longhorn to receive Newcomer honors this season, with Brooks Marlow being recognized on February 20th and March 5th. Jonathan Walsh was named Big XII Player of the week on March 5th as well.
  • Cohl Walla reported on his Twitter account today that his surgery went well, and that he can’t wait to be done with rehab.

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· 3:55 pm

Series in Review: Texas at Oklahoma

The Texas Longhorns completed a three game series sweep against the hated Oklahoma Sooners in Norman at L. Dale Mitchell Park this weekend. It was the 14th series win in a row against the crimson and cream arch-rivals, and the seventh sweep since 1999. The Longhorns were able to maintain the offensive prowess they displayed on Tuesday night against Texas State, amassing a whopping 45 hits and 25 runs en route to 7-6 (12 innings), 9-5, and 9-4 wins. The team also had to rely on key pitching and defense in critical moments to survive.

Friday night started off with fireworks in the form of two two-run homers off the bats of Oklahoma players in the bottom of the first inning. Finding themselves down 4-0, the Longhorns had to reach back and find a way to pick up their pitcher, Nathan Thornhill, and did just that. Taking advantage of an error by Sooner third baseman, Garrett Carey, Texas scored its first run in the top of the third. Erich Weiss led off the fifth with a solo home run to cut the Sooner lead in half, while Nathan Thornhill continued to hold the Sooners at bay. In the top of the seventh, Texas took the lead when Tim Maitland, Erich Weiss, and Jonathan Walsh all crossed the plate, showing off its small ball skills and driving the Oklahoma starter, Dillon Overton, from the game. Texas maintained a 5-4 lead until the bottom of the ninth, when Cody Reine hit a home run off of Texas closer Corey Knebel. The senior outfielder showed a surprising lack of maturity when, upon hitting the ball, he flipped his bat and proceeded to talk to Knebel on his way around the bases. Jacob Felts did not take kindly to Reine’s gesture and when further words were shared, the benches cleared momentarily. No ejections were issued and the game went to extra innings after Knebel came back to induce the final two outs of the ninth inning. Reine’s antics apparently proved incentive enough for Texas, who displayed stellar defense in the bottom of the eleventh inning. Hoby Milner, who had come into the game in relief of Corey Knebel in the tenth, worked himself into a one out, bases loaded jam. With the game on the line, pinch hitter Matt Oberste hit a ground ball towards Erich Weiss, inducing an impressive 5-2-3 double play to end the inning. When Jonathan Walsh stepped to the plate in the top of the twelfth, there were two on and two out, with runners on first and second. Walsh laced a double just inside the line in left field, scoring Payton and Maitland, and giving Texas the 7-5 lead. Despite a Tanner Toal home run in the bottom of the twelfth, Oklahoma could not muster a comeback, and the first W of the series went to Hoby Milner and the Longhorns.

On Saturday afternoon, the two teams returned to the field, and after Oklahoma took an early 1-0 lead, Texas took over in the third inning. After some sloppy baserunning accounted for the first two outs of the inning, Mark Payton singled to right field. Erich Weiss promptly brought him home with a triple, and then scampered home when Oklahoma starter Jonathan Gray uncorked a wild pitch with Jonathan Walsh at the plate. Texas crossed the plate again in the fourth inning when a Jordan Etier triple brought home Alex Silver and Jacob Felts. The Sooners came back in the fourth, tying the game on a series of singles and a hit-by-pitch. Not content to see their lead slip away, the Longhorns answered with runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, all while Hoby Milner held the Sooners to one further run. Corey Knebel came in to close the game and yielded only one hit in his two innings of work. Saturday’s 9-5 win over Oklahoma marked the 14th consecutive year in which Texas won the series and gave Hoby Milner his second W of the weekend.

The third and final game included another offensive outburst from the formerly struggling Longhorn bats, and a dominating pitching performance from Parker French. The Texas offense got it going in the first inning, shrugging off a couple of miscues on the base paths, and providing French with a 2-0 lead. It was all they needed as OU would not get within three runs through the entirety of the game, and indeed did not even register a hit until the sixth inning. Texas continued to tack on runs, scoring in all but three innings as the day progressed. Each time Oklahoma scored, starting in the sixth inning, Texas held their ground, answering and extending the lead. When the final out of the ninth inning was recorded, Texas held a 9-4 victory, with Freshman phenom Parker French recording a well-deserved third win of the season.

Of special note this weekend was the vast improvement in batting displayed by the Longhorns. Mark Payton and Erich Weiss each hit their first home runs of the season, Payton’s being the first of his collegiate career. When the team packed their bags for Norman, many of the players were batting near or just above the Mendoza line. Today, Mark Payton, Erich Weiss, and Jonathan Walsh are all batting at or above .300, and three other players are batting above .250. Texas returns to action and hopes to keep the bats hot this Tuesday, when they welcome the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin University to the Disch for a midweek game. First pitch is scheduled for 6pm, barring any lingering rain in the Austin area.

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March 15, 2012 · 7:33 pm

Series Preview: Texas at #22 Oklahoma

Texas hits the road this weekend to open conference play against the No. 22 ranked Oklahoma Sooners at L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park in Norman, OK. The Sooners are 11-6 on the season, with series so far against Pepperdine, Hartford, New Mexico, and an appearance in the Nike Showcase. Their most recent game was a midweek loss to Dallas Baptist University, in which DBU rallied in the ninth to earn the W.

Players to Watch:
Dillon Overton (#13): Sophomore southpaw Dillon Overton will be getting the start on Friday, facing off against Nathan Thornhill. Overton is 3-0 on the season with a 2.93 ERA. He has handed out 10 walks while striking out 28 and has held batters to a .231 batting average. In the series opener against New Mexico, Overton threw a career-high 123 pitches in 8.2 innings of work, but earned no decision.

Jack Mayfield (#8): Junior second baseman Jack Mayfield is hitting a solid .326 this season, with four doubles, one triple, and one home run. Mayfield leads the team with 17 RBIs and has earned 11 walks while striking out only 5 times. Mayfield is a danger on the basepaths, already swiping a career high four bags in 2012.

Also of note are freshman catcher Hunter Lockwood, who has already hit five home runs this season, and first baseman Max White, hitting .355.

First pitch of the series is scheduled for Friday, March 16, at 6:30pm, coincidentally, a time at which OU still sucks.

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