Category Archives: Series in Review

March 5, 2013 · 11:48 am

Series in Review: Texas at Stanford

Much the same as last year, Texas was swept by Stanford in Palo Alto this past weekend.  The Longhorns are currently in the midst of a four-game losing skid after starting the season with a pleasant 6-1 record.  Bright spots on offense this series included Weston Hall (4-for-8 on the weekend) and Matt Moynihan (2-for-4 on Friday).

Friday: 2-0, Stanford (Appel W, French L)
Saturday: 7-2, Stanford (Starwalt W, Peters L)
Sunday: 2-1, Stanford (Hughes W, Knebel L)

The Longhorns look to snap their losing streak this afternoon when they welcome the UTPA Broncs to Disch-Falk Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 4:30pm, and freshman RHP Chad Hollingsworth is reportedly starting for Texas.

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February 26, 2013 · 9:24 am

Series in Review: Texas vs. Nebraska

(c) Donald Boyles

Jacob Felts Pumps up the Team

Pitching took a giant step forward as the No. 24 ranked Longhorns welcomed Nebraska to the Disch this past weekend.  The Cornhuskers came to Austin with a 0-4 record, and left without recording a W as Augie Garrido coached his team to a sweep using clean pitching, timely hitting, and clean defense.  The offense provided some pop, but more often than not, line drives were hit directly to a well-placed Nebraska defense, and each game turned into a pitching duel of sorts.

(c) Donald Boyles

First Baseman Codey McElroy at the Plate

Game one saw sophomore Parker French face off against Nebraska Junior Brandon Pierce, and the two right-handers brought their best stuff. French worked 6.1 innings, working his way in and out of trouble as he allowed eight hits, walked his first batter of the year, but struck out six. He allowed both of his runs in the second inning when Nebraska managed to string together four consecutive hits. French kept his cool, eventually inducing a double play to end the inning, and keeping a clean sheet for the rest of his night. After falling behind 2-0, Texas began to battle back in the fourth inning when Mark Payton, C.J Hinojosa, and Jacob Felts all singled to produce a run. The Longhorns would take the lead in the sixth by way of small ball, using three walks, two stolen bases, a sacrifice bunt, and a single to bring the score to 3-2 in Texas’ favor. After the Huskers put two base runners on against Parker French in the top of the seventh, Skip Johnson turned to relief pitcher Ty Marlow to get Texas out of the jam. Marlow once again did his job and got the Longhorns out of the inning unscathed, passing the ball to a stellar Corey Knebel to start the eighth inning. Knebel was lights out on Friday evening, striking out the side in the eighth and ninth innings. Not satisfied with a one-run lead, the Longhorns struck again with a five-run onslaught in the bottom of the eighth. With a final score of 8-2, Texas took game one, and Augie Garrido took his 700th victory as the Longhorns’ Head Coach.

(c) Donald Boyles

Dillon Peters and Jacob Felts

Saturday provided a beautiful day for baseball, and the Longhorns and Huskers quickly engaged in a pitcher’s duel that would end as a nail-biter. Dillon Peters was named the Saturday starter for the Longhorns, and proved more than capable of taking on the new role, scattering six hits over six complete innings, allowing only two runs (one earned) while striking out four and walking one. Texas managed to score single runs in the second and third innings to give their southpaw some breathing room, but Nebraska fought back with their own single-run innings in the fifth and seventh. When Mark Payton earned an RBI via a walk in the bottom of the seventh, Texas fans had no choice but to hold their breath and hope the 3-2 lead would hold up. Skip Johnson had chosen to play matchups on Saturday evening, pitting six different Texas relievers against Nebraska in the final 3 innings, and, for the most part, this strategy paid off until the eighth inning. Cameron Cox began the top of the eighth by walking Nebraska outfielder Chad Christensen, and was promptly replaced with Josh Urban, making his first appearance of the 2013 season. Urban allowed a single which moved Christensen to third, and then a sacrifice fly brought home Nebraska’s tying run. Urban limited further damage and was relieved by a much-improved Toller Boardman, who threw a complete inning and allowed zero runs. Chad Hollingsworth, Tuesday’s hero, took the mound for the final out of the top half of the ninth inning, inducing a ground-out and giving the Longhorns the chance for a walk-off victory. Nebraska closer Dylan Vogt induced a quick grounder from Taylor Stell, but then hit a rough patch with the heart of the Longhorn order at the plate. Erich Weiss stepped up with a double to right center and was joined on base by Mark Payton, intentionally walked to set up a double play. With two on and one out, Augie Garrido pulled his freshman shortstop, C.J Hinojosa, aside to impart some wisdom. Their brief discussion worked, and Hinojosa delivered a single up the middle to bring both Erich Weiss and the walk-off victory home for Texas.

(c) Donald Boyles

Taylor Stell Swipes Another Base

Nathan Thornhill was given the Sunday start for Texas, and was tasked with the role of delivering a quality start after a bumpy outing the previous weekend. He did just that, pitching 7 complete innings, striking out three, and only allowing one walk. The only two hits he allowed came in the third and sixth innings and, with the help of his defense, he was able to mitigate any damage that could have been done. Not to be outdone, Nebraska senior right hander Ryan Hander struck out seven Texas batters over six innings and managed to limit the scoring to two runs. The first run came in the fourth inning as Taylor Stell led off by getting plunked on a 1-1 pitch. He promptly stole second base and was advanced to third on a ground-out to first base by Erich Weiss. Mark Payton would step up to the plate next and show why he was the nation’s hottest hitter, especially with runners in scoring position. On the very first pitch he smacked a double to center field, scoring Stell and improving his day to 2-2. Unfortunately, Hinojosa and McElroy would both strike out ending the inning, but the Horns had all the runs they would need. Payton would again be involved in the scoring in the sixth inning when he led off with a single, advanced on a Hinojosa sacrifice bunt and scored on a Jacob Felts single, making the score 2-0. Corey Knebel would take over in the 8th inning and earn his third save of the year, pitching back to back 1-2-3 innings.

Texas will host the Sam Houston State University Bearkats (3-4) tonight at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. First pitch is scheduled for a slightly early 5pm, and we expect SHSU to start RHP Tyler Eppler (0-0) against Texas RHP Chad Hollingsworth (2-0).

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February 18, 2013 · 12:29 pm

Series in Review: Texas vs. Sacramento State

Number 24 Texas opened the 2013 season by hosting Sacramento State at the Disch this past weekend. Texas’ newest assistant coach, Tommy Nicholson, spent two years at Sacramento State recruiting and grooming underrated players, and the Hornets came to town on a mission to show off their hard work. Parker French, Nathan Thornhill, and Dillon Peters made up the starting rotation for Texas, with French & Peters earning their first wins of 2013. The Longhorn bats provided 35 hits on the weekend, including stellar performances by team leader Mark Payton and star recruit C.J Hinojosa. Augie also put Texas’ much-discussed speed on display this weekend, as the Longhorns stole seven bases on eight attempts during the series.

(c) Donald Boyles

Texas Convenes on First Base Before Starting Game 1

The temperature at first pitch was a windy 51 degrees and it only got colder as the evening progressed, but starter Parker French was as hot as ever on the mound. Over seven innings, French struck out five batters, allowing only three hits and no walks to the Hornet batters. The Longhorns started the offense early, roaring out of the gates with a trio of hits that scored the first run of 2013. C.J Hinojosa provided the lone hit of the second inning, turning the first pitch of his first collegiate at-bat into a double, but it wasn’t until the third inning that the offense started to pour it on, scoring three runs by way of three hits, three walks, and two stolen bases. Junior Mark Payton led off the fifth inning with a double, eventually scoring on a passed ball. Payton would again cross the plate in the seventh inning to move the score to 6-0. Parker French handed the ball off to redshirt freshman Toller Boardman, who missed 2012 due to back surgery. Boardman quickly got ahead of his first batter, Hornet shortstop Scotty Burcham with two strikes, but then gave up a single, followed by a double, a hit-by-pitch, and then a walk to give the Hornets their first run of the evening. With the bases loaded and no outs, pitching coach Skip Johnson turned to junior Corey Knebel after a surprisingly short warm up. Knebel was not his usually precise self, and was unable to record an out over 18 pitches, instead allowing a double, a single, two walks, and a wild pitch. All told, Knebel and Boardman allowed five runs on four hits without recording a single out, slashing the Texas lead to a lone run. Transfer junior Ty Marlow (primarily recruited as an infielder) was next out of the bullpen, taking the mound with the bases still loaded. Jacob Felts provided some quick support, launching a rocket to third base to catch Sacramento State center fielder David Del Grande off the bag and finally putting one out on the scoreboard. After allowing a single to his first batter to reload the bases, Marlow beared down on the Hornets, inducing a pop-up to short stop C.J Hinojosa and then striking out right fielder Nathan Lukes to end the eighth inning. Texas got two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth but the Longhorns were unable to add any insurance. Ty Marlow returned to the mound in the top of the 9th and recorded the final three outs for the first save of his collegiate career, allowing only one further Hornet hit and no runs, for a final score of 6-5.

(c) Donald Boyles

Cameron Cox Shines in Relief

Game two was played under a brilliant blue sky and warmer weather; however, the Texas bats were cooled off by a stellar pitching performance from Sacramento State sophomore pitcher, Brennan Leitao. Scattering six hits over seven innings and striking out four Longhorns hitters, Leitao dominated the lower part of the strike zone and kept Texas guessing all afternoon. His counterpart, junior Nathan Thornhill, struggled to keep the ball down and his command wavered in the second inning, when he hit one batter and gave up a single. In the third inning Thornhill’s pitch location still suffered, and when the Longhorns committed an error, the savvy Sacramento State hitters made them pay to the tune of four hits, scoring three runs in the process. This provided a 4-1 cushion for the Hornets going into the middle part of the game and, according to Augie Garrido, took the Texas hitters out of their game plan, becoming more conservative by taking more first pitch strikes instead of swinging. JuCo transfer Cameron Cox relieved Thornhill in the fourth inning, and allowed only one run on three hits over the next 3.1 innings. Freshmen Travis Duke and Chad Hollingsworth completed the game for the Longhorns, combining for two innings of solid relief work. The Longhorns managed to put a run on the board in the fifth and eighth innings, using a combination of singles and speedy baserunning to accomplish the task. However, the Texas rally fell short, and the Longhorns dropped game two to the Hornets with a final score of 5-3.

(c) Donald Boyles

Dillon Peters Deals

Sunday’s rubber match was set for a 1pm start, and those at the Disch found themselves under clear, sunny skies with a comfortable temperature in the low-70’s. Lefty Dillon Peters was given the start for Texas, and the sophomore did not disappoint. After mastering midweek starts as a freshman, the southpaw started his first Sunday game with a bit of a stutter, hitting a batter with the first pitch of the game. After giving up a walk to the second batter, Peters induced two groundouts and a flyout, limiting the damage to a lone run. Peters sailed through his remaining six innings working at a prompt pace, allowing only one additional run on a solo homer from Sacramento State DH Chris Lewis to lead off the fifth inning. The Longhorn bats came out firing in the first, ready to pick up their pitcher, and did not let up, scoring five runs on seven hits in the first four innings. Mark Payton continued to set the pace for the offense, going 2-for-3 in his trips to the plate, including a triple to right center in the third. Corey Knebel took the mound in relief of Dillon Peters to start the eighth, and returned to being the closer Texas fans have become familiar with over the past two seasons. Knebel allowed two hits, one of them a home run, but was much more comfortable pounding the strike zone than he had appeared on Friday evening. The final score of Sunday’s game was 6-3, in favor of the Longhorns, and Texas won its opening series for the third straight year.

(c) Donald Boyles

The Eyes of Texas

We are confident that pitching and defense will settle down as the players ease back into the rigor of the season, and find great promise in the Longhorn bats, which were much maligned in 2012. C.J Hinojosa seems determined to live up to the hype that surrounded his commitment to the Longhorns, and every starter recorded multiple hits this weekend. DH Matt Moynihan made his Texas debut after missing the 2012 season due to NCAA Transfer Guidelines, and looks to be a key component for the Longhorns this season, collecting five hits in the series. Parker French appears to be a legitimate staff ace in his sophomore season, and with a stacked bullpen, this team has the potential for great success.

Your Longhorns return to action tomorrow evening as they host the UT Arlington Mavericks at Disch-Falk Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05pm, and game time temperatures should be in the mid-fifties. A special shout out goes to Sean, who alleviated our Friday trek to the Disch in cold weather by giving us a lift on his golf cart.  Keep your eyes peeled for these shuttles, which run every home game from one hour before the gates open through the second inning.  Stay with Texas Baseball Blog as we continue our coverage of the Longhorns in 2013.

Photos: Donald Boyles

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April 24, 2012 · 9:12 pm

Series in Review: Texas vs. Kansas

Texas once again dropped the series opener to an unranked team, but fought back to take the series with back-to-back wins in games two and three. Kansas pitcher Frank Duncan pitched the game of his life on Friday evening, going nine complete innings and holding the Longhorns to two runs on three hits. The Longhorn staff allowed seven Jayhawk runs, and Nathan Thornhill was saddled with the 7-2 loss.

Texas rebounded in game two behind another stellar performance from Freshman Parker French, who hurled seven innings of shutout baseball for the Longhorns. Texas racked up eleven hits, scoring three runs en route to the 3-0 Saturday evening victory.

The rubber match of the series started at 1:05pm and saw the Longhorns fall behind the Jayhawks 2-0 in the first inning. Texas stuck to their game plan and relied on an impressive bullpen, led by appearances from Hoby Milner and John Curtiss, to deny Kansas further runs. Texas took the lead in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits and two walks. The Longhorns padded their lead with runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take the 7-2 win. Hoby Milner moved to 6-4 on the season, his record evidence that Texas has leaned heavily on the junior reliever this season.

Pictures: Donald Boyles

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April 15, 2012 · 7:40 pm

Series in Review: Texas vs. Oklahoma State

The Cowboys of Oklahoma State University came to Austin this weekend for a three-game series. After another frustrating loss in extra innings on Friday evening, Texas bounced back, sweeping a weather-caused double header on Saturday to clench the series. It was Texas’ fourth consecutive conference series victory this season, and moved the Longhorns to an 8-3 mark in conference play, 20-13 overall.

Friday evening’s game was a pitcher’s duel from the start. Cowboys ace Andrew Heaney took the mound for OSU and hurled an impeccable 9 innings of 1-run baseball. A pair of doubles and a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the third gave Texas a 1-0 lead, but the Longhorns stranded runners in the fifth and sixth innings, unable to pad their slim lead. Oklahoma State pounced in the seventh, using a leadoff single and a productive ground out to move a runner into scoring position. A relay play from Mark Payton to Jacob Felts left the lead runner for Oklahoma State out at the plate, but when Hoby Milner let a wild pitch loose, a Cowboy run scored anyway. The game remained tied 1-1 through the top of the eleventh, when OSU scored two runs off of Corey Knebel (relieved after three innings of relief by John Curtiss and Dillon Peters) to push the score to 3-1. Texas loaded the bases in the home half of the frame, but eventually went quietly into the showers, unable to answer the OSU rally.

Shortly after the Friday game ended, the chance of impending storms in the Austin area on Sunday caused the teams to shuffle the schedule, moving Sunday’s game to Saturday and creating a double-header. Parker French, originally slated to start Sunday, got the nod for game two of the series, and the freshman did not disappoint.

French reached a career high in both innings pitched (8) and strikeouts (6), shutting out Oklahoma State and scattering six hits throughout his frames. Parker attempted to finish the game in the ninth, but was relieved by Hoby Milner, who induced a double play and fanned a batter to end the game.  While the Texas pitchers dominated, the batters picked up them up, scoring two runs in the fourth and three in the sixth to earn a 5-0 victory and creating a rubber match for game three.

Ricky Jacquez started the third game of the series, facing off against Vince Wheeland, who pitched all eight innings for OSU. Jacquez lasted four innings and struck out six batters while allowing the only two Cowboy runs of the game to score. He worked himself out of jams in the first, third, and fourth innings, stranding six runners. After Oklahoma State took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Texas answered with a single run in the bottom of the first and again in the third. Freshman outfielder Taylor Stell showed off his prowess on the base paths, stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error before scoring the second run on a groundout. Texas sent freshmen John Curtiss and Dillon Peters to the bump for two innings apiece and the game remained knotted until the home half of the eighth, when Mark Payton stepped to the plate and worked a full count before smashing a home run over the fence in left field. Hoby Milner entered the game in the ninth and earned the save, holding the Cowboys scoreless and preserving Texas’ 3-2 win.

Texas returns to action Tuesday night when Ty Harrington’s Texas State Bobcats make their second appearance of the season at the Disch. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm.

Pictures: Donald Boyles

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April 8, 2012 · 5:34 pm

Series in Review: Texas at Texas Tech

The Texas Longhorns traveled to Lubbock this weekend, sandwiching a loss between two wins to take the series from the Red Raiders for the fifth straight season. Texas accumulated another six errors on the weekend, but managed to outhit Texas Tech 41 to 26 to make up the difference. This series win gave the Longhorns a 7-2 mark in Big XII play, with every conference game thus far happening on the road.

Nathan Thornhill made his usual series opener start for the Longhorns on Thursday, going six innings and allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits. Thornhill hurled 95 pitches on his way to his fourth win of the season. Texas Tech got on the board first, scoring a run in the third inning on a pair of doubles from outfielders Brennan Moore and Barrett Barnes. The Longhorns took the lead in the fifth, loading the bases on two walks and an error, before Taylor Stell delivered the first Texas hit of the game, scoring Brooks Marlow. When Jordan Etier took a bases-loaded walk from Trey Masek, Alex Silver came home unearned, giving Texas its first lead of the game. The Red Raiders answered in the fifth with a two-out rally when Jamodrick McGruder tripled. Nathan Thornhill gave Barnes an intentional walk, and had Scott LeJeuene down in a 1-2 count before LeJeuene hit a three-run home run over the wall in right field, giving Tech a 4-2 lead over Texas. Once again, the Longhorns reached back and answered the Red Raider rally, this time with four additional runs on a walk, two singles, and two doubles in the top of the sixth. Texas scored again in the seventh, when Mark Payton led off with a single and eventually came home when Brooks Marlow ground into a double play. Hoby Milner and Corey Knebel combined for three shutout innings to finish the game, Knebel earning his sixth save of the season in a 7-4 victory.

Friday’s game saw freshman Parker French take the mound against Tech ace Duke VonSchamann. Coming off a rough start against Cal, French was looking for a better outing in Lubbock, and he found just that. The Longhorns drew first blood, scoring two runs in the fourth inning, thanks to doubles from Erich Weiss and Alex Silver, a Brooks Marlow single, and a throwing error by Tech second baseman Jamodrick McGruder, his tenth of the season. The Red Raiders hit back in the home half of the inning, taking advantage of sloppy defense and using three hits to score three runs. In the fifth, Parker French was driven from the game when McGruder led off with a single, eventually scoring on a single by LeJeuene off of Texas relief pitcher Hoby Milner. Texas battled back in the seventh, scoring two runs to knot the game at 4-4. After Jacob Felts led off with a single and moved to third on two groundouts, Tim Maitland hit a clutch two-out single to bring him home, followed by a Mark Payton triple. Texas sent Corey Knebel to the mound in the eight, and the game remained tied through the eighth and ninth innings. Texas Tech had an opportunity to score in the bottom of the ninth, but when LeJuene missed a home run and flew out to left field by the narrowest of margins, Barret Barnes forgot to tag up at second base on his way back to first. Frustrated with the easy out, Barnes spiked his helmet and was promptly ejected from the game by first base umpire Dale Luker. The game continued rather uneventfully until the top of the 14th. Brooks Marlow led off with a double, and after a failed bunt attempt, moved to third on a 4-3 groundout by Tim Maitland. Mark Payton was intentionally walked, and Augie went to the bench, pinch hitting senior Kevin Lusson for Collin Shaw. Lusson showed off his senior poise, lacing the first pitch he saw through the right side for a single, plating Marlow and Payton. Corey Knebel returned to the mound for his seventh inning of work in an attempt to maintain a 6-4 lead, but the magic ran out, with Tech scoring three runs to earn the walk off victory, 7-6.

The Saturday rubber match began at 2:05, with freshman Ricky Jacquez facing off against senior John Neely. Tech got the scoring started early with a solo home run from Tim Proudfoot. The score remained 1-0 in favor of Tech until the fourth inning, when Texas began pouring on the runs with a four run inning, using four consecutive singles and a hit by pitch to accomplish the task. The Longhorns scored again in the sixth, tacking a fifth run onto the board when Taylor Stell came home on a sacrifice fly by Mark Payton. The Red Raiders attempted a rally in the home half of the sixth, but were held to a single run. Dillon Peters came in to relieve Ricky Jacquez when the freshman found himself in a two-out, bases loaded jam. Peters used two pitches and got Jamodrick McGruder to fly out to center field to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded. Not satisfied with their five runs, Texas came back for more in the seventh, using another four hits to score three more runs. John Curtiss entered the game in the bottom of the seventh, and delivered three stellar innings of pitching for the Longhorns, holding Texas Tech to only one more run. Texas continued their onslaught in the eighth, adding another three runs in a two-out rally with doubles from Jonathan Walsh and Alex Silver sandwiched around a Brooks Marlow single. The Longhorn lead ballooned to 14-3 when Taylor Stell and Jordan Etier were brought home by Mark Payton’s double. With Payton on second base, Erich Weiss rocketed a ball over the left field wall for a two-run home run. John Curtiss finished the game for Texas, allowing no further runs, and earning his second career save in the process. Texas’ 19 hits and 14 runs became the largest totals in each category for the season.

The importance of this series win in Lubbock cannot be over-emphasized. The Longhorns, with a 7-2 mark, are currently tied for second in the Big XII standings, behind a surprise 12-0 Baylor team that has played three of their four conference series at home. Texas is finished hitting the road for the foreseeable future, with 12 of the next 13 games coming at the Disch. Texas begins its homestand this Tuesday when they welcome Texas A&M Corpus Christi to Austin for a midweek game.

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April 1, 2012 · 9:42 pm

Series in Review: Texas vs. Cal

The No. 18 ranked Texas Longhorns started out the weekend with a powerful display on Friday evening, but by Sunday afternoon, had lost their first series since late February. This weekend’s series saw the highest of highs and lowest of lows for Texas, both offensively and defensively. Texas scored 20 runs cumulatively, but also gave up 21 in the series – only 14 of them earned – in an error-riddled performance.

As dusk fell at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, the Longhorns and Golden Bears took the field for the first game. Nathan Thornhill absolutely dominated the Cal bats on the evening, scattering five hits over a seven inning appearance in which he struck out five and walked no one. Cal starter Justin Jones was not as fortunate, throwing 82 pitches in the first 2.2 innings of the game before getting the hook. In his time on the mound, Jones gave up eight runs on eight Longhorn hits, three of the runs coming in the very first inning. Cal sent four pitchers to the mound throughout the game, and none of them were able to silence the Texas offense. Jonathan Walsh continued his hot streak with a deep home run in the eighth, after Landon Steinhagen joined the home run club with a two-run shot of his own in the fourth inning. Taylor Stell, who started the game in center field, did a superb job turning the lineup over throughout the night, amassing two hits, including a triple, and scoring three runs. Stell also showed off his speed on the basepaths, stealing two of the six bases Texas took during the game. After two innings of strong relief from freshmen pitchers Dillon Peters and John Curtiss, the score was final at 13-3.  Texas had shown its power, speed, and pitching prowess and started the series with a bang.

Saturday afternoon saw a larger crowd filter through the turnstiles at Dell Diamond, but the previous game’s run production was nowhere to be found. Augie tinkered with the lineup, starting Tim Maitland in center field against Cal’s RHP, Matt Flemer, and Christian Summers at shortstop, sliding Jordan Etier to second base. The Golden Bears teed off early, collecting four hits and a Texas error before a single out was recorded. When the Longhorns came to bat in the bottom of the first, they found themselves in a 4-0 hole. While Flemer dominated the Longhorn bats, Cal tacked on runs in the third and fifth inning. Texas finally scratched a run out in the bottom of the fourth when Landon Steinhagen and Jacob Felts led off with singles. Tim Maitland moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and Brooks Marlow entered the game as a pinch hitter in place of Christian Summers. Marlow worked a 2-2 count before grounding out to the shortstop, earning an RBI when Steinhagen crossed the plate on the play. The Cal lead ballooned to 12-1 by the bottom of the eighth, when a trio of two-out singles from Erich Weiss, Jonathan Walsh, and Alex Silver brought the Longhorns their second, and final, run of the afternoon. Kirby Bellow, Justin Peters, and Austin Dicharry all saw time in relief of Parker French, with Dicharry going 3.1 innings, striking out 3, and allowing only one Golden Bear run to score. French was saddled with the first loss of his young career.


Sunday’s rubber match began at 1pm, with freshman RHP Ricky Jacquez getting the start for Texas and sophomore LHP Kyle Porter starting for Cal. Jacquez demonstrated much better control than in recent memory, issuing no walks and striking out four batters during his 3.1 innings of work. The game worked like tug-of-war, with Texas answering Cal’s runs with an equal number early, but finally faltering in the later innings of the game. The bottom third of the lineup held the power for the Longhorns on Sunday, with Jacob Felts going 2/4, Brooks Marlow going 2/3, and Tim Maitland going 3/4. Unfortunately for Texas, three batters weren’t enough, and they were eventually unable to overcome the runs scored by Cal in the fifth and sixth inning, losing 6-4 and dropping the series. Hoby Milner, who entered the game in relief and pitched 1.2 innings, was given the loss, and despite three shutdown innings from closer Corey Knebel, Texas moved to 15-11 on the season.

The point of most concern for the Longhorns was that of defense, with Texas committing eight errors in the three-game series. Pitching was not as strong as it has been in weeks prior, and the lowest ERA for a weekend starter is now Nathan Thornhill’s 3.52. Texas fans, and the team, caught a glimpse of the painful costs associated with an error-riddled defense early in the season, and we can only hope that the team takes time to learn from their costly mistakes. There will not be a midweek game this week, as Texas will be heading to Lubbock for a Thursday through Saturday series against the Red Raiders of Texas Tech.

Pictures: 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 19, 2012 · 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 11, 2012 · 8:46 pm

Series in Review: Texas vs. Loyola Marymount

Rain preempted the Friday and Saturday contests as well as dampened the Texas bats in this weekend’s series versus Loyola Marymount University. Longhorn fans came out to the Disch at noon on Sunday to watch the Horns kick off a double header against the Lions, but found themselves waiting 11 innings for a run.

Game 1: 03/11/12, 12:05pm
Nathan Thornhill took the mound for Texas and turned in seven and a third scoreless innings, posting a  sharp ratio of five strikeouts to one walk while allowing five hits. The two teams traded hits throughout the early innings, leaving a combined six runners on base through seven complete innings. When Hoby Milner came to the mound in relief in the top of the eighth, LMU had two on and one out, but Milner quickly extinguished the Lion threat with a 1-3 groundout and a pop-up to shortstop, handled by Jordan Etier. Jacob Felts singled to left in the home half of the eighth inning, but the effort was for naught as Etier grounded into a double play, ending the inning. The Lions came back in the ninth as Cullen Mahoney led off with single off of Milner. Parker French was brought in and recorded one out on a sacrifice before Mahoney took third on a wild pitch. Scott Harkin then stepped to the plate and smashed a double up against the center field wall to bring Mahoney home. Despite a Maitland single in the bottom of the ninth, the Texas rally fell short and the Longhorns took their eighth loss of the season.

 

Game 2: 03/11/12, 3:15pm
Game two started thirty minutes after the end of game one, and saw 5’8″ Freshman RHP Ricky Jacquez face off against 6’8″ Freshman RHP Trevor Megill. The Texas bats found a bit of life in the bottom of the third when Kevin Lusson, playing at DH, led off with a single up the middle. Lusson was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jacob Felts and joined on base by a walked Mark Payton. With two on and two out, Tim Maitland stepped to the plate and put the second pitch he saw down the right field line for a triple, bringing Lusson and Payton home. Loyola Marymount scored a run in the sixth with a series of singles by Cullen Mahoney, Kyle Raubinger, and Matt Lowenstein. Not content with a 2-1 lead, Texas answered with a run of their own in the home half of the inning, when Jonathan Walsh took advantage of a walk by moving to third on Brooks Marlow’s single and scoring on a Lion error. Walsh’s run brought the score to 3-1, where it remained in the seventh after a 1-2-3 inning turned in by Corey Knebel.

 

Pitching was the clear standout in the double header, with five Texas pitchers combining to give up only two runs. Ricky Jacquez solidified himself as a member of the weekend starting rotation, accumulating an impressive seven strikeouts and allowing no runs. Nathan Thornhill also wowed during his appearance in the first game, but received no decision when the Texas bats could not pick him up. Defense continued to improve for the most part, with the exception being two calls of catcher’s interference in the second game. Tim Maitland continued to display his ability to hit in clutch situations, adding two RBIs to reach a total of seven on the season.

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