GAME THREAD – Texas vs UTSA

[Sirhornsalot]

Texas Baseball Facing UTSA in Austin Regional Winner's Bracket​

The Longhorns are facing the Roadrunners, looking to advance to the regional final.

There are few weekends in college sports that can compete with the beauty of the opening of baseball's NCAA Tournament. Across the country teams battle it out, with plenty of upsets and highlight-reel plays happening.

For the Texas Longhorns (43-12), they managed to avoid putting themselves on the list of regional No. 1 seeds to go down to their No. 4 seed counterpart. They squared off against the Houston Christian Huskies and handled their business, picking up a 7-1 win thanks to a dominant bullpen showing to put them in the winner's bracket.

As for who they would face in said game, that came down to the winner of the UTSA Roadrunners (45-13) and the Kansas State Wildcats in the Austin Regional nightcap. And that one was all Roadrunners as they took a 1-0 lead in the first and never looked back, dominating the Wildcats and breezing their way to a 10-2 win and a matchup against Texas.

How to watch/listen:​

Saturday May 31 at 8 p.m. CT - SEC Network OR ESPN+/TexasSports.com/Audio

A look at UTSA's regional so far -​

The Roadrunners opened their weekend on Friday evening with a showdown against the Wildcats. While some thought this had the potential to be a high-scoring slugfest, that was far from the case. They had no trouble dispatching Kansas State, racking up 10 runs on 10 hits while the pitching did its job to secure the 10-2 win.

UTSA by the numbers:​

• Record - 45-13

• Runs scored - 512

• Runs allowed - 301

• Team Avg. - .317

• Team Avg. against - .256

• Team ERA - 4.93

UTSA wins this game if...​

Its pitching staff manages to match the level of production they showed against Kansas State on Friday night. They scattered six hits across nine innings, but racked up 10 strikeouts and squashed any threat that the Wildcats managed as they would go on to leave a disappointing nine men on base in the loss.

As for the Longhorns, they were opportunistic against the Huskies. They tallied seven hits and capitalized on a trio of errors, cruising to a 7-1 win. However, they did leave six men on base. If the Roadrunners can take advantage of Texas' offensive woes that plagued them down the final stretch of the season then they could find themselves in the regional final on Sunday evening.

Texas wins this game if...​

In a similar vein to the team in the other dugout, Texas will have a strong chance at winning this game if the pitching staff does its job. Fortunately for the Longhorns, they were not forced to burn any of their key arms in the win over the Huskies as the duo of Grayson Saunier and Hudson Hamilton bridged the gap from Ethan Walker's early exit to the final out.

Now, though, they must rely on those key arms to get the job done against a potent UTSA lineup. One that just put up a 10-piece on Kansas State in its regional opener. Of course, this is a staff capable of shutting down the best lineups when everything is clicking on all cylinders. If they can do that long enough for the bats to scratch across some runs, then they will like their chances to get to the regional final.

Texas Baseball Facing UTSA in Austin Regional Winner's Bracket

There are few weekends in college sports that can compete with the beauty of the opening of baseball's NCAA Tournament. Across the country teams battle it out,

www.si.com

 

[david ficken]

Harrison with the start tonight. We will actually be the home team. Looks like you might catch the game on SEC network. Johan Williams will be back in LF. He is hitting in between Gasparino and Borba.

If we win, we play tomorrow night. If we lose, we play K State tomorrow afternoon.

 

[alonghorn72]

Let's Go Horns!!!!

 

[david ficken]

Harrison. Has 2 flyouts. Then HBP puts a runner on only tp pick him off for the 3rd out.

 

[david ficken]

Mendoza with a leadoff single. Galvan with a single. Belyeu hits a fielder choice. Mendoza had broke for home for some reason. Galvan to 3rd and Belyeu ends up 2nd. Mendoza out in a run down. Schluessler with a RBI groundout. Runner to 3rd with 2 outs. A Rod flyout.

After 1 complete Texas leads 1-0

 

[david ficken]

Top of the 2nd,

Leadoff single for UTSA. Ball hit to Borba, but a wild throw allows the runners to get to 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Error on Borba. Flyout. Williams throws to 3rd and gets the runner from 2nd base going to 3rd and gets the 2nd out. Game tied at 1. Groundout.

 

[david ficken]

Bottom of the 2nd,
Pop out. Groundout. Williams with a single. Borba with a double. Runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Mendoza with a flyout.

After 2 complete tied at 1.

 

[david ficken]

Nothing doing in the top of the 3rd

 

[david ficken]

Bottom of the 3rd,
Galvan leadoff walk. Belyeu with a single. Schluessler hits what could have been a double play, but error on the 2nd baseman and bases loaded with no outs. A Rod groundout. Runners move up and Texas takes the lead 2-1. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out. UTSA making a pitching change.

 

[alonghorn72]

That young man will hereby be known as Jonah F'in Williams!!!

 

[david ficken]

Still in the 3rd,
Texas leads 2-1. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out. Flores up. Flores strikeout. Gasparino HBP. Bases loaded 2 outs. Williams up. Williams with a RBI single. Texas leads 4-1. Gasparino to 3rd. Borba with a RBI double. 5-1. Wild pitch. Williams scores. Borba to 3rd. Mendoza HBP. Galvan is up.

 

[david ficken]

Texas leads 6-1. Borba on 3rd and Mendoza on 1st. Galvan strikeout.

 

[david ficken]

After 3 complete Texas leads 6-1.

 

[david ficken]

Top of the 4th,
Groundout. 1 out infield hit. Line out to Flores. Runner steals 2nd. Strikeout.

 

[david ficken]

Bottom of the 4th,
Belyeu leads off with a 4 pitch walk. Schluessler strikeout. A Rod fielder choice. A Rod steals 2nd. Flores strikeout.

After 4 completeTexas leads 6-1

 

[david ficken]

Top of the 5th,
Leadoff hitter on via error. Pass ball allows the runner moves up 2nd. Walk. 2 on with no outs. HBP. Bases loaded, no outs. Single. 2 runs score. Luckily, the runner on 1st thrown out in a rundown between 2nd and 3rd. 1 out. Single runners on the corners with 1 out. Pitching change for Texas. Texas leads 6-3

 

[david ficken]

Max Grubbs on to pitch for Texas. Strikeout. Double steal, but the delayed steal of home. Runner on 2nd with 2 outs. Now 6-4. Double. 6-5. Line out to 2nd to end the top of the 5th.

Now Texas leads 6-5 heading to the bottom of the 5th.

 

[david ficken]

Bottom of the 5th,
New pitcher for UTSA. Gasparino flyout. Williams pop out. Borba walks. Mendoza single. 2 on. Galvan HBP. Bases loaded. Belyeu strikeout.

After 5 complete Texas leads 6-5. We are leaving to many runners on base.

 

[david ficken]

Top of the 6th,
2 quick outs. Then what should've been a pop out, Flores miss judges the pop out. Followed with a walk. Pitching change for Texas. Burns is in. Single. Game tied at 6. Another single and UTSA leads 7-6. A double and another run but runner thrown out at home plate for the 3rd out.

UTSA leads 8-6. Unbelievable

 

[alonghorn72]

Top of the 6th,
2 quick outs. Then what should've been a pop out, Flores miss judges the pop out. Followed with a walk. Pitching change for Texas. Burns is in. Single. Game tied at 6. Another single and UTSA leads 7-6. A double and another run but runner thrown out at home plate for the 3rd out.

UTSA leads 8-6. Unbelievable

Lot's of self inflicted mistakes last two innings. We really need to take advantage of this lead off walk.