Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
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No. 2 Texas Looks To Keep Rolling in SEC Play Against Kentucky
The Longhorns aim to secure their fifth conference series win as they hit the road again.Another weekend means another series against an SEC foe, as the No. 2 Texas Longhorns (26-4, 11-1) are looking to maintain their impressive start in their new conference. They've played four series as members of the SEC, with three of them resulting in a sweep.
Next up on the schedule for the Longhorns is another road series against the Kentucky Wildcats (18-12, 5-7). Kentucky may not have the best conference record but that doesn't mean this will be an easy series for the Longhorns.
The Wildcats have yet to be swept and have taken a game off Georgia, Auburn and Ole Miss while going on the road and winning the series against Texas A&M.
How to watch/listen -
Friday April 11 at 5:30 p.m. CT - SEC Network+/TexasSports.com/AudioSaturday April 12 at 11 a.m. CT - SEC Network/TexasSports.com/Audio
Sunday April 13 at 11 a.m. CT - SEC Network/TexasSports.com/Audio
A look at Kentucky's season so far
Kentucky started its season off scorching hot, flying out of the gate to an impressive 15-2 start prior to the beginning of conference play. Since then, though, the Wildcats have hit a bit of a rough patch. They've lost three of their first four SEC series, with the lone win coming against Texas A&M.Kentucky by the numbers:
- Record - 18-12 (5-7)
- Runs scored - 230
- Runs allowed - 145
- Team Avg. - .279
- Team Avg. against - .228
- Team ERA - 4.20
Kentucky wins this series if...
It can slow down the Texas offense just enough for its bats to do damage against a strong pitching staff. So far in SEC play opponents have struggled to find success against Texas' pitching, as it has shown the ability to shut down potent offenses such as LSU and Georgia. Kentucky will need to beat that.While the Longhorns have been dominant on the mound, they've been inconsistent at the plate and prone to major cold stretches. This is where the Wildcats pitching comes into play. If they can force multiple rough spells from Texas at the plate, then they have a good chance of leaving the weekend with a huge upset series win.
Texas wins this series if...
It maintains the high level of play that has been on display through its first four conference series. After all, if something isn't broke then there's no need to fix it. The Longhorns have played four conference so far in their first season in the SEC and have roared out to an 11-1 record in those contests.That includes a sweep of Georgia and two road sweeps against Mississippi State and Missouri. Of course, that doesn't automatically translate to an easy series win or sweep against Kentucky. If the Longhorns can come out firing on all cylinders like they have been in conference play so far, though, then the possibility of tallying another SEC series win is high.
https://www.si.com/college/texas/ba...ing-in-sec-play-against-kentucky-01jrjdydsyp4
