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A breath of fresh air.
That’s what the Texas Longhorns baseball team is emitting. A nice, sweet scent permeating the campus after the majority of Texas sports have fallen flat.
Texas, 6-1, is off to their best start since 2009, when they opened with an 11-game winning streak. The Horns went 4-0 last week, after knocking off UT-Arlington and their future first round MLB pick, Zach Thompson. Then they swept Nebraska in a three-game home series.
The pitching has been solid to spectacular. Especially the starters.
Parker French went six strong Friday, Dillon Peters kept Nebraska off balance in his six-inning stint on Saturday, and Nathan Thornhill upstaged all by going seven innings, and only giving up two hits on Sunday. Corey Knebel notched two saves as well, and now has 31 for his career, trailing only Huston Street’s school-record of 41.
The hitting hasn’t been superb, but this Texas bunch has a penchant for the big hit. Timely hitting is as important a fundamental as there is in baseball. And the Horns have that down.
Mark Payton is on fire, Codey McElroy has a knack for driving in runs, and freshman sensation C.J. Hinojosa has been as advertised.
I think to some degree, Texas baseball was taken for granted the last few years. We just expected Augie to basically trot any high school or JUCO stud out there, and the College World Series would just appear. Last year was a wake-up call for fans and the program.
The problems that persisted with Texas last season seems to have been alleviated. Plus, this squad is fun to watch. Stay tuned….
Mack Brown and the football staff brought in another load of high school prospects for their second Junior Day on Saturday. A few offers were extended, notably Jasper’s Terrell Cuney (center), Ex-Clemson commit West Mesquite’s Dylan Sumner-Gardner (safety), and New Orleans St. Augustine’s Jermaine Roberts (CB). Roberts stands 5-foot-9, 175 lbs and is considered a 4-star prospect by 247Sports.
This day might be more known for who didn’t attend. Track meets, girls basketball, and parent’s anniversary were the most common excuses. In the end, no one pledged to the Horns, but you could possibly see a few seeds planted down the road. And K.D. Cannon (#1 ranked WR in TX for 2014, Mt. Pleasant, Tx) in a Texas jersey looked mighty nice.
On a side note, Mack had his customary spring football press conference on Tuesday. Nothing really newsworthy, but two things in particular caught my attention.
Mack mentioned the team’s recruiting rankings and websites weren’t where they used to be. He also stated the staff was hiring a Director of Player Personnel to oversee recruiting, based off the NCAA’s reform on recruiting rules and guidelines passed over a month ago.
First, why does Mack give a damn what image the team is portrayed on rankings and websites ?? Seriously. Once again, Mack has failed to see the bigger picture. You think Nick Saban worries where his team is ranked or what’s being said online regarding his future players’ status ?? I’m going to say no. Emphatically. He’s too worried about developing the insane crop of players that call Tuscaloosa home.
Lastly, why in the world hasn’t a DPP been hired for recruiting help in the past ?? I realize the NCAA is very strict about who and what coaches can and cannot do in regards to visiting players, schools, and camps. But with the resources the Joneses possess, you’d think this position would’ve been created years ago out of pure necessity. And you’d be wrong.
This is one example of Mack not using the vast resources on the Forty Acres at his disposal. Stay tuned…
The Texas men’s basketball team split a couple of Big-12 matchups last week. On Wednesday, the Horns took down the TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. A few bright spots started shining, notably Connor Lammert. He was responsible for a four-point swing, late in the game. He had a blocked shot, and followed it with a tip-in, virtually punctuating the victory.
Then 13th ranked Kansas State came to Austin. And all those good vibes from the TCU win left the building after a 81-69 loss to the Big-12 leading Wildcats. K-State shot a blistery 9-for-18 from behind the arc. If you shoot 50% with that volume of three-point attempts, you’ll win almost every time on the floor. Myck Kabongo poured in a season-high 24 points, and Sheldon McClellan went 7-for-10 for 15 points.
What I fail to understand is the reasoning behind McClellan being one of the last player’s off the bench, and his lack of playing time. Whatever he did to Barnes must be deplorable because what Barnes is doing to this season is equally as bad.
Well, at least there’s baseball.
Quote of the Week :
“A lot of people will have their own conclusions, but mine is you have to find a way to win. Over the first series of games, the luck factor has not been with us. We had to earn every run that we have had. You have to learn how to win games when in fact there is no help from the other team. You have to win it by hitting, the hardest skill in sports according to Sports Illustrated, not Augie.” – Augie Garrido
I hope you have a great Monday, and even better week. Hook ‘Em Horns !!
