The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
TCU
No. 6/4 Baseball Preview: vs. TCU [April 17-19, 2014]
04.16.2014 | Baseball
Texas opens its series with TCU Thursday at 6 p.m.
No. 6/4 Texas (30-8, 9-3 Big 12) vs. TCU (23-13, 7-5 Big 12) • April 17-19
Where: Austin, Texas • UFCU Disch-Falk Field (7,237)
Times: 6 p.m./6 p.m./4 p.m.
TV: Longhorn Network - Talent: Kevin Dunn (PbP), Keith Moreland (Analyst)
Radio: SiriusXM, AM-1300 The Zone, online at www.TexasSports.com/showcase - Talent: Craig Way (PbP), Roger Wallace (Analyst), Bill Little (Analyst)
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/texas/baseball
All-Time Series: Texas leads, 220-60-2, 128-25 at home
Probable Starting Pitchers
Jr. LHP Brandon Finnegan (6-2, 1.76) vs. Jr. RHP Parker French (4-2, 2.21)
Jr. RHP Preston Morrison (4-3, 1.80) vs. Jr. LHP Dillon Peters (5-2, 2.70)
So. LHP Alex Young (1-3, 3.16) vs. Sr. RHP Nathan Thornhill (6-0, 0.78)
QUICK HITS
· Texas has won nine of its last 10 games, 15 of its last 17 and seven consecutive Big 12 contests. At 30-8, the Longhorns are off to their best 38-game start since going 31-7 in 2010.
· The Longhorns have recorded back-to-back conference sweeps for the first time since 2010, when they swept five straight.
· Texas swept Oklahoma with great offensive balance. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit Friday, while all nine had at least one on Saturday and Sunday. Texas scored 25 runs and hit .310 as a team in the series. Every Longhorn starter scored at least two runs and six had three or more RBI.
· The Texas pitching staff leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally with a 2.11 ERA. As a staff, Texas is holding opponents to a .220 batting average, also best in the league.
· The starting rotation of Parker French (2.21 ERA), Dillon Peters (2.70) and Nathan Thornhill (0.78) has a cumulative ERA of 1.89. That ranks fourth nationally among weekend rotations.
· Texas has allowed just 103 runs (2.7 runs/game) this year. That's the lowest number of runs allowed through 38 games in head coach Augie Garrido's 18-year tenure at Texas. The Longhorns allowed 106 runs in the first 38 games in 2010, which ranks as the second fewest.
· The Longhorns rank second in the league and 13th nationally in fielding percentage (.978). Texas leads the Big 12 and ranks eighth nationally in double plays (39).
· Over the last 17 games, Texas is averaging 6.5 runs per game and hitting .302 as a team with a .417 slugging percentage and .409 on-base percentage. The Horns have recorded double-digit hits in 12 of those 17 games. The Longhorns are 14-0 when scoring six or more runs this year.
· Tres Barrera (27-68 .397), Zane Gurwitz (24-62, .387), Madison Carter (11-32, .344), Ben Johnson (22-66, .333) and C.J Hinojosa (18-63, .286) have been the offensive leaders over the last 16 games.
· Texas ranks third nationally in RPI and has played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. The Longhorns have a 8-3 record against teams in the RPI top 30, including 5-1 in road and neutral games. Against the RPI top 100, Texas is 26-8.
· Texas is ranked in the top 10 by all five major polls, including sixth by Baseball America, fourth by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, sixth by Perfect Game, seventh by the NCBWA and eighth by USA Today.
· Mark Payton leads the Big 12 in on-base percentage (.477) and is tied for the lead in triples (5), ranks sixth in batting average (.348) and first in walks (33). Payton has reached base safely in 77 consecutive games dating back to last season, which is the longest streak nationally and the second longest in Big 12 history (93 - Nick Martini, K-State, 2009-11).
· Head coach Augie Garrido surpassed Gordon Gillespie for the most wins (1,894) by any college baseball coach at any level with the 5-1 win over Texas State on March 25. He now has 1,904.
· Texas' 44 hits in the Texas Tech series were the most in a three-game series since March 16-18, 2012, when the Longhorns had 45 at Oklahoma.
· The Longhorns are 16-1 when scoring in the first inning this season. The lone loss came on March 29 at Texas Tech. Texas has scored in the first inning in 10 of the last 15 games.
· The Longhorns are second in the Big 12 with six shutouts, trailing only TCU which has seven. Texas also ranks t-10th nationally.
· Texas is No. 1 in the country in Iterative Strength Rating, according to college baseball site BoydsWorld.com (see more - page 3). The Longhorns have played the 12th most difficult schedule accoring to BoydsWorld.
· The Texas bullpen had a streak of 30 consecutive scoreless innings snapped when it surrendered five runs in the ninth inning against Kansas on March 16. On the year, the bullpen has a 1.67 ERA, while the starters have a 2.36 ERA.
· Texas is 30-4 when scoring two runs or more.
· Texas has stolen 37 bases on 45 attempts this season, with Ben Johnson (10-10), Collin Shaw (9-13), and Mark Payton (7-8) leading the way. The Longhorns have been excellent against the run, with opponents stealing just 14 bases on 23 attempts. That's the lowest number in the Big 12, with West Virginia ranking second (19-27).
· Texas leads nation with 61 sacrifice bunts.
