The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 8 Baseball Preview: vs. Minnesota [Feb. 20-22]
02.19.2015 | Baseball
Longhorns open four-game series with Gophers Friday at 6 p.m.
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
| Quotes
No. 8 Texas (3-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Minnesota (0-3, 0-0 Big Ten) • Feb. 20-22
Where: Austin, Texas • UFCU Disch-Falk Field (7,373)
Times: Friday - 6 p.m. | Saturday 3 p.m., 6 p.m. | Sunday, 1 p.m.
TV: Longhorn Network
Talent: Kevin Dunn (Play-by-Play), Keith Moreland (Analyst)
Radio: AM 1300 The Zone, Texas Sports.com/Audio
Talent: Craig Way & David Saltzman (Play-by-Play), Bill Little (Analyst)
Live Stats: TexasSports.com
All-time Series: Texas leads, 67-22
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday
UT - Sr. RHP Parker French (0-0, 1.80)
UM - Sr. RHP Ben Meyer (0-1, 4.91)
Saturday
Game 1: UT - Jr. RHP Chad Hollingsworth (0-1, 5.79) OR So. LHP Josh Sawyer (0-1, 10.39)
UM - Jr. LHP Dalton Sawyer (0-1, 6.23)
Game 2: UT - So. LHP Josh Sawyer (0-1, 10.39) OR Jr. RHP Chad Hollingsworth (0-1, 5.79)
UM - So. RHP Tim Shannon (0-0, 4.91)
Sunday
UT - So. RHP Kacy Clemens (0-1, 24.00)
UM - Sr. RHP Neal Kunik (0-0, 6.75)
A LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
• The No. 8 Texas Longhorns host a four-game weekend series against the Minnesota Golden Gophers Feb 20-22 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, beginning Friday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m.
• Texas leads the all-time series against Minnesota 67-22, and the Longhorns hold a 65-21 advantage at home. The teams last met in 2013 for a three-game set at Minnesota with the Longhorns taking two out of three games. Prior to that series, the two squads had not met in the Augie Garrido era at UT.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS
• The Texas baseball team ranks in the Top 12 of each major college baseball poll (USA Today Coaches Poll - 6; Perfect Game - 8; NCBWA - 9; Baseball America - 10; D1Baseball.com - 10); Collegiate Baseball - 12.)
• Texas' victory over UTSA on Tuesday night was its 1,400th all-time win at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The win came on the 40th anniversary of the first game Texas played at the ballpark (a doubleheader sweep of St. Mary's on 2/17/75).
• The Longhorns' offensive outburst of 20 hits against UTSA marked the first time UT has had 20 or more hits in a game since May 30, 2009, when it accomplished the feat against Boston College in a 25 inning affair.
• The 14 runs scored against the Roadrunners were the most since April 7, 2012 at Texas Tech, and it was just the fourth time in the BBCOR era (new bat regulations that were implemented prior to the 2011 season) that the Horns have scored 14 runs in a game.
• Tres Barrera put himself in elite Longhorn company with his 5-for-6, six-RBI performance against UTSA (chart on page 5), as it was just the second time since 2003 that a UT player had five hits and six RBIs in the same game (Michael Torres, March 20, 2008 at Texas Tech).
STRONG START
Ben Johnson matched a career high when he had four hits in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Rice. The junior also had four hits as a freshman vs. UCSB (3/10/2013). Through the first five games, Johnson is 11-for-24 (.458) with a double, eight RBIs and a home run. With two outs, Johnson is 6-for-7 with six RBI, including a three-run HR. Johnson leads, or is tied for the Big 12 lead in RBIs (8), total bases (15), and hits (11).
HITTING SAFELY
Texas had three players hit safely in all five games thus far: Ben Johnson (11 total hits), Bret Boswell (six total hits) and Brooks Marlow (five total hits).
BIG RELIEF
UT has used four left-handed relievers in the first five games (Sr. Kirby Bellow, Jr. Travis Duke, Jr. Ty Culbreth and So. Jon Malmin), who have combined to throw 16 innings, surrendering just two runs for a 1.13 ERA. Juniors Culbreth and Duke have each tossed 3 1/3 shutout innings, with both picking up a victory and Culbreth earning his first career save. As a whole, the bullpen has tossed 24 innings and given up just four runs (1.50 ERA). Jake McKenzie (4 IP), Duke (3 1/3 IP), Culbreth (3 1/3), Andy McGuire (1 IP), Connor Mayes (1 IP in relief) and Kyle Johnston (2/3 IP) are all yet to allow a run.
TEXAS DEBUTS
Eleven players made their collegiate debuts for Texas thus far this season: freshman infielder Joe Baker, redshirt freshman third baseman Bret Boswell, freshman catcher Michael Cantu, freshman pitcher Kyle Johnston, freshman first baseman Travis Jones, redshirt freshman infielder/DH Connor Macalla, freshman catcher Michael McCann, freshman pitcher/infielder Jake McKenzie, freshman outfielder Patrick Mathis, freshman pitcher Connor Mayes, freshman pitcher Tyler Schimpf … Additionally, sophomores Kacy Clemens and Andy McGuire made their first appearances as a pitcher and sophomore Josh Sawyer made his first career start.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Not only have 11 Longhorns made their collegiate debuts, but several contributed in big ways in Texas victories:
• Bret Boswell had a two-out single to extend the top of the 10th inning against Rice (Feb. 15) and set the table for the game-winning hit.
- For the Rice series, Boswell was second on the team with five hits and a .313 batting average.
• Michael Cantu has reached base in 7 of 13 plate appearances with four hits and five runs scored.
• Kyle Johnston earned his first career save in his first inning pitched on (Feb. 15) by retiring two batters and preserving a 4-3 Texas lead.
• Connor Mayes tossed a scoreless eighth inning at Rice on Feb. 13 in a 3-1 win.
- Pitched three scoreless innings against UTSA (Feb. 17), earning his first win in his first-career start.
• Michael McCann smashed a game-winning RBI double in the top of the 10th inning on
Feb. 15 to give Texas a 4-3 lead.
- Had two hits and a run scored against UTSA (Feb. 17).
• Jake McKenzie drew a walk and scored a run in his first career start in the Longhorns' 4-3 win over Rice on Feb. 15.
- Spun 2 2/3 shutout innings of relief in the second game of the double-header on Saturday, Feb. 14, helping save the rest of the bullpen for the Sunday game.
- Pitched 1 1/3 more scoreless innings against UTSA (Feb. 17).
These quick freshman contributions should not come as a surprise, as Texas' 2014 recruiting class was ranked seventh-best in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The Longhorns signed 10 players for the class of 2014, eight of which are from the state of Texas. Despite three of those being selected in the MLB Draft this summer (RHP Tyler Schimpf, C Michael Cantu, INF Travis Jones), all 10 players reported to campus and of the 21 players signed in the last two years, 20 have joined the Longhorns on the 40 Acres.
HIT PARADE
Against UTSA, the Texas offense accumulated 20 base hits, a feat that has only been accomplished by the Horns five other times since 2003. It was the first time the Longhorns had 20 hits in a game in the BBCOR bat era, and marked the only time since 2003 that it had been done at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in a nine-inning game (the 20 hits against Boston College spanned 25 innings).
