The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Nebraska
No. 10 Baseball Preview: at No. 30 Nebraska [March 27-29]
03.26.2015 | Baseball
Texas visits Nebraska for a three-game set starting Friday
No. 10 Texas (17-8) at No. 30 Nebraska (18-7) • Friday, March 27 - Sunday, March 29
Where: Lincoln, Nebraska • Hawks Field at Haymarket Park
Times: Friday, 6:35 | Saturday, 2:05 p.m. | Sunday, 12:05 p.m.
TV: Friday/Sunday: BTN Plus (Subscription required) | Saturday: Ben Ten Network
Talent: Danan Hughes (PbP) and Eric Collins (Analyst) - Big Ten Network
Radio: AM 1300 The Zone, Texas Sports.com/Audio
Talent: Roger Wallace
Live Stats: Huskers.com
All-time Series: Texas leads 31-28
Probable Starting Pitchers
FRIDAY
UT - Sr. RHP Parker French (2-1, 1.69)
NEB - Sr. RHP Chance Sinclair (3-3, 3.93)
SATURDAY
UT - So. RHP Kacy Clemens (2-1, 4.68)
NEB - Sr. LHP Kyle Kubat (4-0, 1.60)
SUNDAY
UT - Jr. RHP Chad Hollingsworth (3-1, 2.97)
NEB - So. RHP Derek Burkamper (3-1, 3.07)
A LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
• Texas leads the all-time series with Nebraska 31-28, including a 12-11 advantage in Lincoln.
• The two teams last met in 2013 in Austin, with the Longhorns sweeping a three-game set.
• Prior to 2013, the squads met each year from 1997-2011 as Big 12 Conference foes, with the series nearly even during that span (26-24 UT).
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS
• The series with Nebraska is a part of a challenging road slate for Texas, as seven of eight contests are away from home, including a conference series at No. 12 Oklahoma State.
• Additionally, four of Texas' next five weekend series will be played away from UFCU Disch-Falk Field, with three of these contests coming against top-ranked competition: RPI #34 Nebraska (3/27-29), #10 Oklahoma State (4/3-5) and #4 TCU (4/24-26).
• The Longhorns head into the weekend having won nine of their last 11 games, including a series sweep of K-State last weekend.
• Texas picked up its sixth come-from-behind win of the year with a 6-4 triumph at Texas State on Tuesday. Junior shortstop C.J Hinojosa provided the heroics with a three-run homer in the 8th that put UT ahead, 5-4.
• Junior left fielder Ben Johnson leads the Big 12 in hits (42), batting average (.393), multi-hit games (14), triples (5) and total bases (67), while Sr. right fielder Collin Shaw leads the league in doubles (13) and is t-2nd in RBIs (22).
• After four more extra base hits (3 HR) against Texas State on Tuesday, UT has 80 extra base hits (51 2B, 11 3B, 18 HR) through 25 games. At this point of 2014, UT had 41 extra base knocks (27 2B, 11 3B, 3 HR).
• Texas leads the Big 12 in triples (11), ranks second in doubles (51) and third in homers (18).
• UT is outscoring its opponents 61-17 from the 7th inning on this year (25-1 in 8th inning), and is 12-0 when leading after seven frames.
• The Texas defense has turned 27 double plays (t-11th in the NCAA) and has a .977 fielding percentage (21st in the NCAA).
• Texas ranks in the Top 25 of each major college baseball poll (Collegiate Baseball - 10; USA Today Coaches Poll - 12; NCBWA - 14; D1Baseball.com - 16; Perfect Game - 16; Baseball America - 19).
• Texas has the 30th most difficult schedule in the country according to BoydsWorld.com.
• With the two out, three-run blast from C.J Hinojosa on Tuesday, UT has scored 71 of its 139 runs (51.1%) on the year with two down in the inning. The Longhorns are hitting .297 (83-for-279) with two away, and holding opponents to a .213 (54-for-253) mark.
• Ben Johnson (.417), Hinojosa (.400), Brooks Marlow (.353) and Collin Shaw (.310) have come up with clutch two out hits all year long (Averages are with two outs).
• Over his last five outings Kacy Clemens has tossed 22 innings while surrendering just 12 hits, 11 walks and five earned runs (2.05 ERA), and recording 11 strikeouts. He is also believed to be the first Longhorn to start a game as the pitcher/designated hitter since Brooks Kieschnick in 1993.
• The Horns are t-22nd in the country in walks, and four Longhorns rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in walks (Cantu, Barrera, Hinojosa, Gurwitz). Texas has 113 base on balls in their first 25 contests.
• Ninety-seven of 139 Longhorn runs (69.8%) on the year have come when the leadoff man gets onboard to begin an inning.
• Texas has two players hitting over .300: Ben Johnson (.393) and Tres Barrera (318).
• Four Longhorns boast an OPS over .800: Johnson (1.062), Barrera (1.012), Michael Cantu (.846) and Collin Shaw (.832). Mark Payton (.811) was the only Longhorn with an OPS over .800 last season and the 2015 team currently holds a .796 OPS after having a .709 in 2014.
• Johnson has recorded multiple hits in 14 of the first 25 games this season, and has had five games with three or more hits thus far.
