Baseball closes regular season with 11-1, run-rule win over Baylor

Sunday, May 17

Waco, Texas

5 p.m.

University of Texas

26-25, 11-13

Baylor

21-30, 9-15

Texas

Baylor

Baseball closes regular season with 11-1, run-rule win over Baylor

05.17.2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Longhorns scored five runs in the first to take control early

WACO, Texas -- Freshman Jake McKenzie went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including a two-run single that helped spur a five-run first inning, as the Texas baseball team cruised to an 11-1 win over Baylor in the final game of the regular season Sunday afternoon.

The game was shortened to seven innings with the 10-run rule in effect as Texas finished the regular season with a 26-25 overall record, including 11-13 in the Big 12. The Longhorns will be the No. 5 seed in the Big 12 Championship which gets underway Wednesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they will face No. 4 seed Texas Tech in the first game of the tournament at 9 a.m.

McKenzie, a freshman from Dallas who has been used primarily as a relief pitcher, capped an impressive weekend that saw him play right field and third base while collecting his first collegiate hits and RBIs.

Kyle Johnston turned in a strong performance on the mound with a career-high five scoreless innings of work, striking out four while working around three hits and three walks. Johnston, a freshman, moved to 1-1 on the season while lowering his ERA to 1.97, and hasn't allowed a run in his last five outings.

Five Longhorns had multi-hit games as Texas totaled 13 in the game. Zane Gurwitz went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs and a two-run homer in the sixth inning that made it 10-0. Collin Shaw was 2-for-4 with a double and three runs, Ben Johnson was 2-for-5 with a run and RBI and C.J Hinojosa was 2-for-5 with two runs and a solo homer.

Hinojosa, who homered twice in Saturday's game and once in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, hit four long balls on the weekend after coming into the series with three all year.

Johnson got Texas off to a solid start by leading off the game with a single to setup a five run inning. A Baylor error and single from Hinojosa and loaded the bases, and Barrera lifted a sacrifice fly to score Johnson with an error resulting on the throw home that brought in another run. After Michael Cantu ripped a RBI single up the middle to make it 3-0, McKenzie later stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered a two-run single to center field.

The game remained 5-0 for the next three innings as Johnston cruised with the help of double plays in the first and second, one coming when Hinojosa made a nifty catch of a hard-hit liner and doubled off a runner at second.

Texas added to the lead in the fifth when Shaw started a two-out rally with a single to center field. Six straight Longhorns reached with two down, as McKenzie delivered another bases loaded two-run single and Johnson drove in Texas' eighth run of the game with a single.

An inning later, Gurwitz drilled a two-run homer to left field and in the seventh, Hinojosa provided Texas' final run of the game with a solo shot to left.

Ty Marlow came on to pitch the final two innings for the Longhorns while striking out two and allowing a run on two hits and a walk. Baylor's Daniel Castano (4-6) took the loss after allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits in the first inning.

QUOTES

Head coach Augie Garrido

On the importance of getting a win in the final game of the regular season: I think it's really important to have that momentum and to go off with a winning feeling and a decisive victory, one that included the best pitching performance of Kyle Johnston all year. We played well behind him. We put some guys in the game that have been working hard in practice, and they're not weighted down by what's happened in the past. They're excited about playing; you can certainly see the spring in their step and the confidence, recognizing their opportunity. You see the difference in the life in their step and that was good to see.

On how they approach the Big 12 Tournament: Well we approach the Big 12 tournament by how we setup the pitching here, so that was the big thing. [Parker] French is going to go the first game; he threw the lowest number of pitches and he'll be on three days rest… [Ty Culbreth] will be on four days rest and [Connor Mayes] will be on five days rest. So there is your starting rotation and there are some days off in there if you stay in the winners bracket – and if you're going to do it, it helps to stay in the winners bracket. I still go back to - we've had about three different starting rotations this year and we've had a hard time developing the closer because we've had some in that role and we've had to develop them into starters. But we've been more consistent in the last three weeks than we have at any time in the season so our hope is that the consistency that they've had in fulfilling their role will continue in the tournament.

On C.J Hinojosa's play this weekend: This is his time of year. He did it last year too. The College World Series, he was one of – or the best player in the College World Series.

NOTES

- Jake McKenzie notched his first career hit (during game one) in his third official at-bat this season. The freshman had drawn two walks previously. He also added his first career RBIs with a two-run single in game two.

- Texas recorded multiple home runs in a game for the 10th time this season and the Longhorns are 9-1 in those games.

- The Longhorns improved to 14-3 when scoring in the first inning and 18-6 when scoring first.

- Johnson recorded his 25th multi-hit game of the year while Shaw had his 12th, Hinojosa had his 10th, Gurwitz had his eighth and McKenzie had his first.

- Hinojosa finished the series 6-for-13 with five runs, five RBIs and four home runs for a 1.385 slugging percentage. Gurwitz was 4-for-6, Baker was 5-for-13 and Shaw 4-of-11. The Longhorns hit seven home runs in the series and hit .317 as a team.