The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Lamar
Baseball preview: No. 19 Texas vs. Lamar [Feb 21, 2018]
02.20.2018 | Baseball
Texas is set to host Lamar on Wednesday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
No. 19 Texas (2-1) vs. Lamar (1-2)
February 21, 2018
Where: Austin, Texas (UFCU Disch-Falk Field)?Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: Longhorn Network
?Radio: 101.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM
Live stats: Sidearmstats.com/Texas/Baseball
All-time series: Texas leads, 32-7
Complete Game Notes
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
?WEDNESDAY—Lamar LHP Taylor Rich (0-0, 0.00) vs. Texas RHP Nico O'Donnell (0-0, 0.00)
GAME NOTES
THE MATCHUP—No. 19 Texas hosts Lamar on Wednesday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field…last season, the Longhorns won, 9-5, on February 28, 2017.
A LOOK AT THE CARDINALS—Lamar went 1-2 in its opening weekend…the Cardinals split a two-game set with Missouri State before falling, 4-3, to Texas Southern on Sunday…Lamar replaced 20 players from its 2017 roster…freshman Cole Secrest hit .636 over the weekend with 2 homers and 8 RBI.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—Texas won its season-opening series against Louisiana, two games to one…the Longhorns won game one, 3-0, thanks to an eight-inning effort from Nolan Kingham…Kingham went eight shutout frames, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out 10…it took him just 89 pitches before Beau Ridgeway came on for his first save…in game two, Texas got a strong first career start from Chase Shugart but Louisiana took the lead in the top of the ninth…Masen Hibbeler drove in the game-tying run in the home half before Austin Todd hit a walk-off home run to give Texas the 5-3 win…the Longhorns came up short in game three despite a solid start from Blair Henley and Texas fell, 2-1.
NEXT UP—Texas heads to No. 23 LSU for a three-game series against the Tigers…the two teams last met in Omaha in the championship series in 2009…the Tigers won the national championship, two games to one…the Longhorns last visited Baton Rouge in 1999…UT won that series, two games to one.
IN THE RANKINGS—Texas currently sits at : D1Baseball (#19), Baseball America (#14), NCBWA (#19), USA Today Coaches Poll (#20), and Collegiate Baseball (#19).
STRONG STARTERS—The Longhorns starting rotation of Nolan Kingham, Chase Shugart, and Blair Henley, respectively, combined to go 19.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned), 11 hits, and two walks while striking out 18 over the three-game series…Kingham went eight shutout, Shugart allowed one unearned run over 6.2 innings, and Henley went five innings, allowing one earned run.
THE KING—Kingham's performance earned him Perfect Game/Rawlings National Pitcher of the Week recognition…it is the first such time he's earned that honor in his career…prior to the season, he was named a Perfect Game/Rawlings preseason All-America third team selection.
WALK IT OFF—After falling behind, 3-2, in the top of the ninth on Saturday, Texas fought back for a 5-3 win in the bottom of the inning for a walk-off win…Masen Hibbeler hit an RBI single before sophomore Austin Todd launched a two-run, game-winning homer…it was the first walk-off win at UFCU Disch-Falk Field since Mark Payton's three-run double on April 7, 2014, vs. Baylor and the first walk-off homer at home since Cameron Rupp hit one on March 20, 2010 vs. Nebraska…junior Kody Clemens, who was on base for Todd's homer, was responsible for the last walk-off hit/homer for the Horns when he hit a solo homer vs. TCU in the Big 12 Tournament.
WELCOME TO THE FORTY ACRES—Masen Hibbeler had a stellar weekend debut for the Longhorns…the Odessa College transfer went 7-for-13 with two runs, an RBI, and two steals on the weekend and 3-for-4 in his first game at Texas…he drove in the game-tying run in the ninth inning on Saturday, setting up the walk-off win, while playing second base and left field.
TOP OF THE ORDER—The Longhorns' one-through-four hitters—David Hamilton, Masen Hibbeler, Kody Clemens, and Austin Todd, respectively—hit a combined .364 over the weekend with eight of the team's nine runs scored and all nine RBI.
CROWNING ACCOLADES—RHP Nolan Kingham received several preseason honors…the junior has been named to the Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list, and to the NCBWA, Perfect Game/Rawlings, and Collegiate Baseball preseason All-America third teams.
RIDGEWAY RECOGNITION—Texas closer Beau Ridgeway was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award preseason watch list and an NCBWA preseason third team All-American.
D1BASEBALL RANKINGS—In D1Baseball.com's Top 100 College Prospects list, the Texas rotation was recognized…Kingham was highest at No. 47, followed by No. 76 Blair Henley, and No. 89 Chase Shugart…Matteo Bocchi, Kody Clemens, Michael McCann, Donny Diaz, and Ryan Reynolds made the "best of the rest" list…in D1's position power rankings, several Horns made the cut: Clemens (3B, #24), Reynolds (1B, #26), David Hamilton (SS, #30), and Austin Todd (OF, #58).
LAST SEASON—Texas came up a game short of an NCAA Super Regional appearance when it dropped a pair of games at Long Beach State in the NCAA Regional…the Longhorns dropped both games by one run after opening regional play with two wins…Texas lost its leading hitters, Kacy Clemens (.305) and Zane Gurwitz (.305) and starter Morgan Cooper (6-3, 2.32 ERA), but returns Friday night starter Nolan Kingham (10-4, 2.84) and closer Beau Ridgeway (12 saves, 1.89)…SS David Hamilton and 1B Ryan Reynolds return to an infield that helped turn 65 double plays in 2017…the UT defense ranked fourth in the nation last year.
NEW MAKEUP—The Horns have a total of 10 new transfers, nine of which are from junior colleges…the Horns also have 10 freshman (or redshirt-freshman) on the roster in 2018.
DRAFTED—UT had 11 players from the 2017 team taken in the MLB Draft, tied for most in the nation…RHP Morgan Cooper (Dodgers, 2nd round), LHP Nick Kennedy (Rockies, 5th), RHP Kyle Johnston (Nationals, 6th), 2B Bret Boswell (Rockies, 8th), 1B Kacy Clemens (Rockies, 8th), RHP Tyler Schimpf (Giants, 13th), OF Patrick Mathis (Astros, 22nd), RHP Connor Mayes (Royals, 24th), 2B Zane Gurwitz (Angels, 26th), UTIL Travis Jones (Royals, 29th), LHP Jon Malmin (Angels, 31st).
STOLEN BASES & THE SNEAKY WHEELS CLUB—Catcher Michael McCann, one half of the Sneaky Wheels Club, returns to the basepaths this year while top basestealer, David Hamilton, who went 14-of-16 in his rookie season, looks to improve upon his thievery.
PRESEASON POLL—In the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, Texas was selected to finish third behind preseason favorite Texas Tech (61) and TCU (60)…last season, seven of the nine Big 12 teams made the NCAA postseason.
YEAR TWO—February 17, 2017, marked David Pierce's first game at the helm of the Texas Baseball program…Pierce was named head coach on June 29, 2016, when he became just the fifth Longhorn head coach since 1911 (with the exception of the war years of 1943-45 when Blair Cherry was at the helm) and the 13th head coach in 122 years of Texas baseball…Pierce—along with assistant coach Sean Allen, assistant coach Philip Miller and volunteer coach Phil Haig—came to Texas after two years at Tulane and three years at Sam Houston State.
PIERCE TO THE POSTSEASON—Head Coach David Pierce has reached the NCAA postseason in each of his six seasons as a head coach at Texas, Tulane, and Sam Houston State.
PRO BALLPARKS—Texas will once again head to Whataburger Field, home of the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this year (April 3)…the Longhorns also return to Constellation Field, home of the Sugar Land Skeeters, to take on Texas Southern on April 18.
