The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Rice
No. 23 Baseball preview: at Rice (Feb. 19)
02.18.2019 | Baseball
The Longhorns continue their four-game season-opening roadtrip
No. 23 TEXAS (2-1, 0-0) at RICE (2-1, 0-0)
February 19, 2019
Where: Houston, Texas (Reckling Park)
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: C-USA TV
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM
Live stats: RiceOwls.com
All-time series: Texas leads, 227-58-2
THE MATCHUP—Texas continues its season-opening six-day road swing with its first midweek game of the season at Rice. The Longhorns opened the 2017 season with a four-game series against Rice at UFCU Disch-Falk Field and the teams split the games. Both teams have a 2-1 record after opening weekend.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—Texas won the 2018 Big 12 Conference Championship and returned to the College World Series for the first time since 2014. The Longhorns posted a 42-23 record and 17-7 mark in league play. Leading hitter Kody Clemens was selected with the 79th overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft after batting .351 with 24 home runs and 72 RBI. Three pitchers – Nolan Kingham, Chase Shugart and Josh Sawyer – were also drafted along with two-way player Andy McGuire. The Longhorns second-leading hitter and starting shortstop, David Hamilton, will miss the 2019 season due to injury.
NEXT UP—Texas begins its home campaign with a four-game series against Purdue Feb. 22-24 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The Longhorns will play their first two home midweek games on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27 against Sam Houston State and UTSA.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK—Following an opening-day gem, Texas sophomore right-hander Bryce Elder was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week. Elder pitched eight innings and allowed just one run on four hits with no walks. He struck out nine batters in eight innings of work. After allowing a one-out infield single in the fifth, Elder retired the next 11-consecutive batters.
RANKED—Texas has been ranked by several publications to open the season: D1Baseball (#24), Baseball America (#19), NCBWA (#18), USA Today Coaches Poll (#16) and Collegiate Baseball (#14).
THE FRESHMEN PRESIDENTS—Several freshmen made their Texas debuts during the opening weekend at Louisiana, but a trio of hitters that all sport Presidential names made an immediate impression. Lance Ford had three hits, including a double, two runs scored and one RBI in his first two games. Eric Kennedy played in all three games and hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the series finale at Louisiana. Bryce Reagan started all three games and batted .333 with two runs scored and one RBI.
PRESEASON ALL BIG 12—The Longhorns' top returning hitters, OF Duke Ellis and DH Zach Zubia, were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Following the 2018 season – each of their first on the Forty Acres – both Ellis and Zubia were selected as All-Big 12 First Team members. In conference games last season, Ellis led the league in on-base percentage (.484) and finished second in batting average (.390). Overall, Ellis finished the season with a .289/.389/.353 line, one home run and 27 RBI and was successful in 16-of-18 stolen base attempts. Zubia, then a redshirt-freshman, was also named to the Big 12 All-Rookie team after finishing with a .275/.407/.495 line overall along with 14 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs, good for second-most on the team. Zubia collected 45 RBI in 65 games (59 starts) while walking a team-high 46 times. He also strung together a 41-game on-base streak from February 17 to April 21.
DRAFTED—Texas saw five players selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft: INF Kody Clemons (Tigers, 3rd round, No. 79), RHP Nolan Kingham (Braves, 12th round, No. 354), RHP Chase Shugart (Red Sox, 12th round, No. 370), LHP Josh Sawyer (Cubs, 16th round, No. 488) and INF Andy McGuire (Blue Jays, 28th round, No. 836).
ON THE ROAD AGAIN—Texas began the season away from home for the first time since 2015 and just the third time in the last 10 seasons. In 2015, Texas traveled to Houston to play a four-game series at Rice during the opening weekend. The Longhorns started 2014 by traveling to Berkeley, Calif. to play the Cal Bears. In both season-opening road series, Texas split the series 2-2.
PIERCE TO THE POSTSEASON—Head Coach David Pierce has reached the NCAA postseason in each of his seven seasons as a head coach at Texas, Tulane, and Sam Houston State. Last season marked the skipper's first trip to the College World Series as a head coach. Pierce advanced to the College World Series four times as an assistant coach at Rice, including winning the 2003 National Championship.
YOUNG GUNS—Head Coach David Pierce's 2019 pitching staff is likely the youngest he has ever head, featuring 13 true freshmen and one redshirt freshman. But despite the number of pitchers without Division I baseball experience, the Texas pitching staff has seven returners who have made an impact on the mound. Jr. RHP Blair Henley and Sr. RHP Beau Ridgeway have each logged over 100 career innings, while Sr. RHP Matteo Bocchi, So. RHP Bryce Elder and So. RHP Nico O'Donnell each pitched more than 30 innings last season.
PRESEASON POLL—In the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, Texas was selected to finish fourth behind preseason favorite Texas Tech (61), Baylor (58) and TCU (48). Last season, five of the nine Big 12 teams made the NCAA postseason.
PRO PARKS—Texas plays a pair of regular season games in professsional ballparks this season. The Longhorns take on Incarnate Word at Nelson Wolff Stadium, home of the Triple-A San Antonio Missions, on March 26. Texas then plays at Whataburger Field, home of the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on April 30. Also for the 19th time, the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be played in Oklahoma City. The Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, home of the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, plays host to the event.
WATCH 'EM—All but one Texas home game will be broadcast on Longhorn Network this season. The team of Lowell Galindo, Keith Moreland, and Greg Swindell will return to the booth to call the action.
HEAR 'EM—In partnership with IMG-College, Texas games will be broadcast on the Austin Radio Network, primarily on 104.9 The Horn and AM 1260. Craig Way handles primary play-by-play duties alongside Roger Wallace and Quan Cosby.
