The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
TCU
No. 9 Baseball preview: at No. 22 TCU
03.21.2019 | Baseball
Longhorns travel to Fort Worth for weekend series with TCU.
No. 9 TEXAS (16-8) vs. No. 22 TCU (13-6)
March 22-24, 2019
Where: Fort Worth, Texas (Lupton Stadium)
Time: Friday at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. CT
TV: Friday–FSSW+, Saturday–ESPNU, Sunday–FSSW+
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM
Live stats: https://admin.gofrogs.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
All-time series: Texas leads, 227-72-2
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
FRIDAY—Texas So. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 2.22) vs. TCU Jr. LHP Nick Lodolo (3-2, 1.36)
SATURDAY—Texas Jr. RHP Blair Henley (2-1, 4.23) vs. TCU Jr. RHP Jake Eissler (3-1, 6.04)
SUNDAY—Texas Fr. RHP Coy Cobb (0-2, 3.54) vs. TCU Jr. LHP Brandon Williamson (2-1, 2.61)
GAME NOTES
THE MATCHUP—Texas travels to Fort Worth for a three-game series with No. 22 TCU, closing out a stretch of playing 15-of-17 and eight-straight games against nationally ranked teams. TCU has a four-game winning streak after a sweep of Eastern Michigan and a midweek win over UT Arlington. Last season, Texas swept TCU in the final regular season series to win the Big 12 title.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—The Longhorns split the midweek series with No. 11 Arkansas, rallying for a 7-6 win on Wednesday. Texas is 9-5 in the month of March with seven wins over nationally ranked teams. Third baseman Ryan Reynolds leads the team in hitting with a .279 batting average and 24 hits. He also leads the team with six doubles. Austin Todd is the Longhorn's leading run-producer with 21 RBI. The pitching staff has a 3.40 ERA with 204 strikeouts.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK—Senior infielder Masen Hibbeler was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week, following the Longhorn's series win over No. 11 Texas Tech. Hibbeler played a part in all four of the Longhorns' runs scored in Sunday's series-clinching win over the Red Raiders. He lined a go-ahead two-run single up the middle in the sixth inning and later scored after swiping third base and scoring on an errant throw. In the eighth inning, the senior drove in the eventual game-winning run with another RBI single. The Cypress, Texas product, also produced a 4-for-4 game with two RBI and three runs scored against Texas Southern. He was a standout defender throughout the week as well, starting at shortstop for all four games and not committing an error. He also threw out a runner at the plate in the second inning of Sunday's game.
RESILIENT—This season, the Longhorns have made a living on being resilient and they have thrived in close games. Texas has a 6-0 record in one-run games and a 7-4 record in games decided by three runs or less. The Longhorns have won 10 games in come-from-behind fashion. The largest deficit overcome this season is four runs, against Arkansas (3/20).
MARCH MADNESS—Throughout the month of March the Longhorns are testing themselves against some of the best teams in the country, playing 15 games against nationally ranked teams. After winning series over LSU and Texas Tech, dropping a series at Stanford and splitting two games with Arkansas, Texas is 7-5 against ranked teams this season. Starting with last weekend's series against the Red Raiders, the Longhorns are in a stretch of playing eight-straight games against ranked teams.
YOUNG GUNS—Head Coach David Pierce's 2019 pitching staff is likely the youngest he has ever head, featuring seven freshmen (one redshirt) and five sophomores (one redshirt). All 12 of the underclassmen pitchers have already appeared in a game this season. Seven of the nine pitchers to have started a game for Texas this season are underclassmen. The young pitching staff has had ups and downs, and leads the Big 12 with 204 strikeouts but also has the most walks (106) and wild pitches (35).
NEXT UP—Texas travels to San Antonio on Tuesday to play Incarnate Word at Nelson Wolff Stadium, the home of the Triple-A San Antonio Missions. The Longhorns return to UFCU Disch-Falk Field for a weekend series with Xavier.
RANKED—Texas remains in the national rankings heading into the sixth week of the season. The Longhorns' rankings are: D1Baseball (#9), Baseball America (#4), NCBWA (#11), USA Today Coaches Poll (#15) and Collegiate Baseball (#17).
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS—Five Texas players have received weekly awards from the Big 12 Conference this season – Bryce Elder (Pitcher, Feb. 18), Coy Cobb (Newcomer, Feb. 25), Austin Todd (Player, March 4), Eric Kennedy (Newcomer, March 4) and Masen Hibbeler (Player, March 18). Elder threw an opening-day gem, pitching eight innings and allowing just one run on four hits with no walks. He struck out a career-high nine batters. Cobb was lights out in his UFCU Disch-Falk Field debut, allowing just four hits and no walks in seven shutout innings. Following the weekend sweep of No. 2 LSU, Texas outfielders Austin Todd and Eric Kennedy were both recognized by the Big 12.. Todd had seven RBI during the week and played the role of walk-off hero on Sunday to complete the sweep of LSU. Kennedy played a huge role in helping to sweep LSU, producing hits in every game of the series. Hibbeler batted .583/.643/.583 in four starts at shortstop, contributing to all of the runs scored in Sunday's series-clinching win over No. 11 Texas Tech.
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.
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.
DRAFTED—Texas saw five players selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft: INF Kody Clemens (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).
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.
PRO PARKS—Texas plays a pair of regular season games in professional 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.
