The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#24 Oklahoma State
No. 3 Baseball preview: at No. 24 Oklahoma State
04.22.2021 | Baseball
The Longhorns return to Big 12 Conference play with a three-game series against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
TEXAS (31-8, 10-2) vs. OKLAHOMA STATE (23-10-1, 6-6)
April 23-25, 2021
Where: O'Brate Stadium
Time: Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 6 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.
TV: ESPNU/ESPN+
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM
Live stats: OkState.StatBroadcast.com
All-time series: Texas leads, 62-46
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY–Texas RHP Ty Madden (5-1, 1.54) vs. Oklahoma State TBA
SATURDAY–Texas RHP Tristan Stevens (6-1, 2.77) vs. Oklahoma State TBA
SUNDAY–Texas RHP Kolby Kubichek (5-2, 2.54) vs. Oklahoma State TBA
THE MATCHUP—Texas returns to Big 12 Conference play with a three-game series against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. The Longhorns and Cowboys last squared off in 2019, with Oklahoma State capturing each game of a three-game series. The Cowboys swept a two-game midweek series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff after dropping three games at TCU last weekend.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—Texas defeated Texas State on Tuesday, 5-1, to improve its winning streak to 14 games, the Longhorns' longest since winning 21 consecutive games in 2010. Prior to the Texas State game, the Longhorns completed an undefeated 10-game homestand in which Texas scored in double-digits five times and averaged 10 runs per game. Ivan Melendez leads Texas offensively, batting .385, with eight home runs and 37 RBI. Mitchell Daly is batting .364 and getting on base at a .430 clip. Zach Zubia drew a walk against Texas State after walking 16 times in the homestand, increasing his season total to 31 walks, tops in the Big 12 Conference and seventh-most in the NCAA. Texas is 30-5 over its last 35 games and tied for first in the Big 12 Conference at 10-2.
QUICKER THAN QUICK—Mike Antico leads the Big 12 Conference and is 6th nationally with 20 stolen bases. Eric Kennedy is right behind him with 16 steals to rank second in the conference and 18th in the nation. As a team, the Longhorns have swiped 58 bases, which is second in the conference and ranks 12th in the nation. Additionally, Kennedy uses his speed regularly to get on base with 21 infield singles, including 11 bunt hits this season. In his career he has 45 infield hits (23 bunts).
ANTICO ON A ROLL—Mike Antico has been huge over the last nine games, proving a spark for the Longhorns offense in series sweeps against Kansas State, Nevada and Abilene Christian and the win over Texas State. During the 9-game stretch, Antico hit .361 with three doubles, two triples, three home runs, 12 runs scored and 12 RBI, while also stealing six bases to go along with a .422 on-base percentage. He has four multiple-hit games, including a three-hit and four-hit game.
MAKING A BIG IMPRESSION—Ivan Melendez is on a tear that has never seen on the Forty Acres. The redshirt sophomore is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak, which included a program-record six-game home run streak that culminated with a pair of bombs against Kansas State on April 11. In the month of April, he is hitting .519 with eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 25 RBI and 15 runs scored. In that span, he has a .603 on-base percentage and 1.115 slugging percentage for an OPS of 1.718. For the season, Melendez ranks fifth in the Big 12 conference in batting average (.385), while he is tied for sixth in home runs (8) and RBI (37). His .725 slugging percentage is fourth in the conference and .469 on-base percentage ranks sixth. During April, Melendez's distinctions have included Big 12 Player of the Week, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Hitter of the Week, and Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week.
FLASHING THE LEATHER—Trey Faltine has been a human highlight reel this season, making the difficult look routine. The Longhorns shortstop leads the Big 12 with 126 assists and ranks fifth with 19 double plays while sporting a .972 fielding percentage in 180 chances.
MOUND PRESENCE—The Texas pitching staff has been among the most dominant groups in the nation. Four Texas starters rank in the top-11 in the Big 12 Conference in earned run average, with Ty Madden holding down the top spot with a 1.54 ERA. Pete Hansen sits fourth with a 2.09 ERA, while Kolby Kubichek (2.54) and Tristan Stevens (2.77) rank 10th and 11th, respectively. As a staff, the Longhorns have the seventh-best ERA in the nation at 2.82, a mark that leads the conference by 0.71.
COMMANDING THE ZONE—Tristan Stevens' command has been on point this season, yielding only eight walks in 55 1/3 innings pitched. In his last three starts, the right-hander is 3-0, throwing 21 innings and allowing 20 hits and two runs, while striking out 12 and surrendering zero walks. Stevens has not relinquished a walk to the last 95 batters he has faced.
THE ACE—Ty Madden has been brilliant this season, twice earning Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, including following his 14-strikeout, complete game shutout outing on March 5 against Houston. That performance also garnered nods as the NCBWA and Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Week, one of Collegiate Baseball's National Players of The Week and one of four nominees for the Golden Spikes Award Performance of the Week. Madden's 1.54 ERA ranks 15th in the nation and leads the Big 12 Conference. The right-hander also leads the conference in hits allowed per nine innings (5.40) and opponent batting average (.175) and is tied for the lead in games started (9). He ranks second in the Big 12 in innings pitched (58.1), third in strike outs (65) and WHIP (0.96) and tied for sixth in wins (5).
HILL COUNTRY—Tristan Stevens got it done on the bump last week against Kansas State, logging seven innings pitched and allowing just one run on 68 pitches to earn Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors. The right-hander issued no free passes and allowed just one run on eight hits. Stevens had only three two-ball counts during the entire outing. It marked the fourth time this season that the junior did not allow a walk. On the season, Stevens ranks third in the conference with five wins, while his 1.49 walks allowed per nine innings is fifth.
HAMMER KEEPS HAMMERING—Cam Williams has crushed a co-team-leading eight home runs this season, including a pair from each side of the plate against Oklahoma on March 27. Williams currently leads the team in doubles (13) and ranks second in total bases (71), slugging percentage (.568) and is third in OPS (.944) and RBI (31). Williams' eight home runs are tied for sixth in the Big 12 Conference and rank 55th nationally. His 13 doubles are the 11th-most in the NCAA and rank third in the Big 12, while his 71 total bases are 14th in conference.
DALY GETTING IT DONE—Mitchell Daly has been on a tear at the plate, hitting safely in 22 of the last 26 games he has started this season with 10 multi-hit games, including two three-hit games and a four-hit game. Daly ranks eighth in the Big 12 Conference in batting average (.364) and 18th in on-base percentage (.430). The freshman currently ranks second on the squad in batting average and third in on-base percentage, while sitting fourth in hits (39) and OPS (.888) and fifth in doubles (7) and slugging percentage (.458).
HEAR 'EM—In partnership with Learfield 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.
