The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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Washington
No. 23 Baseball preview: Washington
03.14.2024 | Baseball
The Longhorns continue their 10-game homestand with a weekend series against Washington.
#23 TEXAS vs. WASHINGTON
March 15-17, 2024
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Time: Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2:30 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.
TV: Longhorn Network
Radio: AM-1300 The Zone
Live stats: Texas.Statbroadcast.com
All-time series: First meeting
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY–Texas RHP Lebarron Johnson Jr. (1-1. 3.54) vs. Washington RHP Jared Engman (0-3, 4.12)
SATURDAY–Texas RHP Cody Howard (2-0, 3.29) vs. Washington RHP Calvin Kirchoff (0-0, 2.79)
SUNDAY–Texas TBA vs. Washington RHP Spencer Dessart (1-0, 3.47)
THE MATCHUP—Texas continues its season-long 10-game homestand by hosting Washington at UFCU Disch-Falk Field for a three-game series. The Longhorns and Huskies will meet for the first time ever on the baseball field despite both programs having more than 120 years of baseball history.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—Texas opened Big 12 Conference play with a ranked road series win over Texas Tech and ended a four-game losing streak. The Longhorns bashed nine doubles and eight home runs during the weekend, while batting .331 over the three games. The Longhorns have gotten great production from the top of the lineup through the first 16 games, with Jared Thomas batting .400 with seven doubles, two homers and a team-high 19 runs scored. Peyton Powell is batting .426 with six doubles, a triple, five homers and 24 RBI. Max Belyeu has gotten hot after a slow start and is batting .319 with four doubles and a team-high six home runs.
ONE-TWO PUNCH—Jared Thomas and Peyton Powell have been mainstays at the top of the Texas batting order this season, starting all 17 games in the top two spots in the lineup. Thomas has a hit in 14 of the 16 games and has scored a run in 13 of the 16 contests, while leading the team with 19 runs scored. His on-base percentage of .513 from the leadoff spot is the best on the team. Powell has a hit in 15 of the 16 games and just had a 19-game hitting streak snapped, which was tied for the eighth-longest hitting streak in program history. He also leads the team and ranks 30th nationally with 24 RBI.
PRESEASON PICKS—In a vote of the league's head coaches, Texas was selected to finish second in the Preseason Big 12 Baseball Coaches' Poll. The Longhorns sit behind preseason favorite TCU, who received 11 first place votes. Texas picked up the other two first place votes to finish second. Last season, Texas won the Big 12 regular season championship after being picked fourth in the preseason poll.
PRESEASON HONORS—Lebarron Johnson Jr. picked up plenty of preseason praise, being named Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year as well as landing on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. OF Porter Brown joined Johnson on the Preseason All-Big 12 team as well as picking up some Preseason All-America recognition. Freshman OF Will Gasparino was also named Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.
DRAFT WINS AND LOSSES—Texas lost five players to the 2023 MLB Draft but also got five key players back for the 2024 season. The Longhorns biggest losses in the draft were 4th round selection Dylan Campbell and sixth-rounder Lucas Gordon. OF Porter Brown and INF Peyton Powell were not selected though and will lead the offense this season, while Charlie Hurley, Lebarron Johnson Jr. and Tanner Witt are expected to play big roles on the mound. OF Will Gasparino making it to the Forty Acres was also a big win for the program.
PRESEASON RANKINGS—Texas made an appearance in all five of the major preseason polls and opened the season at No. 16 in the D1 Baseball poll. The Longhorns highest preseason rank is No. 8 in the Perfect Game poll, while Texas is also 9th in the NCBWA poll, and 13th in both the Baseball America poll and USA Today Coaches poll.
OWN THE DISCH—A large part of the Longhorns success under head coach David Pierce has come down to dominating at home. Since 2017 Texas has produced a 185-50 (.787) record at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, including an 8-2 mark this season. Since the stadium opened in 1975, Texas has gone 1616-410-3 at home for a .797 winning percentage. The fan base has also done a great job of making the Disch a difficult place to play. With the exception of the 2021 season because of limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas has led the Big 12 in attendance for 15-consecutive seasons. This season, the Longhorns are averaging 7,546 fans per game, the fifth-highest average attendance in the country.
THE GRAND SLAM MAN—Dating back to the end of the last season, Jalin Flores hit three grand slams over a 12-game span. His first career grand slam was in the NCAA Regional Final last season against Miami to help Texas advance to the Super Regional. This season Flores hit a game-winning grand slam on Opening Day and then launched his second against St. John's on Feb. 27. Flores is not the only Longhorn to go deep with the bases loaded this season, as Rylan Galvan and Will Gasparino both hit grand slams against Texas Tech on March 8.
FIFTIETH SEASON AT THE DISCH—Texas embarks on its 50th season at UFCU Disch-Falk Field after the facility opened in 1975. The first game at The Disch was played on Feb. 17, 1975 with the eventual National Champions sweeping a doubleheader of St. Mary's. Texas will officially celebrate 50 years of Disch-Falk Field and the 50th anniversary of the 1975 National Championship team during the 2025 season.
THE SCHEDULE—The 2024 schedule features 37 home games at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, including 19 of the first 25 games at home. The Longhorns will also play in the Astros Foundation College Classic at Minute Maid Park, March 1-3, against LSU, Texas State and Vanderbilt. The Longhorns open the season with an eight-game homestand, beginning with the Opening Weekend series against San Diego. Texas will also host rival Texas A&M at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday, March 5 before opening Big 12 play at Texas Tech March 8-10. In league play, Texas will host Baylor, BYU, TCU, Oklahoma State and Kansas and will also travel to Kansas State, Houston, Oklahoma and UCF. The 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship returns to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 21-25.
MIDWEEK SUCCESS—In seven seasons under head coach David Pierce, the Longhorns have taken care of business in midweek games. Since 2017, Texas has gone 75-20 (.789) in midweek games including a 3-1 record this season. The Longhorns have been even more exceptional in home midweek games, winning 86% of the time for a 59-10 record.
HEAR 'EM—In partnership with Learfield IMG College, Texas games will be broadcast on the Longhorn Radio Network, primarily on AM 1300 The Zone. Craig Way handles primary play-by-play duties alongside Roger Wallace. This season fans will also hear analysis from Longhorn greats Keith Moreland, Ty Harrington and Nathan Thornhill throughout the season.
WATCH 'EM—Nearly all of Texas' home games will be broadcast on Longhorn Network this season. The team of Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell will return to the booth to call the action for 34 home games. The first two games of the TCU series, April 19-20 will be broadcast on ESPNU.
traDISCHion—Texas Baseball will honor its history throughout the 2024 season as part of the Saturday TraDISCHion series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. For the third-consecutive season the Longhorns are celebrating past greats every Saturday (and a few Fridays) throughout the year. The 2024 TraDISCHion schedule:
Feb. 18 vs. San Diego: LHP Richard Wortham (1973-76)
Feb. 24 vs. Cal Poly: LHP Justin Simmons (2001-04)
March 16 vs. Washington: RHP Beau Hale (1998-2000)
March 23 vs. Baylor: LHP Austin Wood (2006-09)
April 6 vs. BYU: 1B Danny Peoples (1994-96)
April 20 vs. TCU: OF/LHP Dennis Cook (1984-85)
May 4 vs. OSU: RHP Cole Green (2008-11)
May 17 vs. Kansas: INF Spike Owen (1980-82)
