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College Baseball: First look at the Texas Longhorns

Posted by HenryJames on February 22nd, 2009 under Baseball

I got my first look at the Longhorn baseball team yesterday when I watched game one of their doubleheader against outmatched University of Illinois-Chicago. The final score was 10-1, but it was over after Texas scored 5 runs in the bottom of the first.

Freshman righthander Taylor Jungmann got the start for Texas, and this dude is going to be good. He looks to be about 6’5”, is all arms and legs at this point and has an effortless delivery. He most likely didn’t have his best stuff yesterday and had some control problems (umpire didn’t help), but he still only allowed a single hit in six innings and had only a handful of pitches that were actually hit hard.

Despite scoring ten runs, the hitting was inconsistent after the first inning. But they were able to execute every bunt they attempted, and last year they couldn’t even do that. They also had a couple of sacrifice flies that they had trouble getting last year. So they look to have improved on a couple of important things in their small ball offense.

Kevin Keyes hit the ball hard. He had what would have been a home run to right knocked down by the wind at the warning track, and he also lined out to the warning track in left. It was only the first game, but he didn’t have any of the brutal at bats he had at times last year. Brandon Belt is very patient at the plate, and he can take pitches to the opposite field.

Defensively they looked pretty solid, but again there were only a handful of hard hit balls and the wind was knocking down everything in the outfield. Freshman Brandon Loy made a nice backhanded stop at third base, but other than that most everything was routine. Shortstop David Hernandez did make a fielding error, but there was no breakdown defensively.

ChrisApplewhite watched the second game of the doubleheader so he can chime in with his thoughts later.

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16 Responses

  1. Parlin Hall said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 8:21 am

    Thanks for the write-up HJ. I’m not in town and haven’t been following the Garrido news: is he currently coaching the team?

  2. SRR50's Replacement at KVUE said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 9:53 am

    He’s waiting 5 more minutes for the Texas blue law to pass.

  3. Vic Jacobs said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 10:04 am

    Ben Storey gets the brick!

  4. HenryJames said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 11:07 am

    Garrido is sitting out the first four games.

  5. srr50 said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 11:21 am

    Sorry Vic, it was Fred Roggin, not Ben Storey.

  6. bgood2texas said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 11:35 am

    People can say what they want, but pitching is going to be the strength of this team. The young guys, especially Jungmann, are going to spectacular.

  7. HenryJames said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    At the game now, and Brandon Workman was dominant. Texas leads 1-0 in the bottom of the 8th.

  8. ATXHornsFan said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    I was lucky enough to go to all 4 games (and hoops last night). Horns struggled more on offense today and didn’t execute as well as the first 3 games, but still got the win. Brandon pitched well, and Austin Wood got the save. Brandon Loy looked good at 3rd. Made some great throws across the infield. Hernandez made good plays at short. Travis Tucker didn’t really get challenged much, but he and Hernandez teamed up for a great 4-6-3 out at first yesterday. The outfield didn’t have to make many plays, but they made all of them. Kevin Keyes made some excellent catches after covering a lot of ground. Rupp was solid behind the plate, and Belt played well at first. All in a all, a very encouraging first weekend at the Disch.

    Hard to tell much beyond that, as I don’t think UIC was much competition at this point, despite being a tourney team last year and supposedly the favorite to win their conference this year. By this time next week, we will have played 5 more games and should know more.

  9. Scipio Tex said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 7:35 pm

    Giving up 3 runs in four games is pretty impressive stuff, even against a team of scrubs.

  10. Facebook User said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 8:08 pm

    Bottom Line – can we get to Omaha this year? And don’t give me any shit about limited data you equivocating catamite.

  11. ATXHornsFan said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 9:35 pm

    I assume the equivocating catamite to whom you refer is Scip. I’ll say this: we have a lot of talent but not many big bats – at least not among the guys who played this weekend. Keyes has potential. I think Belt might too, and maybe Rupp. Clark if he can get well. After that, lots of good hitters I think but not for power. As for Omaha – yeah, we can get there.

  12. Facebook User said:

    February 22nd, 2009 at 9:53 pm

    Thanks, ATX. The rent boy referenced was HenryJames. I’ll try to check them out @ Stanford.

  13. Huckleberry said:

    February 23rd, 2009 at 5:22 am

    Bottom Line – can we get to Omaha this year? And don’t give me any shit about limited data you equivocating catamite.

    In the 21st Century we have given up fewer than 10 runs in our first four games combined twice. We won the College World Series both years.

    We have given up 10 or more runs in our first four games combined six times this century. We have failed to win the College World Series in any of those years.

    I think it’s pretty much a lock we win it all at this point. You know, statistically speaking.

  14. Facebook User said:

    February 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 am

    That’s what I like to hear! I’m booking a hotel.

  15. Art Vandelay said:

    February 23rd, 2009 at 9:07 am

    If you haven’t been to Omaha for the CWS I highly recommend it. In 2005 I was there on a “business trip” and walked up 10 minutes before the Horns played and paid face value for tickets. (3rd base side twenty rows up on the aisle) The folks in Omaha make you feel very welcome, and the casinos are just across the river in Iowa (10 minutes).

    Yes, that is Erin Andrews behind the team.

    http://i40.tinypic.com/ims6y9.jpg

    http://i36.tinypic.com/21exg5z.jpg

  16. Art Vandelay said:

    February 23rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=vwrjol&s=5

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