Lucky Friday the 13th...Valentines Day weekend...it must be time for the return of Rice Baseball at Reckling Park. And what a way to kick off the 2015 campaign-- with our first regular season weekend series against our long-time in-state rivals, the Texas Longhorns, since the breakup of the Southwest Conference in 1996. This will be THE showcase series of college baseball's opening weekend-- the only series nationally pitting two teams ranked in the preseason Top 20. The atmosphere at The Reck is expected to be electric-- expect crowds of 4,000+ (if not 5,000+ sellouts) for each game, including numerous college baseball writers and pro scouts. UT has been ranked as high as #4 in the preseason polls (collegesportsmadness.com) and as low as #23 (Eric Sorenson), but most of the reputable polls have the Longhorns ranked firmly within the Top 10...and, IMO, deservedly so given they return a number of proven and experienced pitchers, as well as 85% of their offense, from last year's CWS team (everyone but Mark Payton), and have once again brought in a Top 10 ranked incoming recruiting class. Based largely on our presumed pitching depth (including the return of our weekend rotation and closer), the Owls have been ranked anywhere from #13 to #22 in the various preseason polls, with the majority ranking us in the mid-teens. Again, I think this is a fair assessment-- if not giving us a bit of the benefit of the doubt-- given we lost five of our Top 6 offensive players from last year (Ewing, Aquino, Hoelscher, Cook, McDowell). However, our pitching depth is going to be tested early and against the most difficult part of our schedule as both Jordan Stephens and Josh Pettitte continue to rehab and regain their form from Tommy John Surgery (with both hoping to be back in action in March), and Big Jon Duplantier (expected to be our Friday night starter) will miss at least the UT series with arm soreness.
The scheduled start times for the games are: 6:00pm CST on Friday, 12:00 noon and 4:00pm for Saturday's doubleheader, and 1:00pm on Sunday. The Rice Baseball Parents will be hosting their first tailgate on Saturday morning, starting at 10:00am, across the path from the old Hess Tennis Stadium, by Tudor Fieldhouse and in front of Reckling. All Rice fans are welcome. Bring your favorite beverage and/or food in disposable containers to share. The starting pitching rotation for the series is shaping up as follows: Jr RHP Kevin McCanna vs. Sr RHP Parker French on Friday, Jr LHP Blake Fox vs. Soph LHP Josh Sawyer in Saturday's Game 1 and Fr RHP Ricardo Salinas vs. Soph RHP Kacy Clemens (both expected to be midweek starters) in the nightcap, and Jr RHP Austin Orewiler vs. Jr RHP Chad Hollingsworth on Sunday.
Rather than provide an updated comprehensive preview of our 2015 squad and prospects, here's my late December "Transitioning from OWLoha to Owlmaha" post in which I reintroduce this year's team roster and provide my wish list for the upcoming season...
http://csnbbs.com/thread-720623.html
...you'll note I correctly predicted our preseason ranking! McCanna has been lights out this Spring, and Orewiler has continued to impress following a breakout Fall Ball season. Ditman, Teykl and McCarthy have all pitched well, as have both John Williamson and JUCO transfer Austin Solecitto, who look to provide much-needed left-handed support out of the bullpen. Freshmen RHP Salinas and Glenn Otto are both expected to compete for midweek starting roles.
The offense has struggled a bit during Spring intrasquads, but they get a chance to start over for real on Friday night. Our lineup will likely feature two switch hitters (SS Byrd, 2B Stainback) and as many as five left-handed hitters (1B Teykl, LF Tristan Gray, CF Ryan Chandler, RF Charlie Warren, DH McCanna/Fox/Williamson). The tablesetters will be speedsters Chandler and Warren, as well as Stainback, with the middle of the lineup likely to feature Byrd-Reeves-Teykl. Juco transfer Grayson Lewis will get the start at 3B, with JC Reeves catching (along with Hunter Kopycinski, who has really progressed both offensively and defensively), with the right-handed DH duties likely being shared between Kopycinski, Reeves and Kirby Taylor (who owned southpaw pitching last year). As I mentioned in the above linked post, this year's squad will likely rely on newcomers more than any Rice team since our great 2005 incoming Freshman class. Salinas, Otto, Solecitto, Pettitte, Lewis, Gray and Chandler are all expected to contribute from the get-go, and how quickly they adopt to the speed and level of play of the college game will largely determine how successful we will be.
The Baseball Owls seek to avenge last year's 1 - 3 record against the Longhorns, including a heartbreaking extra-inning loss in the Regionals, which catapulted UT to their successful post-season run. With any Augie Garrido-coached team (see D1baseball.com's interview with him below), expect the Longhorns to be fundamentally sound-- built on strong pitching and defense, and excelling in the "small ball" or Augieball game (plate discipline, aggressive baserunning, skilled and frequent bunting to move the runners into scoring position). Last year they led the nation by a wide margin in sacrifice bunts (104), were 8th in the country in free passes received (330, or 5 per game) and 20th in stolen bases (75, with an efficient 83% success rate). LF Ben Johnson was 21-21 is stolen base attempts last year, CF Zane Gurwitz was 9-9 and RF Colin Shaw was 13-19. Every player up and down the lineup, including their cleanup hitter, will be asked to bunt when the opportunity presents itself. If we are to beat Texas this weekend it is absolutely imperative that our pitchers throw strikes and keep the free passes (BBs, HBPs) to an absolute minimum....and given their ability to manufacturer runs, it will be critically important to keep their leadoff batters off the bases. Easier said than done.
On the mound, UT finished the 2015 campaign with the 3rd best ERA in the country (2.25), the 10th best batting average against (.227) and surrendered just over 3 BBs per game on average. None of their starters are high-frequency strikeout pitchers, but they know how to pitch (i.e., changing speeds and locating pitches), and most of them are adept at inducing ground balls. Given our left-hand laden lineup, we do have a matchup advantage going against their three (of four) right-handed pitchers, but two of their top three bullpen arms (Duke, Culbreth) are southpaws, which could swing the matchup advantage to the Longhorns in the later innings. Defensively, they return are exceptionally strong up the middle, with C Barerra, SS Hinojosa, 2B Marlowe and CF Gurwitz all returning. In fact, Augie has been quoted in several publications as believing they have "the best defense in the country if they play as expected". No less than four Freshman from their coveted recruiting class are expected to play pivotal roles from the get-go: Closer RHP Kyle Johnson, 1B Travis Jones, 3B Bret Boswell (redshirt Fr) and C/DH Michael Cantu.
More detail assessments of the UT squad, with position by position breakdowns, can be found in the various links and articles provided below.
The Longhorns have had the better of us the past several seasons. It's time to turn the tide....time to protect our home turf in front of what may very well be the biggest crowds at Reckling this regular season...time to get off on the right foot and make an early statement that we can play with-- and beat-- any team in the country. Let the Road to Omaha begin in earnest and on a positive path. Go Owls!
College Sports Madness gave UT their highest preseason ranking of any national publication or site, projecting the Longhorns at #4 in the country...
http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/10781
Quote:Last year the Texas Longhorns battled their way through a fierce Houston Regional against Rice and Texas A&M. They then took advantage of being awarded a Super Regional host opportunity against Houston and returned to the College World Series. The Longhorns return a majority of the core players from last year’s team and will be locked and loaded for another battle with TCU and Oklahoma State for Big 12 supremacy and a top eight seed in the NCAA Tournament.
2014: 46-21, 13-11
2014 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Augie Garrido
Field Players:
Texas was pretty good offensively in 2014 as they had a run differential of plus 112. Outfielder Ben Johnson is the most prolific power hitter returning this season and he also has great speed as well. Johnson hit six homeruns, drove in 33 runs and was absolutely perfect stolen base wise by going 21 for 21. Infielder C.J. Hinojosa is back too and Hinojosa brings a higher average to the table than Johnson as Hinojosa hit .298 with 72 hits, and drove in 35 runs while having an on-base percentage of .373. It will be a nice boost to the Longhorns offense if Hinojosa can get his on-base percentage closer to .400. Also, look for Outfielder Zane Gurwitz to take a step forward after a .284 batting average as a freshman last season.
Pitchers:
The Longhorns did a very nice job last season of keeping the opposition in the ballpark and they only allowed six homeruns. Parker French will be the ace and will have to carry what should be a very good pitching staff once again despite the loss of Nathan Thornhill. Travis Duke has a very good shot to take over as the closer for Texas this season after going 2-1 with a 0.29 earned run average and allowing only one earned run. And he walked just seven batters in 30.2 innings. Morgan Peters will also be a vital asset in the Longhorns bullpen. Peters collected three saves in relief and was very effective all season long.
Who to Watch:
The senior leadership of Brooks Marlow is going to be a key asset for Texas this season. Marlow is one of those solid all-around players that you need in order to make a run at a national championship. Marlow hit .268 with three homeruns and drew 47 walks thanks to great discipline at the plate.
Final Projection:
The Longhorns will hit the ground running to start the season with a series against in-state rival Rice. Minnesota and San Diego will then come to Austin in what should also be solid tests for Texas. A four game series out at Stanford in the early part of March will show if the Longhorns are on their way to being a true national title contenders as winning in Palo Alto is never easy. The other big non-conference series on the schedule will be a trip to Lincoln, Nebraska to play the Cornhuskers in a battle of former Big 12 rivals. The conference schedule sets up as another test for Texas and their ability to win on the road, as they were 8-4 in Big 12 road games and just 5-7 at home during conference play in 2014. The key series will be at Oklahoma State from April 3-5, and at TCU from April 24-26. If the Longhorns can have a .500 or better record in these two series, it should put them in a great position to win the conference. The key is going to be strong pitching and solid execution offensively against the Cowboys and Horned Frogs. If the offense can evolve and become more dangerous and the pitching keeps humming along, then Texas should be a top eight national seed come NCAA Tournament time.
Perfect Game ranked the Longhorns #6 in their preseason poll, with C Barrera, SS Hinojosa and RHP Parker French all selected to the preseason all-conference team...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...icle=10805
Quote:6. Texas
Head coach: Augie Garrido
Conference: Big 12
2014 record: 46-21 (13-11 Big 12)
2014 finish: College World Series
Top returning hitters: SS C.J. Hinojosa (.298-2-35), OF Zane Gurwitz (.284-2-28), 2B Brooks Marlow (.268-3-21), OF Collin Shaw (.264-0-23), OF Ben Johnson (.263-6-33), C Tres Barrera (.261-5-35), 1B Kacy Clemens (.212-1-21)
Top returning pitchers: LHP Travis Duke (2-1, 0.29 ERA, 30.2 IP, 27:7), RHP Chad Hollingsworth (4-0, 1.15 ERA, 54.2 IP, 28:13), LHP Ty Culbreth (2-0, 1.98 ERA, 27.1 IP, 20:18), RHP Ty Marlow (missed most of 2014 due to injury, 1-2, 2.16 ERA, 33.1 IP, 26:7 in 2013), RHP Parker French (7-5, 2.41 ERA, 104.2 IP, 62:44)
Top newcomers: C/DH Michael Cantu, 3B Bret Boswell, 1B Travis Jones
Top 2015 prospects: SS C.J. Hinojosa (136), OF Ben Johnson (174)
Synopsis: The Longhorns have some key innings to replace from 2014 weekend starters Dillon Peters and Lukas Schiraldi, as well as closer John Curtiss, if they hope to return to Omaha. In addition, sophomore Morgan Cooper, who was named the No. 1 prospect in the Cal Ripken League last summer after posting a 2.89 ERA in 56 innings as a freshman, will miss the 2015 season after having Tommy John surgery last fall.
Righthander Parker French returns for his senior season to take the ball on Fridays, and will be joined in the weekend rotation by fellow righty Chad Hollingsworth and sophomore lefthander Josh Sawyer. Two-way standout Kacy Clemens is expected to fill the mid-week starting role, with Travis Duke, Ty Culbreth, Blake Goins and Ty Marlow, who missed most of the 2014 season due to injury, providing key innings out of a deep bullpen.
Shortstop C.J. Hinojosa will once again serve as the heart and soul of the team's lineup for a program that loves playing small ball. Zane Gurwitz moves from third base to center field and will be looked upon to replace the productivity and leadership atop the team's batting order now that Mark Payton has graduated to pro ball. Catcher Tres Barrera will give the lineup another big bat to contend with, while Ben Johnson, who was perfect in 21 stolen base attempts last year, has speed to burn both in the outfield and on the basepaths.
Three freshmen – Michael Cantu, Travis Jones and Bret Boswell – will be inserted into the everyday lineup as starters at designated hitter, first base and third base respectively. Cantu may provide the most pop of any Longhorns regular, while Boswell, who red-shirted last season, is expected to open the season as the team's three-hole hitter given how well he handles the bat, a crucial ability considering how frequently Texas looks for all of their hitters to lay down bunts.
....Perfect Game had UT coming in 2nd in the Big12 (after TCU)...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...icle=10775
Quote:Texas: If there is one thing to know about Texas it’s that Head Coach Augie Garrido and his Longhorns are going to compete and 2015 is going to be no different, especially with the talent they have on campus. Though the pitching staff did lose some valuable pieces from last spring and sophomore Morgan Cooper to an injury last fall, they do welcome back veteran leader and a legitimate ace in senior righthander Parker French. Electing to come back to Austin after being selected in 19th round last June, French shows a low-90s fastball with sinking life, mixing in a late-breaking slider and a mid-80s change to induce consistent ground ball contact. Junior righthander Chad Hollingsworth worked primarily out of the bullpen last spring, appearing in 25 games with two starts, and is ready to make the transition to the rotation. After making a strong impression in the fall, sophomore lefthander Josh Sawyer is expected to have a much-increased role after showing a upper-80s to low-90s fastball with solid command of the strike zone. Former Perfect Game All-American Kacy Clemens will once again be a two-way performer in 2015, providing the Longhorns with depth in the rotation. Freshman righthander Kyle Johnston is an arm for fans to be excited about out of the bullpen, showing a plus fastball with command of his off-speed. Ty Marlow returns after missing 2014, as does Travis Duke, Ty Culbreth, and Blake Goins, providing a plethora of options out of the 'pen. The offense will once again be led by junior shortstop C.J. Hinojosa who always seems to come up with the big hit and play defense with high energy. Sophomore catcher Tres Barrera started 63 games last spring and showed intriguing power for a freshman, finishing second on the team with five home runs. Zane Gurwitz will take his athleticism and speed to center field replacing departed senior Mark Payton, and will be a factor on the top of the lineup with junior Ben Johnson, who led the team with six home runs and was perfect in all 21 stolen base attempts. Though Barrera is the starting catcher, freshman Michael Cantu has tools that cannot be ignored, both with his power righthanded swing and his arm from behind the plate. Cantu is expected to see time at designated hitter and behind the dish to spell Barrera. Two more freshmen who will looking to make an immediate impact are Bret Boswell, who slots in at third base and will serve as a middle-of-the-order bat, and Travis Jones at the other corner infield spot.
Baseball America ranked UT #10 in their preseason poll...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2...-10-texas/
D1baseball.com also ranked the Longhorns #10 in their preseason poll, and picked them to come in 2nd to TCU in the Big12.
http://www.d1baseball.com/season-preview...-10-texas/
Quote:Texas' Projected Lineup
2015 Lineup
Pos. Name, Yr. AVG/OBP/SLG HR RBI SB
C Tres Barrera, So. .261/.337/.402 5 35 0
1B Travis Jones, Fr. HS -- Humble, Texas
2B Brooks Marlow, Sr. .268/.383/.375 3 21 4
3B Bret Boswell DNP -- Redshirt
SS C.J. Hinojosa, Jr. .298/.373/.376 2 35 5
LF Ben Johnson, Jr. .263/.367/.405 6 33 21
CF Zane Gurwitz, So. .284/.327/.370 2 28 9
RF Collin Shaw, Sr. .264/.355/.301 0 23 13
DH Michael Cantu, Fr. HS -- Corpus Christi, Texas
Pos. Name, Yr. W-L ERA IP SO BB SV
RHP Parker French, Sr. 7-5 2.41 104.2 62 44 1
RHP Chad Hollingsworth, Jr. 4-0 1.15 54.2 28 13 2
LHP Josh Sawyer, So. 1-0 5.59 9.2 8 6 0
RP Kyle Johnston, Fr. HS -- Flower Mound, Texas
Hitting: 60. This will be a productive Texas lineup. Will it be one of the elite lineups in the country? Probably not, but it will be solid, and it will be balanced, something that is music to the ears of a Texas fan. UT is expected to get productive campaigns from Hinojosa, Gurwitz, Barrera, Marlow and Johnson—all players who showed at various times last season they could be productive, while also handling stiff expectations. Marlow always shows a veteran-like approach, with the ability to spray the ball around the field. Boswell is a talented player over at third, and his impact will be felt after missing last season with a wrist injury. Also watch out for freshman Travis Jones. The athletic youngster played shortstop in high school, but could start at first base opening day for the Longhorns. He has some pop in his bat, but just needs to become more refined as a hitter.
Power: 45. The Longhorns aren’t loaded with big-time power threats, but they don’t need to be, especially considering their home ballpark. With that, Texas does have some power options with this club. Johnson and Barrera have already proven to have home run power, while Boswell, Gurwitz and Marlow have some pop to the gaps.
Speed: 60. Considering the Longhorns always seem to perfect the small ball game under the direction of Tommy Nicholson and Garrido, the fact they have some legitimate speed throughout the lineup is a scary proposition for opposing teams. UT has some real speed with Johnson and Shaw leading the way, while Marlow and Gurwitz are a scrappy combination with an ultra aggressive, hard-nosed approach.
Defense: 70. Color me a huge fan of the Longhorns from a defensive standpoint. Boy, is this an impressive club on paper. The Longhorns have a stable defender behind the plate in Barrera, while up the middle, the double play combo of Hinojosa and Marlow is one of the best in the country. Hinojosa, in particular, gained a great deal of confidence by his play down the stretch last season. Boswell has quick hands and is expected to shine at third, while the outfield is in terrific shape with the speedy and athletic Johnson and Shaw, along with Gurwitz, who moves from third to center and has that scrappy presence exemplified by Mark Payton the past few seasons.
Starting rotation: 55. The Texas starting rotation will be good, but will this be a rotation that can win the program’s seventh national title? That’s to be determined, especially if French is forced to move to the bullpen. French, the hard-nosed senior, has a fastball anywhere from 89-93 mph, along with a 79-82 changeup and 82-84 mph slider. French fields his position well and tends to induce a lot of ground balls with his sinking action at times. Hollingsworth is progressing well from an injury and likely is to occupy that Saturday role. Hollingsworth was the hero for the Longhorns against Texas A&M in that Houston Regional last year, and we get the feeling the hard-nosed righty takes the big jump this year. He will sit anywhere from 87-90 with his fastball, along with a mid-70s curve (his go-to secondary offering) and upper 70s change. Finally, the No. 3 spot in the weekend, at this point, likely is to go to Sawyer, the talented sophomore. Sawyer made an impression in the fall, and sits in the upper 80s, touching 90 mph, with his fastball, along with an improved changeup. He has good mound presence and the ‘Horns feel like he might just be the biggest surprise coming out of fall workouts. The Longhorns also have high hopes for two-way talent Kacy Clemens. Clemens has a quality arm and only will get better with more innings. He also could start again at first base for the Longhorns.
Bullpen: 55. Somewhere in the Texas locker room, there should be a sign stating “In Skip Johnson We Trust.” Even in the years the Longhorns look to be vulnerable on the mound, particularly in the bullpen, one of the nation’s elite pitching coaches always seems to have the burnt orange headed the right direction. Johnson has his work cut out with this unit, which is ultra-talented, but lacking experience. For instance, UT is leaving open the option of moving its projected Friday starter, French, to the closer role, while for now, it looks like freshman Johnston could occupy the role. Johnston is a 6-foot, 202-pounder, who was up to 95-96 mph with his fastball in the fall. Travis Duke is a key option from the left side. He’ll only sit 83-87 with his fastball, but he mixes in a pair of good secondaries in a curveball (72-74) and changeup (77-79). LHP Ty Culbreth will eat up a lot of innings out of the pen, while another freshman, RHP Connor Mayes, did some nice things in the fall to put his name into the mix. There’s talent here, and where there’s talent, Johnson will take care of the rest.
Experience/Intangibles: 60. After experiencing heartache for a couple of seasons and not reaching the NCAA postseason, the Longhorns entered 2014 hungrier than ever. Still, they had to go out there and prove their worth. They did just that, regrouping in the postseason, beating rival Texas A&M in a regional, then beating Houston to get back to the College World Series for an astonishing 34th time. Texas has some question marks on the mound in terms of experience, needing to rely on a few first-year guys in some key situations, but this lineup is loaded with veteran talents, many of whom stepped up on the Road to Omaha last year.
....and here's Kendall Roger's interview with Augie Garrido...
http://www.d1baseball.com/the-buzz/five-...e-garrido/
Quote:What’s your overall feeling about this team as you get ready for the 2015 campaign?
My feeling is that the pieces that you need to put together to have a high quality team are there. In the last few years of recruiting, we’ve done a nice job of getting kids on campus, and that has really helped with team chemistry. In the fall, I thought our guys demonstrated a very high level of respect for not only developing as players, but also the amount of respect for each other. I can’t tell you where this team is going to go until they experience the difficulties of a season, because you won’t win no matter which individuals you have if you don’t have teamwork. You know, the big thing about this team is we’re going to be playing a lot of guys who either haven’t experienced constant struggles on the baseball diamond, or who haven’t ever played behind someone and sat the bench for an amount of time. We have to see how some guys respond to that. That requires a lot of mental toughness. Last year is a perfect example of dealing with struggles and staying strong. We get up to, I think, sixth in the country, have the bottom fall out at the end of the spring, then end up in the College World Series. That team made some of the strongest impressions on me with how it handled losses, as much as it did wins. That’s the test this team has this year, too.
Travis Jones, Michael Cantu and others are talented freshmen who could make an instant impact. What’s the story on those guys?
Well, I’ll say this, they’re pretty talented. But overall, we have several talented pitchers, position players, and overall, just young players. If these guys would’ve come in last year, they would’ve done what the young players last year did. But like I said, it still ends up being about teamwork, and you have to make the best of your situations as a freshman because perhaps you don’t get as many opportunities. I’m not real sure where those guys were going to factor into the equation just yet in the spring, because we didn’t spend the fall putting guys at certain positions and leaving them there, but I like what I’ve seen from both of those guys, and plenty others, too.
You have a pretty intriguing situation behind the plate with ultra-talented freshman Michael Cantu and sophomore Tres Barrera. How is that duo looking entering the spring?
To be real honest with you, we didn’t try to find out who was going to play where for sure in the fall and I think that’s really important we get to that point here as we begin spring workouts. We still put a very heavy emphasis on toughness, attitude, commitment, not having a sense of entitlement in our program. We haven’t thought much about how many people to put in which places. We’re just real concerned with what’s best for this team moving forward. The story with these two, along with plenty of others, how can they play every day? If Cantu catches in a game, what does Barrera do? Does he DH? Well, that now depends on what we’re wanting to do with Travis Jones. So, it’s all related. We’re just not at that point quite just yet, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a terrible thing. I would say 75 percent of our fall was about hitting and offense rather than other things.
From your point of view, who’s someone that could really have a breakout year for the Longhorns?
Almost any of the recruited freshmen could be that guy for this club this season. We don’t have that feeling about Bret Boswell, because we feel like he’s kind of an established guy already. You know, there are plenty of guys out there with a lot of potential. Kaleb Denny hasn’t been able to do a lot because of an injury, but we know he’s a pretty good player. Another outfielder, Patrick Mathis, is a pretty good player, too. Then there’s Parker Joe Robinson, who can hit and really has some impressive player. We did a lot more evaluation against our pitching in the fall, and I feel like we have some options from an offensive standpoint.
From a personal standpoint, did last season kind of reenergize you a bit after a couple of unorthodox seasons at Texas?
Man, I think we all got reenergized last year. I thought we had a good year that was a true reflection of the power of teamwork. That’s what carried us and look where we ended up—in the College World Series. That now all has to be reconstructed. No team stays the same, so we kind of have to mold into our own team this year. I do hope this year’s team is like last year’s club in that regard. That was a pretty selfless team that were more than willing to make a lot of sacrifices on behalf of the time. Just the way they picked each other up was always pretty impressive.
...and, finally, here's a D1baseball feature on "The New Texas State of Mind" from Big12 and UT writer, Dustin McComas...
http://www.d1baseball.com/columns/new-texas-state-mind/
AUSTIN, Texas — Even college baseball’s most legendary and successful coaches must evolve. If they don’t, baseball can be quick to dish out a cruel reminder.
After an overachieving 2011 Texas team reached Omaha and masked the issues the program was about to face, the 2012 season delivered the clear sign drastic changes needed to be made. To paraphrase a famous YouTube video that starred a particular Texas head coach, if the 2012 Longhorns were in a street fight, they’d be dead. The Texas program went from a three-year stretch filled with two trips to the College World Series, and a level of Big 12.domination we just hadn’t seen before, to rock bottom. It can happen that fast.
Instead of simply reloading, Texas found itself in a position where it had to rebuild. Recruiting slipped to a point that forced Texas to have to find junior-college players to fill its roster because of evaluation misses and lack of preparation for players signing pro. Combine that with lack of player development on the offensive end, and Augie Garrido decided to part ways with longtime assistant Tommy Harmon after a disappointing 2012 season that saw Texas miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998.
But again, Texas was in rebuild mode and not reload mode. Garrido brought his former infielder Tommy Nicholson, now clearly a rising star in the industry, from Sacramento State to run the recruiting and the infield, and reignite the offense. Nicholson brought a youthful energy, much-needed hands-on instruction and a more productive recruiting approach. However, it would take another season before the changes would show and the rebuild would conclude because the Longhorns again missed the postseason, including the Big 12 tournament, in 2013. Fortunately for them, help was on the way with the addition of a 2013 recruiting class that would produce three key starters in ‘14. Still, Texas needed something to get it over the hump.
To the surprise of no one that’s ever followed the career of Garrido, his genius for teaching the mental side of the game did the trick. After all, no one knows the mental approach of college baseball quite like the all-time wins leader. What Garrido saw during the 2012 and ‘13 seasons was a Texas program filled with a wrong mentality rooted in entitlement. So he made it a point to completely change it.
“I think you have to reinvent yourself or else evolution just destroys you,” Garrido said about a year ago today before Texas began its 2014 season. “So, it isn’t the first time we’ve looked at something … when you get knocked down, we all know this, it’s about what you do when you get back up. So, we got knocked down. Now we have to do something different and what we did was change the mentality and get entitlement out of the picture. And we did it through hard work and we feel very strongly that the harder the players work the more they think they deserve to win.”
Garrido and his staff put Texas through a more grueling preseason that forced Texas players to earn everything. In the process, Garrido hoped it would force the Longhorns to become accountable, which in turn, would develop a strong sense of teamwork. Heck, Texas even had to spend most of its preseason in the visitor’s dugout instead of the stylish, professional-like digs on the other side of the field.
The Texas head coach is a firm believer in teamwork being the root of all successful campaigns.
“The coaches did that for us,” Parker French said about changing the mentality before the 2014 season. “I guess it’s like training a dog, or something. You have to keep telling him ‘No’ or smacking him on the nose and finally they get the point. Some dogs it takes a little longer to train than others. I think guys are a lot more accountable for their actions. We’ve been forced to from the coaching staff. We started off (in the fall) in the visitor’s dugout. We had to earn everything. It started right there. That was the theme — you had to earn everything.”
The mentality changed. Combine that with Skip Johnson’s usual production with his pitching staff and Nicholson’s recruiting and instruction and the results started to show. And because the Longhorns developed that mentality in the fall, they didn’t allow a rough stretch in Big 12 play — Texas was on top of the Big 12 and projected to be the No. 1 overall seed before being swept at home by TCU (combined score of 8-1), dropping two games in a home series against Oklahoma State (one of which by one run), and losing two on the road at West Virginia — to break them. Instead, the Longhorns developed a stronger sense of team, and veteran leadership from players like Nathan Thornhill and Mark Payton took the reins.
“I think that the leadership of the players that were on last year’s team, where they developed the right attitude to teamwork… we put a lot of time in on that. Then as we went through the season, we worked our way up on a pretty steady climb without too much failing in it until we got to the sixth spot of the nation,” said Garrido at this year’s preseason media session. “We got into conference and hit that bump in the road, and it was a pretty big one. That experience coupled with the confidence that they had and the hard work they did in the fall and the right attitude that they’d taken on helped them realize that they hadn’t reached their full potential and they needed to keep working. We had the will and the courage and the commitment and the mental toughness to fight back from those losses in the fall and then become a much better team as a result of it. And that’s what you want from your teams. You’re going to have that happen. It’s how they respond to it that really makes the difference. They responded in the right way.”
They responded and took Texas fans on an unforgettable ride that ended in the baseball mecca Texas has reached more than any other college program — Omaha. Though the Longhorns’ season ended in heartbreaking fashion against Vanderbilt, the postseason run revealed that Texas was back. It revealed that the rebuild was complete, and that a legendary head coach hadn’t lost his baseball Zen-like touch. Even the biggest of college programs can slip to the bottom if they don’t evolve over time.
Now, Texas is once again a conference and Omaha favorite, and it returns a lot of key contributors that learned how to be successful last season.
“What the players experienced from that team now brings back about 13 leaders that demonstrate leadership in the right way – by doing what’s right,” Texas’ head coach said recently. “Now the incoming class has no idea that it’s okay to do anything wrong. We’re hopeful that we’ve taken the right steps. The players from last year certainly provided a lot more leadership and there’s a lot more of them. But we still don’t have a team. Teamwork is the key to success.”
Rediscovering the key to trigger that teamwork and making the necessary move to bring the talent back up to Texas’ usual level has turned an evolution into something far more familiar at Texas under Garrido — a reload.
Eric Sorenson only ranked UT #23 in his preseason Top 301...
http://www.collegebaseballtoday.com/2015...s-of-2015/
23- TEXAS (46-21, 13-11)
Projected Big 12 Finish: 4th
2014 ISR: 5
Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 1
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15+inns.): 3
You know Augie’s gotta like this: all five infielders return to form a stellar defense, led by SS C.J. Hinojosa (.298) and power-stick C Tres Barrera (.261-5-35). CF Zane Gurwitz (.284) made the biggest jump in the fall. The mound is always a Longhorn strength and getting Parker French (7-5, 2.41) back for his senior season was huge, considering the overtures from the MLB. Also keep an eye on relief aces Travis Duke (2-1, 0.29) and Chad Hollingsworth (4-0, 1.15). The freshman class was ranked 7th nationally and features the battery of RHP Tyler Schimpf (31st round, A’s) and C Michael Cantu (30th round, Cubs).
Here's OrangeBlood's and D1baseball's Dustin McComas' assessment of the Longhorns' OF and DH positions heading into the year...
https://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1734357
Familiar faces with some speed and power make up Texas' 2015 outfield
Dustin McComas
Orangebloods.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in Inside the 40 Acres
Although the Longhorns have to replace Mark Payton in the outfield, they do return a key senior and also get back one of the best MLB Draft prospects in the Big 12. Plus, a familiar face from the infield shifts to the outfield full-time to fill the spot Payton, one of the most productive hitters during the Garrido Era, vacated. Here's a look at how the Texas outfield projects heading into the 2015 season:
Left field - Ben Johnson (junior), Patrick Mathis (freshman), Taylor Stell (junior)
Johnson possesses one of the best power and speed combinations in the Big 12, and maybe even nationally. With 6.4 speed in the 60-yard dash, Johnson is a big-time threat on the bases - he was perfect last season with 21 steals in 21 attempts - and has evolved into a better outfielder defensively because his speed is starting to show more thanks to improved reads and jumps. Last season, the local product from Round Rock Westwood led Texas with six homers, and that number could eclipse 10 this season. Although hard breaking stuff low and away gave him issues to end the season, look for Johnson to improve on his .263/.367/.405 line from a year ago.
Center field - Zane Gurwitz (sophomore), Collin Shaw (senior), Taylor Stell (junior)
The star of Texas' fall session, Gurwitz has looked totally at home in center field. That's not a surprise. Gurwitz is just the type that is a natural baseball player that a coach can plug in anywhere. And we know how much Augie Garrido, who routinely refers to searching for ballplayers and not prospects, loves those types of players.
No one hit better than Gurwitz in the fall. Defensively, his reads off the bat and his routes to balls in center looked better than adequate. Like Payton, Gurwitz isn't a burner, but he plays faster than his speed because of his instincts. And like Payton, he should be able to play center field fine, especially with more reps. During the fall, the sophomore from San Antonio showed a more patient approach at the plate, which makes him a strong candidate to lead off for Texas. Even though he's definitely on the short side, Gurwitz has some legit pop and should raise his home run total from two last season.
If for some reason Gurwitz went down or just totally bombed in center, the next option would have to be Shaw, who is the best defensive outfielder on the team. It almost makes sense to play Shaw in center and Gurwitz in one of the corner spots, but Garrido believes that the right field at UFCU Disch-Falk is uniquely difficult to play. As we've seen for years now, Shaw plays that area well.
As for Stell, he's healthy after dealing with a number of injuries these past couple of seasons, and is a quality fourth outfielder type that provides needed depth. Plus, he has the ability to make an impact as a pinch-runner late in games.
Right field - Collin Shaw (senior), Patrick Mathis (freshman)
Last season, Shaw made the jump from pinch-hitter and defensive substitute to full-time player. A main reason why he was able to do this is because he was better able to handle left-handed pitching. Plus, the Austin Westlake product also adjusted his too passive approach to the plate to one that included aggressive hacks in hitters' counts.
Like Johnson and Gurwitz, Shaw can make things happen on the bases too. He swiped 13 bags last season. Combine that with the other two outfielders and that's 43 stolen bases in 2014 among the 2015 starting trio. And as a senior, Shaw will have a chance to emerge as one of the team's real leaders. If he was deemed signable last year and not so locked into returning to Texas, Shaw would have absolutely been drafted, and probably much higher than most expected. He's a talented player, especially with the glove.
Mathis has been mentioned in each outfield position, but is probably the future right fielder in 2016 once Shaw graduates. At 6-0, 193 pounds, Mathis is an athletic outfielder that can do a bit of everything. However, he has the most value in his bat. From the left side of the plate, Mathis displays an under control, balanced approach, and when he hacks, he shows some of the best pure bat speed of anyone on the Texas roster.
Designated hitter - Tres Barrera (sophomore) - or - Michael Cantu (freshman), Patrick Mathis (freshman)
Texas needs to find a way to keep both Barrera and Cantu's bats in the lineup. It makes the most sense for one to catch and one to serve as the DH in order to help give the legs a bit of a rest. Although both have worked some at first base, Garrido seems pretty set on giving freshman Travis Jones every chance to win that job and be an everyday player. Again, it just makes way too much sense for one of these two monster talents to catch and the other serve as the designated hitter.
There will be times when one of them could just use a full day off, which is where Mathis comes in. The freshman is an attractive option at DH against right-handed arms.
....here's a Hornsports message board assessment of UT's position players...
http://www.hornsports.com/forums/topic/9...l-preview/
...and, for chuckles, here's a less than accurately researched series preview from my counterpart of the Hornsports message board...
http://www.hornsports.com/forums/topic/9...nce-slate/
Quote:Rice: UT wins 3 of 4
Head coach Wayne Graham is going to have his Owls ready. They have won Conference USA 19 times in his 22 years as their skipper. They come into the season ranked anywhere from 13-16 on the national scene.
Traditionally a tough pitching team, this year will be no different. They'll like go with Jr lefty Blake Fox on Friday night. He was undefeated last year, posting a 12-0 record and an impressive 1.46 ERA. We will likely see Soph Jon Duplantier (EDIT: Not sure what Rice will do now that Duplantier is out, prob committee for both SA games,) Jr Kevin McCanna on Sunday, with a committee approach on Sat in the second game. Their Jr stud Jordan Stephens will be a factor later in the season, but he's still working his way back from TJ surgery. Their closer is Matt Ditman and they have a solid bullpen with Trevor Teykl, Blake Fox and Josh Pettitte, (although Pettitte is also waiting to be cleared following TJ surgery.)
Rice has lost a couple of good sticks in Hoelscher, Aquino and Ewing, but they have faith in their catching duo of John Clay Reeves and Hunter Kopycinski. In a situation similar to UT's, (Cantu/Barrera,) these two will likely split duties behind the dish and at DH. Juniors 1B Connor Teykl and SS Leon Byrd provide some solid sticks. While Rice is in somewhat of a rebuilding year, they certainly are the favorite to win CUSA and challenge for a trip to Omaha. Much will depend on the emergence of a young lineup and production at the plate.
With their first test out of the gate being against the Horns, it won't be easy for the Owls. I see Texas as being able to win 3 of 4 in Reckling to start off the season, provided we get some of the offense I anticipate.
Texas has announced that their starting rotation will likely be:
FR: French
SA: Clemens
SA: Sawyer
SU: Hollingsworth
Closer: Johnston
You'll also see the following lineup, although there may be some tweaks as the weekend moves along.
CF Gurwitz
RF Shaw
SS Hinojosa
2B Marlow
C Barrera
3B Boswell
LF Johnson
DH Stell, McCann, Mathis or Cantu (This will probably be by committee for a while)
1B Jones