The University of Texas baseball team extended its losing streak to four games with a 3-2 home loss Tuesday night to Texas State. Texas had the weekend off following a three-game sweep at West Virginia last week, but the ‘Horns were unable to regroup as Texas State capitalized on three UT errors.
“I think we have to work on (the players’) attitude,” Texas head coach Augie Garrido said. “The losing has piled up on them. The losing is a pretty big demon that robs you of your confidence if you don’t have the mental toughness.”
UT fell behind, 1-0, after a Texas State leadoff home run to left field off Texas sophomore starter Connor Mayes. But the Longhorns regained the lead when freshman left fielder Tyler Rand smacked a two-run RBI double, giving Texas a 2-1 advantage. UT held the lead until the seventh inning. A failed pickoff attempt and a wild pitch put a Bobcat runner on third, after which Texas State third baseman Mickey Scott tied the game, 2-2, with an RBI single.
An error in the eighth inning by right fielder Patrick Mathis led to the deciding run in UT’s 3-2 home loss Tuesday to Texas State (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
Yet another failed pickoff attempt and a fielding error by sophomore right fielder Patrick Mathis allowed the winning run to score for Texas State in the eighth, and the UT bats went silent for the final two innings. Garrido said sloppy defense has been a huge factor in Texas’ struggles this season.
“(Fielding errors) have been way too consistent,” Garrido said. “We hoped for a solution because we’ve always had strong pitching and good defense, and that’s been an ongoing problem. We have the lowest fielding percentage and the weakest defensive statistics we’ve had in many years.”
The Longhorns are running out of time to find a solution. UT plays its final series of the season this weekend in Austin against Baylor before the Big 12 championship begins May 25, presenting the team with one more chance – a chance that would require an outstanding performance.
“The coaches are going to have to really continue to try to keep (the players) recognizing what their opportunities are,” Garrido said. “The opportunities are to win the games with Baylor, get into the tournament and win the tournament. That’s where the opportunity for the 2016 baseball team is. There is no other opportunity.”
The Texas baseball team’s offense hit its stride and ended a three-game skid as the Longhorns took two out of three from Kansas this weekend for their second-straight series victory.
With inclement weather approaching, Sunday’s game was cancelled and the Longhorns instead played a doubleheader Friday.
Texas jumped to an early 3-0 lead in Game 1, but the Kansas offense erupted, handing the Longhorns a 11-5 loss. Kansas tied the game, 3-3, in the fourth inning after UT sophomore right fielder Patrick Mathis dropped a routine fly ball. An RBI single gave the Jayhawks a 4-3 lead, but it didn’t last long. Texas freshman center fielder Tyler Rand hit an RBI double to right field. Freshman shortstop Kody Clemens followed with a single that put Texas up 5-4. But the UT lead soon vanished as sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Morgan Cooper gave up a three-run double to give Kansas a 7-5 lead. The damage continued from there. The Jayhawks added a couple more runs in the seventh and eighth innings, and two more runs scored in the ninth after Mathis’ second error of the day.
The Texas offense bounced back in Game 2, scoring seven runs in the first four innings en route to an 8-6 victory.
The Longhorns plated four runs in the first inning. Back-to-back doubles by sophomore left fielder Travis Jones and junior catcher Tres Barrera scored the first run. With two men on base, junior second baseman Zane Gurwitz jacked one over the right field wall to give Texas an early 4-0 lead. It was Gurwtiz’s second home run in four games. The Longhorns tacked on a couple more runs in the second and third innings, and Barrera hit a solo homer in the fourth to put UT up 7-0. Barrera’s hot night continued with an RBI single in the eighth. Kansas put up a four-spot in the ninth, but freshman right-handed reliever Chase Shugart induced a double play to limit the damage and seal the win for UT. Texas starter Kyle Johnston earned his second win of the season after pitching 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
Texas catcher Tres Barrera had a single, a double and a home run in the Longhorns’ 8-6 victory over Kansas (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
Texas head coach Augie Garrido said the players’ ability to adjust during the doubleheader helped them settle down to win the next two games.
“(The players) took ownership between games,” Garrido said. “(Kansas) gave us opportunities, and we capitalized on those opportunities. We didn’t find ways to interfere with the process, so to speak.”
Both the UT offense and pitching came together Saturday for a 12-2 win in the series finale. Senior lefty Ty Culbreth earned his seventh win and pitched his second complete game of the season, surrendering only two runs and striking out four. Culbreth received plenty of run support from the UT hitters.
“I think this is the fourth or fifth start where my offense has given me at least 10 runs, and that takes so much pressure off you as a pitcher,” Culbreth said. “It just makes things a lot easier.”
Texas got off to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, and then put up a four-spot in the third. Junior first baseman Kacy Clemens got the third inning started with a double, and Mathis followed with a walk. Both runners scored after a passed ball and two wild pitches, and Jones followed with a sac bunt to give Texas a 7-1 lead. UT added two more runs in the fourth before Jones hit a two-run blast in the fifth to extend the UT lead to 11-2. A bases-loaded walk in the seventh scored Kacy Clemens as rain began to fall, ending the game thanks to the 10-run rule.
After his team’s recent slump, Garrido said he is pleased with the direction Texas is headed.
“Ty Culbreth was brilliant on the mound — he really did a great job,” Garrido said. “We’re winning more pitches and we won more innings in the last two days than we have in the past. So it’s a strong step in the right direction.”
The Longhorns are now 7-5 in the Big 12 after their third conference series win of the season. Texas travels to Lubbock this weekend for a series with Texas Tech.
An offensive outburst against Kansas State came at just the right time for the slumping Longhorns. Six home runs over three games in Manhattan powered Texas to its first series victory in two weeks, improving UT’s conference record to 5-4.
Kacy and Kody Clemens each hit a two-run home run to lead the power surge Friday night and help Texas win the first game of the series, 6-3. The Longhorns added a couple more runs on an RBI single from junior second baseman Zane Gurwitz in the second inning and a fielding error in the fourth. Sophomore right-hander Morgan Cooper pitched six strong innings, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts to improve his record to 5-2.
Cooper kept Kansas State’s offense off-balance, and Kansas State head coach Brad Hill said the Wildcat hitters seemed “confused” for the first six innings of the game. But the Wildcats snapped out of it and challenged the Texas bullpen in the eighth inning. Sophomore righty Connor Mayes pitched a scoreless seventh and struck out the first batter of the eighth before allowing a base hit. Senior lefty Travis Duke entered the game and put away the next hitter, but Kansas State first baseman Jake Scudder followed with a two-run blast of his own. That ended Duke’s night, and freshman right-hander Chase Shugart took over for the final four outs and earned the save.
The long ball kept coming for Texas in Game 2, as three homers and 13 hits sent the Longhorns to a 12-5 victory on Saturday. UT’s first three runs came in the form of three solo home runs from right fielder Patrick Mathis, third baseman Kody Clemens and left fielder Travis Jones. Texas led, 5-0, in the sixth inning, but Kansas State got on the board with a three-spot on a fielder’s choice followed by a two-run blast from Wildcat senior catcher Tyler Moore to make it 5-3. The Longhorns distanced themselves with a five-run seventh. Gurwitz had a three-hit night with four RBIs, including a triple in the seventh that scored three runs and extended the UT lead to 10-3. Senior lefty Ty Culbreth pitched a solid seven innings, giving up four runs and striking out six. Mayes pitched a scoreless eighth; freshman right-hander Blake Wellmann only allowed one run in the ninth. The offensive hole was just too much for the Wildcats to dig out of late in the game.
“(Texas) did a good job of playing (the wind),” Hill said. “You could see (the Longhorns) were trying to adjust to it. They were solo home runs, though — that kept the score down. Texas just did a good job of hitting.”
Freshman Kody Clemens hit a home run in each of the Longhorns’ victories at Kansas State (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
In the series finale, a late-game rally was just what Kansas State needed. A 1-0 UT lead vanished in the eighth inning, and the Wildcats walked away with a 3-2 victory Sunday. A UT sacrifice fly in the second inning provided the only run for seven innings. Sophomore right-hander Kyle Johnston scattered four hits and four Ks over 6.1 innings of work, but the bullpen couldn’t hold onto the slim one-run Texas lead. The Wildcats tied the game with a sac fly of their own in the seventh. Back-to-back RBI singles off Shugart in the eighth gave Kansas State a 3-1 lead. Gurwitz jacked a solo home run in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to spark a rally on a quiet day for the Texas offense.
“It was really about the pitching today,” Hill said. “We have really struggled on the mound controlling (Texas).”
After the much-needed series win, the Longhorns return to play Houston in Sugar Land at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday before beginning a three-game series with Kansas in Austin this weekend.
The Texas baseball team can’t seem to catch a break lately. The Longhorns dropped their first conference series to rival Oklahoma followed by a 5-0 shut-out at home by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday. UT has now lost five of its last six games.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Nolan Kingham started against the Islanders but lasted just two-thirds of an inning. Kingham got the hook after walking two and serving up a two-run home run in his brief outing, which dropped his record to 1-3 this season.
Texas head coach Augie Garrido was careful not to diminish the Islanders’ performance, but made no secret of his displeasure with the way his team played.
“We didn’t show up,” Garrido said. “They jumped out with a two-run home run in the first inning and got the momentum from that. As the game went on, we had several opportunities with runners in scoring position and didn’t produce a run. We had the lead-off hitter on and got him to second with one out for two successive innings in a row and struck out four times during that stretch. Later on, we had the bases loaded after a base- running mistake that contributed to an out and failed to score. So we put it all together. Don’t take too much away from what they did; the pitcher did pitch well. He certainly kept us off balance. We were very ineffective.”
Freshman Nolan Kingham walked two and surrendered a two-run home run before getting pulled after just two-thirds of an inning in UT’s 5-0 home loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
Against the Sooners, the long ball once again plagued Texas pitchers. UT fell, 6-1, Friday in Game 1, thanks to three OU home runs off sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Morgan Cooper. The Texas hitters couldn’t do much against the Oklahoma pitching, especially OU starter Chris Andritsos. All six of UT’s hits came from three batters: junior third baseman Tres Barrera, freshman shortstop Kody Clemens and sophomore designated hitter Bret Boswell. Texas managed to plate its lone run in the third inning when Kody Clemens hit a single up the middle and Barrera smacked an RBI double, but the bats went silent from that point as the Sooners continued to roll.
The tide turned in UT’s favor Saturday when the Longhorns rode a four-run first inning to a 4-3 victory over the Sooners. With two on and one out, Barrera doubled to score one run. Sophomore right fielder Patrick Mathis followed with a two-run double that put Texas up, 3-0. Freshman center fielder Tyler Rand hit a single, and Mathis scored on a throwing error when Rand stole second. Oklahoma answered with a couple runs in the second and one in the fourth to make it a one-run game. The Longhorns added an insurance run in the sixth inning on Mathis’ second RBI double of the night to seal the victory. Senior lefty starter Ty Culbreth pitched his sixth-straight quality start with four strikeouts and three runs on eight hits. The four Texas relief pitchers shut out the Sooners, allowing only one hit over three innings. Oklahoma out-hit Texas, 9-5, but Texas succeeded in taking advantage of opportunities.
“We had our opportunities to win the game,” Oklahoma head coach Pete Hughes said. “We let up five hits and got beat. The ability to throw strikes and not walk them — it tells you how crucial it is in those numbers right there.”
Luck wasn’t on the Longhorns’ side Sunday as Texas suffered a 4-3 walk-off loss. A home run put the Sooners up, 1-0, in the first inning, but Rand gave the Longhorns a 2-1 lead with a couple RBIs in the third and fifth innings. A sac fly in the sixth extended the UT lead to 3-1. The Sooners answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, 3-3. Sophomore right-handed closer Connor Mayes came in to pitch for UT in the bottom of the ninth and gave up a lead-off walk. A sac bunt advanced the OU runner, and a double put two runners in scoring position for the Sooners. Mayes intentionally walked the next hitter to load the bases with one out, but to no avail. Junior center fielder Ben Hollas hit a single to right to walk off with the 4-3 OU victory.
“Our goal going in (was) to win the series,” Hughes said. “It was a great team effort the entire weekend. You look at a kid like Ben Hollas, who hasn’t been playing a lot lately, but he’s never wavered from the team-first mentality in his preparation. That puts you in a good position to win a game for your team.”
The Longhorns head to Manhattan, Kansas, this weekend for a three-game series with Kansas State.
Following the loss to A&M-CC, Kacy Clemens said the Longhorns are past the point of changing their performance through motivational speeches. Now, he said, the players must put what they have been taught into action.
“Yeah, everything’s been said,” Clemens said. “This is already way too many times to be sitting in the locker room thinking about what we need to do. We already know what we need to do, we just need to get out there and do it.”
The Texas players don’t remember much about playing Connecticut in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen last year.
“I remember losing,” senior center Imani Boyette said of the 2015 matchup. “That’s pretty much it.”
The Longhorns were reminded of the feeling again as their historic season came to an end in familiar fashion Monday night. No. 1-ranked Connecticut defeated Texas, 86-65, in the Bridgeport Regional Quarterfinals Elite Eight.
The Longhorns, who were seeded second in the Sioux Falls bracket, stayed with the Huskies in the first half. After digging themselves a 17-6 hole early in the first quarter, the ‘Horns fought back with an 11-2 run, thanks to three consecutive three-pointers from sophomore guards Ariel Atkins — who averaged a team-high 18.0 points in UT’s four NCAA games this season — and Brooke McCarty. Texas trailed, 22-17, at the end of the first period.
The Longhorns kept the deficit to five points until about halfway through the second quarter when the Huskies began to distance themselves. A three-pointer at the 5:06 mark by first-team All-American forward Breanna Stewart started the 16-6 Connecticut run. The 6-foot-4-inch senior finished the night with 21 points and 13 boards to go along with senior forward Morgan Tuck’s 22-point night. Texas struggled to maintain control of the ball, committing four of its seven first-half turnovers in the final five minutes of the second quarter. The Huskies led, 46-31, at the half.
The University of Texas women’s basketball season came to an end Monday with an 86-65 loss to top-ranked Connecticut in the quarterfinal of the NCAA women’s basketball championship (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
Texas trailed by as many as 21 points early in the third quarter. A 12-2 run — including three consecutive three-pointers from McCarty, senior guard Empress Davenport, and Atkins — reduced the deficit to 54-42. The Huskies went on a 7-2 run which included another three-pointer from Stewart to help carry a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter as the Texas shooters struggled to score.
Freshman guard Lashann Higgs scored eight points in the fourth period and McCarty drained two threes, but the Huskies’ lead was too much for Texas to overcome. Higgs and Atkins led the offense with 19 points apiece, while McCarty scored 15 in UT’s fifth and final loss of the season.
Texas finished the season with a 31-5 record, the most wins since the 1987-88 season. UT has room to grow toward its goal of a national championship after ending the season in the Sweet Sixteen last year and the Elite Eight this year.
Texas head coach Karen Aston said she feels the Longhorns have come a long way in a year, despite a similar end to the season.
“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of our basketball team,” Aston said after the game. “It’s a tough night for us — lots of seniors, lots of tears, lots of people that didn’t want it to end. It’s a significantly different looking team and different locker room than it was last year (when) we played our last game.”
The Longhorns out-rebounded their opponents, 34-29, marking the 30th game this season in which they have had as many or more rebounds as their opponents.
Among the Texas seniors who played for the last time as a collegiate player Monday was center Imani Boyette, who left her name all over the UT record book as her college career came to an end. She finished her career second in school history with 303 blocked shots, fifth in UT history with 1,036 career rebounds and No. 22 on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,361 points. Her 104 blocked shots this season were the second-highest single-season total in school history.
As Big 12 conference play began this weekend, the Longhorns did exactly what head coach Augie Garrido said they needed to do last week after dropping their third straight weekend series: they started over. Texas took two out of three from No. 6 TCU in the Big 12 opener behind big bats and an impressive effort from the pitching staff.
“Well, we have a losing record overall,” Garrido said, “but a winning attitude.”
Texas is now 11-13 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 games.
UT started on the right foot Thursday, taking the series opener, 4-3, thanks to timely hitting and a long ball from sophomore right fielder Patrick Mathis. Texas led, 2-0, in the third inning after a slew of infield singles and a couple TCU errors. Right-handed pitcher Morgan Cooper was perfect through three innings before running into trouble in the fourth, when he issued a walk and a base hit. With two on and no outs, TCU sophomore catcher Evan Skoug crushed a three-run homer to right to give the Horned Frogs a 3-2 advantage, but the Longhorns took the lead back in the fifth when Mathis jacked a two-run homer that put the ‘Horns ahead, 4-3.
The Texas bullpen was lights-out after struggling the past few series. UT relievers held TCU to a mere three hits over a combined 4.1 innings. Freshman righty Chase Shugart said the bullpen’s performance renewed their confidence in the team’s ability to right the ship.
“There’s no doubt in my mind we can be the team we want to be,” Shugart said. “It’s either fight or flight now, and we don’t have wings.”
Texas southpaw Ty Culbreth pitched a stellar outing Friday against No. 6 TCU, allowing four hits in more than six shutout innings as UT blanked the Horned Frogs, 2-0 (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
The pitching staff’s confidence carried into Friday, as Texas shut out TCU to take a 2-0 win. Senior left-handed starter Ty Culbreth allowed only four hits over 6.1 innings, the bullpen held the Horned Frogs hitless, and sophomore right-handed closer Connor Mayes earned his second consecutive save.
The two teams’ pitchers dueled until the Longhorns broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning. With no outs and two runners on base, freshman shortstop Kody Clemens drove in a run while grounding into a double play. Junior third baseman Tres Barrera then hit a solo homer to put UT ahead for good, 2-0. A slew of injuries to the infield caused Garrido to make some changes, including playing Barrera at third instead of catcher. Garrido said he plans to keep Barrera at third because of his defensive prowess at the position.
“We have to (keep Barrera at third) — that’s our best team right now,” Garrido said. “You see the difference in the maturity of the infielders and the plays they’re making. There were three plays that probably stopped the momentum and helped win the game — the backhand play that (Barrera) made at third with the runner on first was one. If that’s down the line, there’s a chance for that run to score.”
Barrera said his leadership role on the team helps him adjust to playing in the infield, and he feels the changes had a positive effect on the Longhorns’ mindset.
“That’s why Coach put me (at third), because I’m always talking when I’m behind the plate or in the infield,” Barrera said. “I try to keep everyone awake, talk to them the whole time, and I guess it’s working so far. We try to go in with the same mindset every game. I go into the locker room and talk to the guys the same way I did since game one.”
Barrera hit his third home run in four games Saturday, but Texas dropped the series finale, 9-5, after a shaky start by sophomore righty Kyle Johnston. TCU starter Rex Hill struggled as well, and both starters gave up three runs each and were pulled after less than three innings. The TCU offense mowed through eight UT pitchers in Saturday’s contest, tagging them for 14 hits.
The UT offense kept the game close throughout the first five innings. Texas trailed 5-3 when Barrera smacked a two-run homer to tie the game, 5-5. The TCU bullpen stopped the Longhorns there, and the Horned Frog offense continued to bat around and put up a three-spot in the sixth inning off relievers Nolan Kingham and Shugart. Garrido said the players are aware of the mistakes leading to the loss, but he said the experience the team gained over the weekend series is all that mattered.
“We already know about how we played the second half — we played 12 of those games,” Garrido said. “It was a combination of missed plays, mental mistakes, good timely hitting by (TCU), and taking advantages of their opportunities. You put that all together, and then we didn’t respond in the sixth after they got the three.”
Despite the third-game blemish, the Longhorns remain confident as they move into conference play. UT’s conference schedule doesn’t get any easier — Texas travels to Norman to face rival Oklahoma next weekend for a three-game set starting April 1. Before heading north, the Longhorns face Lamar on Tuesday night in Austin.
“A lot of the young guys are starting to believe,” Barrera said. “Something had to change a little bit, but our mindsets have stayed the same. A little bit of defensive changes, and we’re clicking right now. Hopefully we keep rolling and keep winning baseball games.”
Sophomore guard Ariel Atkins went from sitting on the sideline while rehabbing an injury to leading the Texas women’s basketball team to victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Texas, seeded in the Sioux Falls bracket, defeated No. 10 seed Mizzou, 73-55, Monday night in Austin behind Atkins’ 22 points and seven rebounds.
Atkins’ improvement this season has been a personal victory for her, but the team’s final goal of winning a championship is the driving force. The Longhorns now are one step closer to that goal.
“I always wanted to come back and contribute for my team,” Atkins said. “That was one of my main focal points. It’s hard mentally coming back from an injury, but my teammates talked me through it.”
With the victory, Texas advances to its 13th NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in program history. UT will play No. 3-seeded UCLA at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the Bridgeport Regional. The road hasn’t been easy, and Monday was no exception. Missouri boasted a starting lineup in which all five players were more than six feet tall; 6-foot-7-inch senior center Imani Boyette was the lone Longhorn starter over six feet. But the smaller UT guards rose to the challenge, holding Mizzou to 31 percent shooting from the field.
The Tigers’ accuracy from behind the arc was on display from the beginning, when Mizzou freshman guard Sophie Cunningham drilled two three-pointers in the first three minutes of the game. Texas responded with a 17-3 run to finish the first quarter with a 17-9 lead over the Tigers. Atkins said the team’s preparation for Missouri’s style of play helped Texas pull ahead in the first quarter and never relinquish the lead.
“I think we were kind of fast,” Atkins said. “We were hoping to disrupt (Missouri) a little bit. I don’t think they caught us off-guard — it was something the coaches saw and implemented … so we could do that.”
The Longhorns extended their lead in the second quarter with help from freshman guard Lashann Higgs’ contributions off the bench. Higgs scored six points in the quarter and stripped a ball from Mizzou that led to a three-pointer for senior guard Celina Rodrigo. Atkins hit two threes of her own, and UT headed to the lockers with a comfortable 36-21 berth. Texas outscored Mizzou in the paint, 22-0, by halftime.
Ariel Atkins scored 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the University of Texas women’s basketball team past Missouri, 73-55, and on to a Sweet Sixteen matchup with UCLA (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
Higgs’ energy was a vital part of Texas’ offensive production, and although she considers herself a defensive player, she attributed her success on offense to her teammates.
“I try to mainly focus on defense and try not to lose my man,” Higgs said. “I just listened to what the point guards and upperclassmen say and play as hard as I can and leave it all out there.”
Mizzou continued to strike from behind the arc, opening the third quarter with a three-pointer. The Tigers outscored the ‘Horns, 19-18, in the quarter to chip the deficit to 14 points. Cunningham drilled another three midway through the quarter en route to 23 points on the night, including 3-of-8 from three-point range. The star freshman was everything UT expected she would be and proved difficult to defend.
“From the scouting report, she was Sophie tonight,” Higgs said. “She’s a good guard. She’s strong, physical, she can shoot, she can drive.”
The Texas lead was too much for Mizzou to overcome, as UT continued to score in the fourth. Rodrigo and sophomore guard Brooke McCarty both drilled threes, and Atkins added a couple more buckets. Senior guard Brady Sanders took the court in Austin for the final time to a standing ovation in the last three minutes of the game.
“I just can’t say enough about how proud I am of this basketball team,” Texas head coach Karen Aston said. “We beat a really good team tonight — Missouri was really good. I looked at them on film extensively, saw them play live, and I was very, very impressed with them. Our defense really took them out of the things they do best.”
The Longhorns don’t have much time to rest on their laurels. Aston said that starting with UT’s game against UCLA, defense will play a large role in tournament play as Texas moves forward.
“Our team will be locked in,” Aston said. “(The players) understand that UCLA is really good. We have some answers for a lot of things defensively, because the ball is not always going to go in. You have to be able to defend people in a tournament, especially guards.”
With a full night of rest, the Longhorns are ready to get back to work and face the next obstacle in their quest for a championship.
“You don’t just show up and win 30 games in a season unless you’ve got players that are committed to work on a daily basis and you have coaches and staff members and support staff,” Aston said. “This was a job that (everyone) put a lot of work into, and tonight was a team that you just love to coach. I’m really excited to be in the Sweet Sixteen, I’m excited for our team and looking forward to moving on.”
The Longhorns dropped their third consecutive weekend series to Tulane this weekend in Austin, but head coach Augie Garrido sees the recent losses as good news for Texas.
“The good news is we were responsible for the losing,” Garrido said after Sunday’s game. “Why is that good news? Because it’s in our hands to change it.”
Sophomore pitcher Connor Mayes took the responsibility for the 3-2 series-opening loss after Friday’s game was paused by rain and resumed Saturday. Texas led 2-1 when the game was called Friday, but couldn’t maintain the lead Saturday. UT got on the board when sophomore left fielder Travis Jones singled up the middle in the first inning, followed by a double from junior designated hitter Tres Barrera. A groundout by sophomore right fielder Patrick Mathis scored Jones to tie the game at 1-1. The Longhorns led 2-1 after three innings when Jones doubled and scored on consecutive groundouts. The lead lasted until a two-run homer off Mayes from Tulane junior left fielder Jarret DeHart put the Longhorns away, 3-2. Despite the home run, Mayes and the Texas pitchers put together a solid performance. Tulane managed five hits off the three Texas pitchers it faced in Game 1, and Garrido continues to maintain confidence in his pitching staff.
“Our strength is in our pitching staff,” Garrido said. “We have to play defense at a high level, and we have not been able to do that … My disappointment was just that when we went behind by one run, the quality of the at-bats diminished terribly. So I’m bitterly disappointed that our experience, what we’ve been through in our schedule, did not produce the confidence in those situations that I had hoped for.”
Texas had the quality at-bats it needed later in the day, winning Game 2, 10-3, behind an offensive outburst and quality pitching. All three of Tulane’s runs came in the first inning, and that’s all UT senior lefty Ty Culbreth would allow. He settled down to pitch six innings with eight strikeouts and two walks, followed by three innings of one-hit baseball from freshman pitcher Blake Wellmann. The Longhorn offense got rolling in the second inning with back to back singles from Kody and Kacy Clemens. Sophomore second baseman Joe Baker’s double scored both brothers, and an RBI single from junior center fielder Zane Gurwitz tied the game at 3-3. UT broke the game open with a four-spot in the third inning. A Kacy Clemens RBI double plated three runs, and he later scored on a throwing error by the Tulane second baseman to put Texas up, 7-3. UT added three more runs in the sixth on a couple RBI singles to take the game, 10-3. Both Clemens brothers had a two-hit night, and Kacy says the adjustments he made at the plate are paying off.
“I feel great at the plate – I’m seeing the ball well,” Kacy said. “My swing is different than it used to be, and I’m able to barrel a lot more balls now – whether they get caught or not isn’t up to me … So if they keep falling, they keep falling. Hopefully there will be guys on base when they do, and I’ll keep getting more RBIs.”
Despite outhitting Tulane on Sunday, UT failed to manufacture enough runs and dropped the series finale, 5-3, after two unearned Tulane runs set the stage. UT sophomore righty Kyle Johnston walked a Tulane batter, followed by errors from sophomore second baseman Jake McKenzie and sophomore shortstop Bret Boswell that scored a run. A base hit added another, and Tulane was up 2-0. Texas added a run in the sixth when Boswell singled and scored on a Mathis double. In the seventh, sophomore catcher Michael Cantu doubled and scored on Gurwitz’s single to tie the game 2-2. Tulane responded with two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. Texas’ one run in the bottom of the ninth wasn’t enough to spark a comeback as the Longhorns fell, 5-3.
Garrido says the Longhorns are capable of much more, and Texas will have to get back on track as conference play looms. The Longhorns first play UTSA at 6 p.m. Tuesday night before beginning their Big 12 schedule against TCU on March 24 at 6 p.m.
“We have provided the opponent with more opportunities than any team can withstand,” Garrido said. “And we’ve never played like that – we’re not playing our game. We’re not doing what we’re capable of doing and we need to start over.”
The No. 7 Texas women’s basketball team earned the No. 2 seed in the Sioux Falls bracket of the NCAA Tournament and will host the first and second rounds this weekend in Austin.
Seventh-seeded BYU, 10th-seeded Missouri, and 15th-seeded Alabama State also will play in the tournament at the Frank Erwin Center, which kicks off Saturday. No. 7 BYU and No. 10 Missouri face off at 5:30 p.m., and No. 2 Texas plays No. 15 Alabama State at 8 p.m. The winners will play each other March 21. The start of the second-round game has not yet been determined.
This is Texas’ 29th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its first time to host the first and second rounds since 2010. Texas is seeded No. 2 for the fifth time in program history, earning its best seed since earning the No. 1 slot in 2004.
The Longhorns finished the regular season with a 28-4 overall record and a 15-3 Big 12 record.
The Texas women’s basketball team, seeded second in the Sioux Falls bracket, will face Alabama State on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA tournament (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
The Texas baseball team allowed yet another lead to slip away in the series finale as the Longhorns dropped two out of three to No. 19 UCLA this weekend in Los Angeles.
UT started the series on a good note, defeating the Bruins, 7-5, in the first game Friday, which gave Texas its first victory in a series opener this season. The Bruins plated a run in the first inning off UT righty Kyle Johnston, but Texas responded with two in the third inning. Junior center fielder Zane Gurwitz stretched a long single to right center into a double, followed by a couple of walks to load the bases. Junior catcher Tres Barrera singled to center to drive in a pair of runs.
UCLA designated hitter Kort Peterson homered off Johnston in the bottom of the inning to trim the UT lead to 2-1, but the Longhorns broke the game open with a four-run fourth. A sacrifice bunt pushed a runner to second, and sophomore second baseman Jake McKenzie reached on a fielding error by the Bruins shortstop. Gurwitz plated a run with an RBI double, and sophomore left fielder Travis Jones added another with an RBI sac fly to give Texas a 4-2 lead. Sophomore shortstop Bret Boswell then launched a two-run home run over the right field fence to put UT ahead, 6-2. Junior first baseman Kacy Clemens added an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI double. UCLA fought back with three runs in the ninth off Texas freshman right-handed relievers Chase Shugart and Nolan Kingham, but ran out of time to mount a comeback as Texas took the 7-5 win. Texas head coach Augie Garrido said he was pleased with the way the two young pitchers handled the late-game threat.
“They came through at the right time,” Garrido said. “First game on the road, young pitchers, different environment, good team … you put that all together and they had to fight their way out of a lot of situations, and they did that.”
After losing two out of three to UCLA over the weekend, the Texas baseball team will try to get back on the winning track Tuesday when it faces off against Texas A&M in College Station (photo courtesy of texassports.com).
Texas lost in walk-off fashion Saturday, falling 5-4 after Peterson’s second home run of the series in the bottom of the ninth. UT trailed, 4-3, in the top of the ninth when freshman second baseman Kody Clemens smacked a double to left field. He advanced to third on a wild pitch, and sophomore catcher Michael Cantu drew a walk. Freshman right fielder Brady Harlan hit a RBI double to left field to tie the game at 4. But Peterson’s walk-off homer off Texas freshman righty reliever Blake Wellmann sealed the 5-4 loss for UT. Texas senior left-handed starter Ty Culbreth remained a bright spot, pitching 7.1 innings with seven strikeouts, no walks and four runs on seven hits. The players continue to be supportive of their young bullpen as the pitching staff works through its kinks.
“It’s growing pains, man,” Barrera said. “We’ve got a young (pitching) staff — talented, but very young. (The pitchers need) just to keep learning and building, because we want to be peaking at the right time. I told the guys, pick out the good things you did and keep building on that and know what you did wrong also and you can learn from those mistakes.”
Sunday was the same song and dance as last week for Texas. A 2-0 UT lead vanished after a UCLA five-spot in the sixth inning off junior lefty reliever Jon Malmin and freshman Beau Ridgeway gave the Bruins a 5-2 advantage. UCLA added another run in the seventh and three consecutive singles gave UT an extra run in the eighth. It wasn’t quite enough for a comeback win as Texas fell, 6-3, but Garrido said he still feels his team competed throughout the game.
“We got up to the moment of truth and had some difficulties crossing that bridge to be ourselves in the batters’ box, but it wasn’t any one thing,” Garrido said. “(The Bruins) are a very good team and we did compete and we did learn a lot from the weekend, and (we) just hope that we can get the winning going as well.”
With consecutive series losses behind them, the Longhorns hope to reverse the trend this week. Texas rolls into College Station on Tuesday to face rival Texas A&M at 6:35 p.m. before returning home for a three-game set against Tulane.
“Our boys will get a real opportunity to deal with the environment around them (in College Station) that’s hostile,” Garrido said, “so it’ll be good for them.”
Blanche Schaefer 