Texas Baseball 2009: Is She The One?
by 40AS on Mar 6, 2009 10:00 AM CST
in Texas Longhorns Baseball
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PrintIn honor of the first great start for Texas baseball since 2005, we've decided to go a bit avant-garde with this one. Of course, the 2005 squad won its first 20 games. We're not sure what we'll do if the '09 team gets to that point...
Here we are, two weekends into the college baseball season and Texas fans are experiencing a familiar feeling that they haven't felt for a while: optimism. When you sauntered up to the 2006 and 2007 teams at the bar, the flaws were easily apparent. 2008 looked fine during the first date, but then her obnoxious laugh and inability to field grounders caught up with her.
But 2009 looks good through the first few dates -- marriage good. She reminds you of previous loves, and you're excited about a future with her. The big question remains though: is she really the one that will win Texas another championship (or at least make a nice Omaha run)? Or will this one fizzle out like all of your recent relationships?
This baseball team has to have zits--every team does--but once they're discovered will you look at her the same as you do right now? The offense hasn't always been stellar, having twice been held to just one run. There have been a number of times where the Horns have failed to bring runners home when the bases were loaded and there was nobody out. David Hernandez had four errors...against Texas State.
But aren't these concerns petty? Surely this is more than just a rebound team following three straight seasons of bad relationships with Texas baseball, right? All of the things that went wrong with the last girl-- she couldn't field, she couldn't pitch, she didn't have a go-to closer -- seem different this time around. Even though she is sometimes flaky in making plans to get together, she always comes through in the end. (That's an attempt at a metaphor for the Texas State and UTA comebacks. Do you buy it?)
This weekend we're taking the new baseball team to meet the parents. Stanford has struggled of late, entering the week at 2-6 after being swept by Cal State Fullerton with a bookend two game sweep at the hands of St Mary's. Their second game with St. Mary's that was scheduled for Tuesday was pushed back to yesterday, meaning they'll be playing four straight days of baseball through the weekend.
The Tree has struggled to hit the ball (.236 team BA---.314 for UT), and they've struggled with pitching (6.49 ERA---1.24 for UT), so on paper Texas should be heavilly favored. But this is one of the best baseball programs in the country, it's in Palo Alto where the Horns have won just two of six games in the last two visits, and Stanford has faced far stiffer competition than Texas has to this point of the season.
The last time Texas was marriage-worthy she swept Stanford, but that was in Austin and taking just one game (as the Longhorns did in 2004 when she was about as marriage-worthy as they come) would be fine by us.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (courtesy of TexasSports.com)
Friday, March 6, 2009 - 7 p.m. Central
Texas: RHP Chance Ruffin (2-0, 3.14 ERA)
Stanford: RHP Jeffrey Inman (0-1, 4.85 ERA)
Saturday, March 7, 2009 - 3 p.m. Central
Texas: RHP Taylor Jungmann, RHP Cole Green or RHP Brandon Workman*
Stanford: LHP Brett Mooneyham (0-1, 3.68 ERA)
Sunday, March 8, 2009 - 3 p.m. Central
Texas: RHP Taylor Jungmann, RHP Cole Green or RHP Brandon Workman*
Stanford: TBA
*Helpful, right? Our guess is it'll be Green or Workman Saturday and the other on Sunday with Jungmann in the pen.
Gametracker:
Weather (courtesy of Accuweather.com)
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Give Texas State some credit
Texas State has beat Texas on a regular basis than just about any other team I can think of.
Well, if you call winning 2 of the last 14 beating someone on “a regular basis” … okay.
Not sure where you were going with this. Nothing in that post should have been considered offensive by a Texas State fan. If you’re referring to the line about David Hernandez, I don’t think he was saying “David Hernandez committed four errors … against crappy Texas State.” I’m pretty sure he meant “David Hernandez committed four errors … in one game.”
Texas State has a nice club and just got themselves some nice facilities. Good for y’all. But let’s not be so disingenuous as to claim that Texas State is beating Texas on a regular basis because that is just not the case. Not even close. I don’t think you’ve beaten Texas period in 4 years.
Brave..
…working your wedding blog into a BON post!
Cameron Rupp is playing tonight.
Per Craig and Keith in the pre-game show.
That was quick...
Travis Tucker leads off the game with a home run to left. 1-0 Horns.
Top of 2nd
still 1-0 ’Horns
one out on a pop fly to RF
one out on a line drive to Travis Tucker between 1st and 2nd
last out on a throw to 1st from SS/3rd…only caught a bit of the replay.
Stanford's pitching
really struggling, aren’t they?
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
definitely
i’m trying find some stats for them so far,..
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 7:43 PM CST up reply actions
just found it
and yeah, stanford pitching: currently ugly…
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 7:47 PM CST up reply actions
np
i’m switching back and forth between the game and Minnesota – Michigan Tech hockey…underrated sport, hockey.
Tied at 4
11:09 left in the 3rd period.
Tied at 1 after the first, when i found it.
MTU scored 3 quick ones in 5 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd, got a nice one shortly after. Minnesota scored two more quick ones in the final seconds of the period.
MTU just scored. 5-4 Huskies at 9:41 left in the 3rd. Nice shot from the point, a rebound and pass across the crease left Tech looking at practically the entire net.
Haha, I think some plays from this game might actually make it into ESPN’s Top 10.
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 7:57 PM CST up reply actions
Also
5, Drew Dobson has his first career hat trick tonight.
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 8:01 PM CST up reply actions
first
sign of life for Stanford, not allowing a Longhorn run that inning.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Stanford plays football?
who knew?
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
aaand...that's it for the 3rd.
with a surprise move from one of the sportscasters…changing broadcasting location during the game…just what will the guy do next?!
flight
played Louisiana-Lafayette in the first series of the year.
It went to 10th inning, we had to quit to catch a plane.
First tie in many years for the Ragin’ Cajuns, I believe we had one last year.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Remember that huge series in Lincoln in '05?
I think it went all 9 but very similar situation. That was a helluva series
Hit and run
Executed to perfection, Belt singles through the right side…runners at the corners, one out
fourth error?
on Stanford so far? wow.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
They don't seem focused at all.
Their throws have been lazy, and they’re trying to do everything at once. Stanford really needs to slow down and think about execution.
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 8:11 PM CST up reply actions
They're lost
man. Ugly baseball by them so far.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
i'm going
to catch the end of that, thanks man.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
no problem
it’s gonna be a good one…they are (or used to be) bitter rivals.
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 8:18 PM CST up reply actions
i live
in minnesota.
hockey is the only sport in which your career is over if you haven’t started playing by the time you’re eight. :)
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
haha, also true
it’s also a little more difficult if you’re as far removed from the game as we were in Houston…you also catch a little hell from all the Stars fans running around, as a devoted follower of the winged wheel.
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 8:28 PM CST up reply actions
how the hell
he missed that shot, he knew it was coming, man that goaltending sucked.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
true story
the set up was there, with no screen. that’s what happens when you don’t have your damn stick down.
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 8:25 PM CST up reply actions
Craig and Keith said it happened when he scored on the play at the plate earlier
by Sweed4Heisman on Mar 6, 2009 8:27 PM CST up reply actions
It looked like he rolled his ankle on that play. I wasn’t sure he actually touched the plate, but on the replay, you could tell he stepped on it pretty awkwardly. Not sure why it would be bleeding unless he got cleated somehow.
Just an observation from a crappy angle
Looked like something was red under all that ice, probably not though
yeah
he was kicking butt.
I wouldn’t worry about Stanford coming back though. :)
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
that was weird
that was a big wrap for there to be blood coming from inside out.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Got another look at Tucker's ankle just now
It looks like he just rolled it coming into home. Trainers have it wrapped and just took away the ice. Commentators said he may return later in the series this weekend.
Fordham explanation
They have been playing baseball since 1860…and their all-time record is 4181-2047-51.
something like that
i don’t know when our baseball program started, but the university was founded in 1883.
by The Mack Attack on Mar 6, 2009 8:57 PM CST up reply actions
Moldenhauer looks like he dropped a few pounds
Or maybe it’s because he’s wearing Danks’s number and Danks was a rail.
That blows
Bases loaded with one out and we couldn’t get anyone in.
Ump wants to go home.
That first pitch was a good 6 inches off the plate.
That was a pretty easy inning, Ruffin or Wood in the 9th?
by Sweed4Heisman on Mar 6, 2009 9:35 PM CST up reply actions
These announcers are so confused
They don’t know which way is up.
They said Hernandez first
Then said Lusson was ph-ing for Hernandez, but really it was for Tim Maitland.
Yes
But Hernandez struck out the at-bat before. It was Lusson who doubled in Rupp.
And Hernandez extended his hitting streak back in the 7th with an infield single.
Augie looked like he knew on that last pitch
He had “the look.”
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