Horns Drop Game Three, Series to New Mexico

by 40AS on Feb 21, 2010 4:18 PM CST in Texas Longhorns Baseball

The 2010 baseball team will have a shorter stay at the top than the basketball team. On Sunday, Texas got a good start from Austin Dicherry and played solid defense. Oh, and freshman Cohl Walla had a hit in his first AB. That's about the end of the positives. Texas had 29 hits in 3 series games but managed only 12 runs (and only 5 earned runs. In three games.) Chance Ruffin badly blew his first save opportunity of the season with a tying homer (more on this later in the week), error and then go-ahead hit.

In the end, this is a team with a lot of new parts, so some growing pains are to be expected. And New Mexico is not a bad team, they'll likely be playing in the tourney at season's end. Some of the season's big questions seem to be settled for now, namely Tant Shepherd's bat (.500 for the series), but a lot of them remain. It's way to early to do a post-mortem of what this means for the season beyond the basics: starting pitching -- good/great, relief pitching -- okay, hitting -- unclutch, fielding -- okay.

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The sky's not falling. Yet.

A fast start was critical to success in '04, '05 and '09. Such a start won't happen this season and the schedule isn't about to get any easier with always fiesty Dallas Baptist coming to Austin on Tuesday then a weekend series with Stanford fresh off a series sweep of Rice. For now, relax, baseball's back, it's a long season, and hopefully Texas won't have to be #1 for a while.

The Horns return to action on Tuesday at 3 PM.

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Comments

you're right, the sky is not falling..

but I believe preparation for disappointment this season is in order.

by silky51 on Feb 21, 2010 4:33 PM CST reply actions

Wow another overrated Texas team

It seems more fun (and easy on the heart) to root for an underrated team that’s not on the radar. Instead, “We’re Texas”, and because we’re Texas, we’ll always start a season with a ridiculously high ranking, justified or not. Doesn’t matter how young and inexperienced we are, we’ll be under the national microscope all season.

Meh. As long as we have a great rotation, we’ll be there in the end. Let the haters hate.

by goingforthecorner on Feb 21, 2010 4:51 PM CST reply actions

Fire Augie!

/handwringing

I have beat wholesale ass for a whole lot less.

by burntorangehorn on Feb 21, 2010 5:04 PM CST reply actions

Man...

We need to sacrifice some sort of large, important animal…or something.

2010 sucks.

by BrooklynHorn on Feb 21, 2010 5:39 PM CST reply actions

It's all my fault

All of this was a karmic down payment on the Saints winning the Super Bowl.

by 40AS on Feb 21, 2010 5:44 PM CST up reply actions

It happens

Its early and there is nothing wrong with losing to a team that is one of those underrated and not on the radar teams like UNM. I think a Post Mortem is needed around early March, after the Houston College Classic (which I will certainly be attending).

Texas has a long road ahead of them, but we certainly have the tools and the great coaching to turn this ship around. We’ve got at least 50 more games to play this year, so there is plenty of time. Remember Fresno State? (I can post the picture again, lol) They were hardly over .500 for the season, got a 4th seed in Regionals, and won the whole thing! We’re Texas, and we got this.

I’ll get started on a preview of Dallas Baptist (for the midweek game) and Stanford (for the weekend series) in about an hour when things slow down at work.

I hope they serve beer in hell.

by kriess on Feb 21, 2010 6:22 PM CST up reply actions

I keep thinking

the sacrifice needs to be larger than a longhorn, but all I can think of is Oprah.

by UTLawGrad on Feb 21, 2010 6:37 PM CST up reply actions

Sacrificing Anna Nicole didn't stave off economic disaster as intended.

I have more confidence in Oprah, though.

I have beat wholesale ass for a whole lot less.

by burntorangehorn on Feb 22, 2010 7:17 AM CST up reply actions

-1

for image of chicken

by MJY6087 on Feb 21, 2010 6:17 PM CST reply actions

Serrano wants a live chicken

I hope they serve beer in hell.

by kriess on Feb 21, 2010 6:23 PM CST up reply actions

Good grief.

It was just the first three games of the season. Suck it up, boys. We still have a lot of games to go.

On a side note: I do think a No. 1 raking seems to be some sort of curse for the Horns. We just need to fly under the radar in national polls. :-)

by dimecoverage on Feb 21, 2010 6:39 PM CST reply actions

Agreed

Somehow, somewhere in this weird universe, this is all a combination of Rick Barnes, Greg Davis, and the guy who invented bunting’s fault.

I hope they serve beer in hell.

by kriess on Feb 21, 2010 6:44 PM CST up reply actions

You guys are hardly a young, inexperienced team. At least it is baseball season again

by miketag on Feb 21, 2010 9:50 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Lots of new parts, not young and inexperienced

New closer, Sunday starter, and 1B decided in the past week or two. These aren’t excuses, the #1 team has no business droppinng 2 of 3 to UNM, but problems with these new positions aren’t unexpected.

by 40AS on Feb 22, 2010 6:12 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

Meanwhile...

LSU sweeps the soon to be D3 (no, really) Centenary Gents, 5-4, 28-5, 4-0

and we got some really awesome cans of field paint…

/end gloating troll

Seriously, I wish we didnt spend most of the early spring against horribly weak teams (on deck this week: Mcneese St. and 3 gms against William and Mary) See y’all in Omaha.

Managing Editor/Chief Lackey-And The Valley Shook

by PodKATT on Feb 21, 2010 10:12 PM CST reply actions