Texas Sweeps Stanford With 8-2 Win

by 40AS on Feb 28, 2010 8:13 PM CST in Texas Longhorns Baseball

Russell Moldenhauer hit a first inning two-run home run and Cole Green pitched five perfect innings in relief to finish off any hopes of a Stanford rally on Sunday. The sweep (6-0, 6-3, 8-2) brings Texas' record to 5-2. Stanford entered the weekend averaging 9.5 runs per game but leave with just five for the weekend. Perhaps most importantly, we saw Texas' ideal identity on display for the first time in the 2010 campaign. Texas didn't pound out a ton of hits or score runs in droves, but Texas did just enough offensively and showed a depth in quality starting and relief pitching that few teams in the country can match. Texas was so dominant this weekend that, other than the first two innings on Friday, Stanford trailed at the end of every inning. Throw in three error-free performances and you're looking at quite the sweep for Texas baseball.

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A much better image this week.

Pitching:

There's no need to rehash just how fantastic Taylor Jungmann pitched on Friday, and Cole Green's five perfect innings in relief on Sunday were...perfect. Texas got a combined 15.2 innings of scoreless baseball from Ruffin, Green and Jungmann, and the trio struck out 20 while giving up only 5 hits on the weekend. It was an especially welcome relief to see Ruffin come into a tight game and shut the opposition down for almost four innings.

Hitting:

Tant Shepherd came down to Earth a little bit after a torrid start to the season, going 0-4 on Sunday with four strikeouts, but such a performance was almost to be expected after his great start. Russell Moldenhauer hit his first homer of the season on Sunday and just continues to get on base despite an abysmal batting average. Finally, Kyle Lusson continues to play at a high level and is showing he may not be just a placeholder for Cohl Walla afterall. Texas didn't hit the ball all that well, only outhitting Stanford 21-18, but took advantage of Stanford mistakes and got 7 extra base hits on the weekend.

Looking Forward:

A great series sweep puts Texas back on the path they should've been on last week. Texas is scoring runs but it seems likely that some of the newbies will start getting more playing time in midweek games. A team simply cannot survive an entire season with five players hitting below .250 (Etier, Keyes, Kevin Lusson, Loy, Moldenhauer), so Augie may have to make a decision to sacrifice offense for defense at some point. UTPA will come to the Disch this Tuesday at 6:05 PM and it'll be interesting to see who gets the call as the midweek starter (assuming it won't be Green). Next weekend it'll be the Houston College Classic versus Rice, Houston and Missouri (non-conference game).

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Comments

What's the problem with Workman??

I was sure he would improve from last year. From his results so far I would guess he is still trying to just throw it past everyone.

If a hitter can just sit on a fastball and wait for it in his zone a pitcher is in trouble.I washopeing he would develop an offspeed pitch this summer.

by TCB Orange Dino on Feb 28, 2010 8:26 PM CST reply actions

He has the spike curve

but I’m not sure how easy it is to get a feel for it, so I think it kind of comes and goes in effectiveness.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Mar 1, 2010 1:41 AM CST up reply actions

I'm thrilled with the pitching

Offense concerns me some. I don’t worry about the lack of power — it’s not terribly important in our home ballpark, and there si some power. We need to hit better; more important, we gotta leadoff guys on base so that the small ball attack can be employed. Defense has generally been terrific.

I’d rather stick with this unit and hope the hitting steps up some than fiddle with the pitching-fielding combo that was so effective late last year and thus far in 2010.

by edsp on Feb 28, 2010 8:59 PM CST reply actions

Tant Shepherd came down to Earth a little bit after a torrent start to the season, going 0-4 on Sunday with four strikeouts, but such a performance was almost to be expected ~~after his great start~~ because Tant Shepherd is not very good at baseball.

Fixed that for you.

by amorphous on Feb 28, 2010 11:40 PM CST reply actions

Damn dude, that's kinda harsh, don't you think?

by SneezyBeltran on Mar 1, 2010 12:09 AM CST up reply actions

Really liked what I saw from the pitching

at least from everyone not named Dicharry, who was simply adequate. Green had his fastball and his offspeed offerings working and the Stanford hitters didn’t have a chance after seeing Dicharry well.

Not too worried about the offense — of those players mentioned who are hitting poorly, I think Keyes, Moldenhauer, and Kevin Lusson will all come around. Lusson had a nice at bat late in the game where he took three close pitches and another strike before getting a fastball up and out over the plate and lacing it the other direction — had he gotten some lift on it, the wind would have carried it out of the power alley in left-center. As it was, it went off the wall. Keyes has a much better approach at the plate now than he did, so I think it’s just a matter of time before he begins producing and if Moldy can get locked in like he was last fall during the scrimmages, he will go on a tear.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Mar 1, 2010 1:43 AM CST reply actions