Fresh off a midweek DNP, the #1 Horns return to Austin to take on the Missouri Tigers. Texas and Missouri played a memorable series last year. The Horns led 9-3 through 2.5 innings on Friday on their way to being destroyed 31-12. Saturday featured more of the same, but on Sunday Chance Ruffin became a leader and showed he could be the ace of the staff.
Missouri lost seven of their first eight games but have roared back with wins in six of their last seven. Texas and Baylor did not play Wednesday, so many of the keys to the series remain the same.
- David Hernandez is hitting near .400 but now has 7 of the team's 11 errors. That's not good and needs to improve (we mean the defense, the hitting is fine)
- How's Travis Tucker's ankle? Freshman Jordan Etier was fantastic against Stanford, but Tucker had been tearing it up before the injury. Hopefully the extra rest will get him in the lineup.
- Now that we're hitting the conference schedule, where's Taylor Jungmann going to contribute? We agree with Ruffin, Workman and Green as your weekend starters, but this guy is too much of a talent to not play a big role in the pitching staff.
- Will the starting pitching remain amazing? We saw a small crack in Brandon Workman's armor, but Cole Green and Chance Ruffin (when starting) have been nearly unhittable. Can they keep it up?
- The key to Texas' winning has been scoring early and not giving up the big inning. But off the 27 innings against Stanford, Texas scored in only six. Is this going to remain a formula for success in conference play or will the offense turn it on a bit more?
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS*
Friday, March 13, 2009 - 6 p.m. Central
Texas: RHP Chance Ruffin (3-0, 2.31 ERA)
Missouri: RHP Kyle Gibson (2-1, 1.29 ERA)
Saturday, March 14, 2009 - 2 p.m. Central
Texas: RHP Brandon Workman (2-1, 0.83 ERA)
Missouri: RHP Ian Berger (1-1, 6.23 ERA)
Sunday, March 15, 2009 - 1 p.m. Central
Texas: RHP Cole Green (2-0, 0.81 ERA)
Missouri: RHP Nick Tepesch (1-1, 6.35 ERA)
*These numbers are just sick
Weather (at least Sunday should be a nice day at the ballpark):
