So we got some bad news about the basketball team yesterday. So it's a year before Johnathan Gray can help resurrect the Texas running game. We say, put on a happy face. Three young men are pursuing their dreams of playing pro basketball and we got to enjoy their talents on a special Texas team this year. And the Gray thing--well, that's just super news that we tried to turn into an ambiguous for rhetorical purposes. Why? Because no matter what's going on in the two major sports that aren't in season right now, Longhorn fans have a legitimate national championship contender in the Great American Pastime. We don't mean that you shouldn't be thinking or talking about football & basketball; obviously, those are year-round concerns for the Texas Longhorn.
All we are suggesting is that, right before your eyes, you have something special to behold. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "We are always getting ready to live but never living." Truer words were never spoken, especially on the topic we feel sure Emerson was addressing: i.e., the college sports fan experience. Predictions and concerns about the coming fall/winter sports season are a lot of fun; but "We are here and it is now; further than that all human knowledge is moonshine." (H.L. Mencken). Well folks, here and now you've got one hell of a Texas baseball team to enjoy.
The Longhorns put up nine runs for the second straight game in Lawrence, and Cole Green pitched as well as he has in some time with seven shutout innings. The offense even included some slugging, with Texas registering seven doubled among their 15 hits. Tant Shepherd was particularly impressive, knocking three of those doubles in a 4-for-5 effort. The one negative last night was that Corey Knebel's streak of scoreless innings came to an end at 30.2. We think he'll be ok.
Here is the Texas Sports recap, and today's game begins at 1:00 PM CDT. This is your open thread.