:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66339011/ERG__nJXYAAbgsQ.0.jpg)
If you haven’t gotten your baseball fix after the home opening win over the UTSA Roadrunners on Tuesday, you’re in luck — the Texas Longhorns are set to hit the field again today with a game against the visiting Lamar Cardinals at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. Central.
Hailing from Beaumont, the Cardinals are a familiar, one-off foe for the Longhorns in recent years — the two schools have played every year since 2016, and the all-time series is 34-7 in favor of Texas. The Cardinals last defeated the Horns back in 2016, Augie Garrido’s last season as head coach for the burnt orange. Last season, Texas defeated Lamar 7-2 in Austin in a mid-April game.
The Cardinals don’t appear to be much of a threat on paper. Lamar was picked to finish 12th in the 13-team Southland Conference by both the coaches poll and Perfect Game. D1Baseball selected them to finish 10th.
Lamar is expected to go with sophomore left-hander Josh Hranicky, who is almost as big (he’s 6’3, 245 pounds) as the list of accolades while playing high school ball at Port Neches-Groves High School. Hranicky was ranked as the 69th-best prospect in the state, a top-500 ranked recruit nationally, and was a Texas 5A state champion in 2017 and 5A state pitcher of the year.
Unfortunately, he had a rocky first season in the college ranks, appearing seven times and making three starts, throwing to the tune of a 6.14 ERA in 14.2 innings, going 2-0 while allowing 15 walks to just five strikeouts.
After the win over UTSA, Texas head coach David Pierce said that sophomore right-hander Kolby Kubicheck will start for the Horns on Wednesday. The Byran native made two starts in 14 appearances for Texas last season, posting a 6.50 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. Command was an issue for Kubichek last season — he allowed 12 walks in those 18 innings. However, he posted a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, earning All-Star recognition for his 0.90 ERA in seven starts.
You can catch this game on Longhorn Network, or on the radio on FM 104.9 The Horn.