#1 TEXAS (0-0) vs. RICE (0-0)
Feb. 18-20, 2022
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Time: Friday at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2:30 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.
TV: Longhorn Network
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM
Live stats: https://texassports.com/sidearmstats/baseball Â
All-time series with Rice: Texas leads, 232-58-2
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY–Texas LHP Pete Hansen (9-1, 1.88) vs. Rice RHP Cooper Chandler (n/a)
SATURDAY–Texas RHP Tristan Stevens (11-3, 3.31) vs. Rice LHP Brandon Deskins (3-4, 3.88)
SUNDAY–Texas RHP Tanner Witt (5-0, 3.16) vs. Rice LHP Thomas Burbank (n/a)
THE MATCHUP—For the fourth time in the last eight seasons, Texas and Rice meet on Opening Day. The Longhorns and Owls began the 2015 and 2020 seasons with a series at Reckling Park, while the 2017 season-opening series was at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas swept a three-game series in 2020 and the teams split four-game series in 2015 and 2017. Texas has won five straight games over Rice and has a 9-4 advantage against the Owls since 2015.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—Texas returns seven starting position players and four key pitchers from the team that went 50-17 and finished third at the College World Series in 2021. Last season, the Longhorn pitching staff led the nation with a 2.93 ERA, the program's best since 2014. The staff also had the most strikeouts (556) and lowest batting average against (.215) since 2011. Offensively, Texas had its highest team batting average (.275) and number of home runs (68) since the 2010 season. The team's 126 doubles were the most since 2008 and the 92 stolen bases were the most since 2005. The Longhorns were also elite defensively, finishing 10th nationally with a .980 fielding percentage and second in the country with 57 double plays turned.
PRESEASON RANKINGS—Returning several key members from last season's team that went 50-17, Texas has been unanimously selected Preseason No. 1. This marks the first time that Texas has appeared at No. 1 at any point in the D1Baseball Top 25, which began in 2015. It's the seventh time in the 42-year history of the Baseball America Top 25 that the Longhorns take the top preseason spot and first time since 2010. Texas is also ranked No. 1 in the NCBWA poll, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper rankings and USA Today Baseball Coaches poll.
PRESEASON PICKS—In a vote of the league's head coaches, Texas was selected to finish first in the Preseason Big 12 Baseball Coaches' Poll. The Longhorns landed in the top spot in the poll for the ninth time overall and for the first time since 2010. LHP Pete Hansen was named the Big 12 Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, leading seven total Longhorns on the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Tristan Stevens and Ivan Melendez were unanimous selections, while Silas Ardoin, Mitchell Daly, Trey Faltine and Aaron Nixon also landed on the team.
MORE NATIONAL ACCOLADES—Pete Hansen and Tanner Witt were named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List to lead a group of seven Longhorns earning national preseason recognition. Hansen and Ivan Melendez were both named first team Preseason All-American by NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball and second team by D1Baseball and Perfect Game. Aaron Nixon earned first team preseason honors from D1Baseball and NCBWA. Witt and Nixon, along with Trey Faltine and Tristan Stevens landed on the Collegiate Baseball preseason second team, joined by Mitchell Daly on the third team.
PIERCE AND THE OWLS—Texas head coach David Pierce served nine seasons as an assistant coach at Rice from 2003-11, helping lead the Owls to the 2003 National Championship and four College World Series appearances. Since becoming a head coach in 2012, Pierce has faced his former employer 16 times and has a 12-4 record. At Sam Houston State from 2012-14, Pierce faced Rice annually and went 5-2 including a win in the 2012 NCAA Regional at Reckling Park. Since joining Texas in 2017, Pierce has posted a 7-2 record against Rice.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS—It's an old adage that played out well in Texas' journey to a record 37th College World Series appearance in 2021. The Longhorns 2.93 ERA led the NCAA by nearly a quarter of a run and the Big 12 Conference by more than a run. Texas' .980 fielding percentage also led the Big 12 and was the 10th-best percentage in the nation. The squad committed the second-fewest errors (50) in the Big 12 while also turning the most double plays (57), the second-most nationally.
THE SCHEDULE—The Longhorns will play a challenging schedule in 2022 with 31 home games at UFCU Disch-Falk Field and 18 total games against teams that played in last season's NCAA Tournament. The month of March will feature a pair of marquee road weekends, as Texas will play Tennessee, LSU and UCLA at the 2022 Shriners Children's College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston, March 4-6. The Longhorns will also play at South Carolina, March 11-13, in Columbia.
FLASHING THE LEATHER—Trey Faltine has been a human highlight reel throughout his career, making the difficult look routine. Last season, the Longhorns shortstop led the Big 12 with 203 assists and ranked second with 40 double plays while sporting a .968 fielding percentage in 308 chances.
INFIELD HIT MACHINE—Throughout his career on the Forty Acres, Eric Kennedy has used his speed as a means to get on base. Last season was no different, with 27 infield singles, including 16 bunt hits. In his career, Kennedy has 51 infield hits (28 bunts).
DALY GETTING IT DONE—Eight games into the 2021 season, Mitchell Daly took hold of the starting second base spot and never let it go. He finished the season second on the team in hitting with a .316 batting average and was steady in the field with a .964 fielding percentage and 38 double plays. He reached base safely in 54 off the 59 games he started and produced 17 multi-hit games, including three three-hit games and a four-hit game.
COMMANDING THE ZONE—Tristan Stevens' command was on point last season, yielding only 23 walks over his 111.1 innings pitched. Prior to issuing a walk to open the sixth inning at Oklahoma State on April 24, Stevens had gone 113 batters (28.1 innings) without relinquishing a free pass. Stevens led the Big 12 with 11 wins and finished second to teammate Ty Madden with his 111.1 innings pitched.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT—Texas struck gold last season with the addition of graduate transfer Mike Antico from St. John's. The outfielder became the first Longhorn and first player in Big 12 history to hit 10 homers and steal 40 bases in a season. This season the Longhorns will hope for a big contribution from grad transfer Skyler Messinger from Kansas. Last season he led Kansas in batting average (.324), games played (56), games started (56), at bats (213), runs (43), hits (69), doubles (19), RBI (39) and slugging percentage (.460).
HEAR 'EM—In partnership with Learfield IMG College, Texas games will be broadcast on the Austin Radio Network, primarily on 104.9 The Horn and AM 1260. Craig Way handles primary play-by-play duties alongside Roger Wallace. This season fans will also hear analysis from Longhorn greats Keith Moreland, Ty Harrington and Nathan Thornhill throughout the season.
WATCH 'EM—Nearly all of Texas' home games will be broadcast on Longhorn Network this season. The team of Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell will return to the booth to call the action for 29 of the 31 games. Games 2 and 3 of the TCU series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field will both be televised on ESPNU.
