#1 TEXAS (3-0) at TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI (2-1)
Feb. 22-23, 2022
Where: Whataburger Field
Time: Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.; Wednesday at 4:05 p.m.
Live Stream: Islanders Digital Network
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM
Live stats:Â goislanders.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
All-time series with A&M-Corpus: Texas leads, 22-5
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
TUESDAY–Texas RHP Andre Duplantier II vs. A&M-Corpus RHP Hayden Thomas
WEDNESDAY–Texas LHP Lucas Gordon vs. A&M-Corpus RHP Colin Purcell
THE MATCHUP—Texas heads on the road for the first time this season to face Texas A&M - Corpus Christi at Whataburger Field, the home of the Double A-Corpus Christi Hooks. Texas swept a pair of midweek games over the Islanders last season. In the Longhorns' last trip to Corpus Christi in 2019, the Islanders came away with the victory
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—The Longhorns opened the season with a three-game sweep of Rice, outscoring the Owls 36-3 in the series. Texas mashed 14 extra-base hits in the series, including four home runs. The pitching staff allowed just three earned runs, while striking out 25 batters in 27 innings pitched. Texas returned six 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.
PRESEASON RANKINGS—Returning several key members from last season's team that went 50-17, Texas was 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.
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 and 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.
INFIELD HIT MACHINE—Throughout his career on the Forty Acres, Eric Kennedy has used his speed as a means to get on base. With a bunt single on Opening Weekend, Kennedy now has 52 career infield singles (29 bunts). Last season he had 27 infield singles, including 16 bunt hits.
TITANIC—Ivan Melendez launched his first two home runs of the season on Sunday afternoon to bring his career total at Texas to 15. His first titanic blast was a "Monster Shot," making him the first player to clear the batter's eye in center field three times. Last season Melendez burst onto the scene with 13 homers, a .319 batting average and .603 slugging percentage. He also had a stretch in the month of April in which he homered in six-consecutive games.
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.
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.
