No. 1 Texas Aims For 4-0 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Texas baseball entered the season No. 1 in the country and looked every bit the part in a three-game sweep of Rice that culminated in Sunday's 14-2 thrashing. The Longhorns (3-0) outscored the Owls 36-3, as the Horns' elite bullpen picked up where it left off last season.
Next up for coach David Pierce and the Horns is a road trip to the Texas Coastal Bend for a two-game series with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday and Wednesday night. The Islanders are 2-1 after their three-game series with UT Arlington wrapped up Sunday.
The Longhorns three-headed pitching monster of Tristian Stevens, Tanner Whitt and Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year Pete Hansen all got starts against Rice.
Pierce is reportedly planning to start redshirt sophomore pitcher Andre Duplantier II and sophomore Lucas Gordon against the Islanders, though it's still unclear which will start Tuesday.
Duplantier II missed all of the 2021 season due to injury and will be in line for his first-career start. Gordon started one game last season while appearing in 19 games.
They'll look to shut down the Islanders' hitting trio of infielder Leo Markotic, outfielder Brandon Petkoff and outfielder Brendan Ryan. All three are tied for the team-lead in hits (five), while Markotic leads with five RBI.
For Texas, Ivan Melendez was the star in the batter's box against Rice. Melendez only had two hits in the three games, but both were three-run homers Sunday. He leads the team with six RBI.
Catcher Silas Ardoin was an elite catcher throughout last season, and has emerged as an efficient hitter early. Ardoin leads the team with an impressive .500 batting average (4-8). He had a homer and three RBI in the season-opener.
First pitch Tuesday is set for 6:35 p.m. at Whataburger Field, with Wednesday at 4:05 p.m.
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