If you had to pick, say, five recruits in this class (2025) that are most important to Texas (either because of position, player ability, perception, or whatever criteria you want), who would those be?

I’m starting with KJ Lacey because of the position (QB), having him as a ringleader for the class, his talent and the fact that Texas is going to have to fight to hang onto his commitment. Second would be Dakorien Moore because of his talent, and it would help stall some of the early momentum LSU has built. Same with Jonah Williams, who is a terrific talent but it would also keep him away from Texas A&M. Give me five-star OL Michael Fasusi as a guy who could come in and replace Kelvin Banks. Lastly, I’ll take David Sanders Jr.. Yes he’s a second offensive tackle, but that dude is just freakishly talented.

Does portal count? If so, can you please give your 3-5 portal players the Longhorns have a chance to land?

To me, it seems like wide receiver and defensive line should be top priorities, followed by tight end. If I’m focusing on those positions (although Texas could also take a defensive end and/or DB), the guys I’d focus on are …

DT Jamaree Caldwell (Houston) – He visited over the weekend and this one feels like it’s a matter of when he’ll commit to Texas, not if.

WR Liberty WR CJ Daniels (Liberty) – He visited Texas on Sunday, has already visited Auburn and Florida, and is expected to see Oregon soon.

WR Silas Bolden (Oregon State) – He has a busy visit schedule of Texas, Arizona, Washington and USC (in order) so lots of wiggle room in that one.

TE Benjamin Yurosek (Stanford) – He’s been eerily quiet since entering the portal in mid-December, but this one makes a lot of sense with UT’s need, academic reputation and the success Texas had with Yurosek’s former Stanford teammate Ryan Sanborn.

Biggest surprise in the 2024 class as of now? Either someone you thought would have been a Horn who isn’t … or someone who did sign with us that you did not think we’d get …

Good question. There really weren’t many guys Texas didn’t get that were big surprises. There were moments very early where the Longhorns looked good for guys like Ory Williams or Selman Bridges, but of the guys that committed elsewhere, we pretty much knew it wouldn’t be Texas by the time they decided.

As for guys that committed to Texas, wide receiver Aaron Butler would be the biggest surprise. It was pretty clear in the final days that the Longhorns would win that one, but a couple weeks before Butler signed, he wasn’t even on UT’s radar. Ryan Wingo’s recruitment held some mystery but I felt like we had a pretty good read on that one. Wardell Mack was always a tough one to track because he rarely did interviews, so the timing of his flip was certainly unexpected.

One of the bigger surprises was how Colin Simmons completely shut things down once he committed to Texas. I expected the Longhorns to have to sweat that one out until the end, but Simmons never wavered.

Talk about 2025 Texas TEs. I like Bear Tenney, just for the name if nothing else. There is a lot of talk of Kiotti Armstrong, but also Keiundre Johnson. Ketch has the latter rated the highest, but he is discussed the least.

So which of the three come to Texas, or are leaning that way, and which is the best? I like Armstrong's size. What differentiates the three? With Sanders gone, Texas is a TE wasteland.

Kiotti Armstrong is a man-child at the high school level. He’s a bit of a throwback tight end in that he’s not quite the elite athlete in the receiving game, but is well-rounded. Keiundre Johnson is interesting because his junior film is probably 80 percent of him lining up as a stand-up rusher. Even with that, you can see his explosiveness and speed on one play where he takes a handoff for a long touchdown. Bear Tenney has a great frame, good speed and is easily the most skilled of the three as a receiver.

As for which of the three might wind up at Texas, it’s tough to say this early. Getting Tyanthony Smith should help with Kiotti Armstrong, but Texas has been behind on that one. Kiotti Armstrong might hit the UT junior day on January 20, so that would be a big development if he shows.

Junior Day list?

I actually started working on this today. I need to hit up a bunch of 2026 guys but here are some of the names who have confirmed so far that they’ll be in attendance.

RB Jordon Davison – Mater Dei (maybe)

RB Deondrae “Tiger” Riden - DeSoto

WR Jacorey Watson – Pearland Shadow Creek

WR Kelshaun Johnson – Hitchcock

WR Carterrious Brown – Seguin

WR Emmanuel Choice - Lancaster

TE Emaree Winston – Calhoun (maybe)

TE Kiotti Armstrong – Jasper (maybe; might go to Miami)

OL Jonte Newman – Bridgeland

OL Marcus Garcia – Denton Ryan

OL Jordan Coleman – Cedar Hill

OL John Mills – SF (CA) St. Ignatius

DL Carmello Brooks – Katy Paetow

DT Landon Rink – Cy Fair

DT Xavier Ukponu – Denton Guyer

DT Devin Coleman – Cedar Hill

LB Anthony Williams – Pearland Shadow Creek

LB Riley Pettijohn - McKinney

LB Jayden Shelton – South Oak Cliff

CB Cobey Sellers – Pearland Shadow Creek

CB Caleb Chester – Fort Bend Marshall

S Jonah Williams – Galveston Ball (maybe)

ATH Nick Townsend – Spring Dekaney (maybe)

ATH Lance Jackson – Pleasant Grove

2026

RB Tradarian Ball – Texas High

Do you think Texas have better luck with landing the elite In State players this recruiting cycle than last?

I do, but it’s off to a bit of a weird start. I expect Texas to recruit better in-state than they did last year, but early on, there aren’t many of the truly elite players in state that are favoring Texas. The two best players in the state have already committed to out-of-state programs. You would think Texas would see some returns from the 2023 season, and joining the SEC, but we haven’t seen it yet with in-state guys.

Here is putting you on the spot. Who do think will be the first commitment for the 2026 class? Out of state or a Texas boy?

With the way things are trending with both in-state and out-of-state recruiting, the smart bet is probably on an out-of-state guy. But I’ll go with an in-state player, maybe a running back that Tashard Choice has a longstanding relationship with.

Will there be another influx of portal entries anytime soon?

Of Texas guys entering the portal? The window actually closed last week. Graduate transfers can still enter their names at any time. The next wave will probably be during the spring window in April.

I know the uptick of intensity is good for business but with the long season we just had and about to be longer seasons with Texas being a perennial playoff attendee, NSD1, NSD2, The Portal windows, NIL, junior days and of course the worse step-child ever, this board etc etc…how do you guys keep personal time/family time and a healthy work-life balance?

It’s never been easy, and it’s getting harder and harder if I’m being honest. As my kids are getting older, it’s hard to find time (weekends especially) for things like college visits, their sporting events, etc. And taking vacation time has pretty much become a science … you try to pick a spot here and there when you won’t miss an event but with football season, camps, official visit weekend, signing days, junior days, etc. it’s damn near impossible to find a free week.

Who do we have on the radar DT wise?

In 2024, it’s really down to Baylor commitment Alex Foster at this point. There are a handful of names in the 2025 cycle, including recent commitment Brandon Brown. Zion Williams, Xavier Ukponu, D.J. Sanders, Floyd Guidry and Dilan Battle are some in-state guys with offers.

Not recruiting, but was Trey Owens' injury Saturday confirmed as an ankle sprain? Have some battered fan syndrome memories of Maalik Murphey's injury in his last high school game.

Texas QB commitment Trey Owens tells me he that he had a ligament sprain in his ankle but he should be fine by the time he moves up to Austin next week.

Where is Texas with:
Andrew Marsh
DJ Jackson
Jonah Williams
Chad Woodfork
Elijah Barnes
Lamont Rogers
Ty Haywood

Lots to unpack there. Texas is in the mix for Andrew Marsh but probably not leading. A&M is heavily involved and he’s going to thoroughly evaluate a lot of schools. In fact, he’ll be at Nebraska next weekend for a visit.

I’m assuming you mean DT DJ Sanders? That dude has pretty much been a ghost. Let’s see if he hits any campuses this month. Hopefully he’ll hit some camps and recruiting events in the spring to get a better feel on him.

Jonah Williams might be in Austin for the junior day, so that’ll be important to monitor. He’s visited UT a few times and his brother lives in Austin so Texas has a lot going for it. A&M will be a big factor there.

Chad Woodfork likes Texas but that one feels like it’ll take a while to sort out.

Elijah Barnes was a late offer for Texas, but he seems to like UT quite a bit. He told me this week he’s still sorting out his visits, so he’s not sure if he’ll be at UT’s junior day.

Lamont Rogers is also figuring out his junior day plans this week. Texas is in the mix there but Oklahoma seems to be in the best spot early on.

Ty Haywood has been tough for me to reach. I hit up someone close to him this week to get an update on his January visit plans but haven’t heard back yet.

Honestly, with most of these 2025 guys, things will really start heating up later in the spring and definitely in the summer when guys start taking official visits.

Sark, and a few other coaches, are still very pro building your team from high school recruiting. Obviously, Sark can and will plug and place, as needed, with portal players, too. Other coaches, like Elko, Venables, and Sanders, seem to be far more attached to the portal approach. The two systems don’t seem to be compatible, long term, as the portal truly undercuts the long term development associated with building ground up, over time, with high school recruits. Where do you see this process settling out and when do you think that might happen?

Simply put, you’d much rather be in a position that Sark has Texas in. I feel very strongly about that. If a coach is having to go to the portal for 10 or 15 players (or more), that tells me that his program has a lot of holes and just hasn’t recruited good enough talent from the high school ranks. As you said, the top programs in the country will pick and choose a few portal contributors here or there but programs like Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State are using elite high school players as the overwhelming foundation of their programs. Sark and Texas have been doing the same thing in recent years with back to back to back elite recruiting classes.

Any elite kickers on the radar to replace Bert after this coming season?
After watching Michael Kern in warmups for the All American Bowl, I think we’re good to go at punter, but haven’t seen anything about kicking specialists. If Will Stone can get his accuracy in check, he could be the guy after Bert.

Bert could still use a COVID year, so he could have two years left if he wants. That gives the staff a bit more time to figure out his replacement. I’m not sure what direction Texas will go there but Jeff Banks has shown that he doesn’t mind offering scholarships to special teams players, including kickers, punters and deep snappers. If they can find a truly elite one in the next couple recruiting cycles, I would think they’ll use a scholarship there. If not, they can always hit the portal, as they did with Ryan Sanborn this year.

20’4” LJ and 45’7” TJ - won both events in their outdoor opener

The Longhorns (16-1, 3-1) are going to need to be at the top of their game Saturday against a very good Wildcats (16-1, 4-0) team. Their lone less was by 7 to #3 Iowa (aka Caitlin Clark and her backup band).

K-State effectively starts 4 guards and 1 post but that post, 6' 6" Ayoka Lee, was an All-American 2 seasons ago then missed last season with an ACL injury. In her AA season, Vic and Texas handled Lee better than just about any team she played, Lauren Ebo was able to match her physicality and frustrate her into committing early fouls. Hopefully Hadi and Taylor can do the same. Lee averages 19.7 ppg (9 points better than their 2nd leading scorer), 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. Speaking of their 2nd leading scorer, PG Serena 'The Arm-Bar' Sundell, at 10.5 points and 4.8 assists won't be constantly harassed by Rori as she has the past 2 seasons into committing several turnovers.

For her career in games not against Rori, Sundell averages 5.3 assists and 2.9 turnovers. Playing against Rori, her assist average drops to 3.8 and giveaways jump to 4.8.

When they aren't feeding Lee down low, the Wildcats launch the ball from 3 - 35% of their FG attempts are from beyond the arc with Sundell hitting 37.8% of her attempts (17/45). Former sooner SG Gabby Gregory (27/93 - 29%) and the Glenn twins, guards Jaelyn (20/67 - 30%) and Brylee (13/38 - 34.2%), aren't shy about heaving it either.

The Longhorns have to take care of the ball, match K-State's physicality and maintain discipline on their perimeter defense. In her very young career, Madison Booker has been very good against ranked opponents.

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I won't be able to watch the game live but will be checking in periodically, would appreciate someone providing score updates and maybe a bit of commentary.

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@mln59 @thar0902 @icdb17 @wb3032 @BrownHorn

Bama baseball betting scandal:

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I'm rich. I am definitely in.

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Good trade for them.

With Spring Training just around the corner, the Orioles pulled off a blockbuster trade Thursday night by acquiring right-hander Corbin Burnes from the Brewers, sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
Shortstop Joey Ortiz and left-hander DL Hall are going to Milwaukee, along with a 2024 Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick from Baltimore.

I can only think of two.
1. 4th and 5 from the 8. Great success!

2. The final 2 1/2 innings of game 5 of the: 2023 World Series. A 1-0 Rangers lead because 5-0 thanks to good pitching, big hits and an error by Alek Thomas. Great success result!

…chop off his head and post it on YouTube?

who knows… just search Justin Mohn on YouTube.

I have seen sports in 5 of the 6 time zones, excluding US Territories (never been to Alaska and their time either). I usually have no problem with the local time I'm in but do have a few nitpicking thoughts. This is a board where people have seen it all and lived all around. Do you have a favorite zone for watching sports?

College football- Eastern by far. The games start at noon. That's plenty of time to get stuff done in the morning. FB just feels better starting with a PM instead of an AM. Now the 10:30 games are late but I never cared about them anyhow.

NFL- Pacific for me. The games start at 10 AM and 1:30 PM. There's still time to do stuff with your late afternoon.

MLB- The west coast game times suck if you are in central or eastern time, but with 162 games a year, who cares if you miss a few?

NHL- see MLB comments

NBA- most times are 7:00 local. I don't watch a lot of NBA but do recall the finals starting at 9:00 eastern most nights sucked.

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Not that there’s anything wrong with that

We have a 10 day cruise through the Bahamas scheduled for June and are trying to get it moved until December. We are booked with MSC Cruises and they are throwing up all kinds of roadblocks.
We have paid in full, so that may be why we are getting stonewalled.
Any suggestions?

Per PFT - Washington will be hiring Dan Quinn as head coach. I haven't put much thought into this yet. This obviously heavily affects the Cowboys. Also - interesting choice by Washington. Curious to see everyone's thoughts...

I said,


“I dunno. It’s hard to keep track,”.., 🚂

He was more of a short yardage back, but here he breaks a big one!

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Transferred to Houston eventually.

Per ESPN, he is scheduled to meet with the Cowboys regarding the DC position.

Next season will be very interesting as Ferrari was more competitive with Red Bull than Mercedes.

Makes it extra special he obliterated a razorback and an aggy in those 2 clips

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Lebarron (LBJ) Johnson is the our first athlete to have a few custom items featured, we will get every athlete loaded on the platform soon and traditional UT trademarked items very soon as well. For those that don't know, LBJ bikes everywhere on campus, his bike was stolen a few years ago and the baseball team chipped in to buy him a new bike, I'm still working on a bike NIL Deal for him but can't get Mellow Johnny's to call me back.

LBJ

Ridin' with LBJ

Our athletes will make 22% on UT Trademarked NIL apparel, they will make 34% on the non Trademarked items like the unique collection above for Lebarron.

He’ll has frozen over and I 100% agree with her on something.

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2024 Big 12 Conference Preview - Part Three


The third and final installment of the conference preview, highlighting Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. On paper, these are the teams that the coaches and college baseball pundits believe will be the top teams in the Big 12 and contend for a conference title.

Here is the link to Part One (Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, and UCF) - Preview Part One
Here is the link to Part Two (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Houston, Kansas) - Preview Part Two


As a reminder, here is my predicted finish for the Big 12 and the Coaches Poll as well for frame of reference.





Texas Longhorns

2023 Record: 42-22 (15-9 Big 12)

Last Appearance:
Regional: 2023
Super Regional: 2023
College World Series: 2022

2024 Schedule Breakdown:
Home: 37
Away: 16
Neutral: 3

Conference Home Series: Baylor, BYU, TCU, Oklahoma State, Kansas
Conference Away Series: Texas Tech, Kansas State, Houston, Oklahoma, UCF

Notable non-conference opponents: Texas A&M, LSU, Vanderbilt, Texas State, Washington, Air Force

Overarching thoughts on schedule: Tough to open conference play at Texas Tech, but get TCU and Oklahoma State at home. Brutal stretch of 10 days in March. Lots of home cooking for the Horns this season. First time Texas has been to Norman since 2018.

Pitcher to Watch: Lebarron Johnson Jr
Hitter to Watch: Jared Thomas

Projected Starters:
C - Rylan Galvan
1B - Jared Thomas
2B - Jack O’Dowd
SS - Jalin Flores
3B - Peyton Powell
LF - Porter Brown
CF - Tommy Farmer
RF - Will Gasparino
DH - Nik Sanders

Team Overview:
The goal for 2024 is the same as it is every season for Texas…Omaha. During the seven year tenure of Coach David Pierce, the Horns have reached the College World Series three times, reached the Super Regionals four times, and Regionals five times. That record does not take into account 2020 in which the Horns had a very strong team and started off hot. Last season, the Horns came up just short in Palo Alto, with the dream of three College World Series in a row crashing amongst the dimly lit Sunken Diamond. In 2024, the Texas team has the talent and experience to make another long run in the tournament, but how far they can go will largely depend upon the health of Tanner Witt, the catchers, and ability of the bullpen to close out games.

Offensively, the Horns return three of their top four hitters from last season in Peyton Powell, Porter Brown, and Jared Thomas. After having limited success and opportunities his first three seasons at Texas, Powell broke out in a big way last season hitting .339 with 10 home runs, and will look to continue that success in his final year. Porter Brown is now officially the old man on the roster and after bulking up in the offseason will look to improve upon his .323 and 12 home runs from last season. Jared Thomas had a slow start to his freshman year, at one point being called out for having hips like wet noodles by Coach Pierce. All Thomas did was continue to grind and break out in a massive way enroute to becoming the lead off hitter for the Horns. Thomas spent the summer rehabbing and getting stronger after finishing the season with an injured back, and physically, the results are visible. With the news breaking yesterday that Duke transfer Luke Storm will not in fact be playing for Texas in 2024, the safe bet is that Jared Thomas will move back to 1B. If Thomas does in fact play 1B in 2024, freshman Tommy Farmer could very well be the guy that slides into the lineup. Farmer has really impressed the coaching staff this past Fall and during the Spring so far. Defensively, he has a quick burst and good speed to get to any ball hit to CF. He is a big physical kid, that you historically would see playing for Stanford. At the plate, he has been solid as well, but the goal will be to get him as many reps as possible between now and Feb 16th. Jack O’Dowd is back at 2B and after spending the offseason working on his agility will look to continue his hot form from the end of the season into 2024. At shortstop, Jalin Flores looks to have a breakthrough season after an inconsistent freshman campaign that saw him hit just .175 with 4 home runs. Flores has bulked up and has looked much more comfortable at the plate. In RF, true freshman Will Gasparino appears to be the day one starter for the Horns. Gasparino has a high baseball IQ, is very athletic, and is very toolsy. At 6’7, Gasparino certainly stands out as he towers over most other players, but the staff has worked hard to shorten up and tighten the swing that his length generates. The goal is that Gaspo can tap into that natural power and be a factor early on in the offense. Several notable backups that will certainly see action throughout the year are Max Belyeu, who has worked diligently at being more consistent at the plate and has come a long way defensively in the field as well. Penn transfer Seth Werchan and JUCO transfer Casey Cummings are guys that also could play a role in 2024, adding great depth to the team. True freshman Nik Sanders is a guy known for his bat and could factor into the equation at DH from day one. When he gets a hold of a ball, he can really launch it. Behind the plate is where one of the big questions remains for the Horns. Texas has a pair of backstops in Rylan Galvan and Kimble Schuessler that have experience, but need to prove themselves and be more consistent. Galvan has looked much better offensively at the plate, but from what I have seen, still has some issues with ball transfer during his pop, though he has been much better at receiving the ball. Kimble is a guy that doesn’t add a massive amount at the plate, but receives the ball well and looked decent in his throws down to 2B this Spring.

On the mound, the biggest question mark is RHP Tanner Witt. How much progress has Witt made after taking the Fall to work through mechanics and get his mind and body right after a rough return from tommy john surgery. Witt’s velocity is still a tick or two below what it was in the past, but Coach Pierce said he has been outstanding and likes where he is physically. If Witt can return to his old form, he would combine with Lebarron Johnson Jr as one of the best 1-2 punches in the nation. Speaking of Lebarron Johnson Jr, the preseason Big 12 pitcher of the year, he is looking to build upon an outstanding 2023 campaign which saw him end up with an 8-4 record and 2.91 ERA. LBJ showed what he was capable of in early season matchup against #1 ranked LSU finished the season with a breathtaking complete game performance against Miami in Florida during the Regionals. The number three starter will be RHP Charlie Hurley, who has impressed this Fall, increasing his velocity a tick or two and showing much better consistency with his command. The bullpen is still working to define roles after the loss of Notre Dame transfer Will Mercer. The talented lefty was dazzling during the Fall before injuring his arm. One of the arms that has big expectations upon his shoulders is RHP Cody Howard. After being limited last season due to continued recovery from surgery, Howard had an impressive summer and has looked very good this Fall, even being stretched out to start games if need be, while hitting 95 with his fastball. Veteran reliever Heston Tole is back in the bullpen and will look to use his rhythm and increased deception to keep hitters off balance. Max Grubbs is another young arm that was inconsistent at times during his freshman campaign, but has the temperament to be a back end option out of the bullpen. LHP David Shaw has filled out his frame physically and after having Tommy john (internal brace), will pitch this season, much to the shock of many. Fellow lefty, Luke Harrison is throwing to live hitters again and in his first outing struck out the side. Harrison, who burst onto the scene as a freshman, has filled out physically and could be in line for a breakout year, though the staff will bring him along slowly as his recovery progresses. Chase Lummus and Ace Whitehead are two other returning players that will play big roles out of the bullpen for the Horns. JUCO transfer Gage Boehm has a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and can throw six different pitches to really keep hitters off balance. Lastly, the freshman trio of Hudson Hamilton, Cole Selvig, and Easton Tumis will all play a role this season for the Horns. Hamilton has looked outstanding and Selvig has repeatedly been mentioned as a guy that can make a difference for the Horns with his ghost fastball. Overall, the bullpen has a much higher ceiling in 2024 than it did in 2023, but Coach Pierce will need to define the roles and mix and match to get the most out of the group.




TCU Horn Frogs

2023 Record: 44-24 (13-11 Big 12)

Last Appearance:
Regional: 2023
Super Regional: 2023
College World Series: 2023

2024 Schedule Breakdown:
Home: 34
Away: 17
Neutral: 3

Conference Home Series: Oklahoma, Houston, Texas Tech, Kansas State, West Virginia
Conference Away Series: Kansas, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, Texas, Baylor

Notable non-conference opponents: UCLA, Arizona, USC, Arizona State, Florida Gulf Coast, Dallas Baptist, Texas State, ACU, UT Arlington

Overarching thoughts on schedule: TCU must improve upon their road record from last season. Heavy schedule against Pac12 teams, but a lot of home games in general.

Pitcher to Watch: Kole Klecker
Hitter to Watch: Anthony Silva

Team Overview:
In his first two years at the helm, Coach Kirk Saarloos has made quite the name for himself in Fort Worth, building the program into a Big 12 contender year in and year out. Going into the 2024 season, the Horn Frogs are heavy favorites to win the Big 12 title and look to take that next step, contending for a national title. During the 2023 season, TCU took its lumps during the middle of the season, including losing a series to Texas and getting swept by West Virginia, but turned things around enroute to a berth in the College World Series.

Offensively, despite losing veterans like Tre Richardson, Elijah Nunez, Austin Davis, and superstar Brayden Taylor, the Frogs appear to to have reloaded and look poised to make another run at Omaha. Backed by a top 10 transfer class and solid crop of freshman, the Frogs have plenty of depth and have the ability to hit and score often. Shortstop Anthony Silva hit .330 with 7 home runs as a true freshman and looks to take the next step in his game as a draft eligible sophomore. Silva stood out and looked like he was in mid-season form when I saw TCU scrimmage Texas State this past fall. Behind the plate, the Frogs are spoiled by having two solid options in Karson Bowen and Kurtis Byrne, who are not only defensive stalwarts, but can both hit for power. When one is catching, the other will likely DH as Saarloos will want both bats in the lineup. Gabe Miranda is a solid option at 1B and when I saw him this past fall, he was outstanding at the plate and showed some real juice. At second base, Ole Miss transfer Peyton Chatagnier appears to be the likely starter. While Peyton does not hit for power or a high average, he is an experienced player with a ton of SEC plate appearances under his belt and one of those glue guys. At third base, freshman Ryder Robinson looks like the guy and he has shown massive potential at the plate. The biggest question with Robinson is whether his shoulder can stand up to the rigors of play as he has had injury issues in the past. Pepperdine transfer Jack Basseer is another option at 3B, and while he does not possess an elite glove, he is another veteran guy that can make an impact at the plate with his bat. In the outfield, the Frogs have another solid group of players in Luke Boyers, Logan Maxwell and highly thought of freshman Chase Brunson. Boyers has been known for his bat and when I saw Maxwell play against Texas State, he had a monster of a day, while Brunson has impressed the staff with his bat and athletic ability on the base path. Lastly, Wichita State transfer Payton Tolle enters the program known for his power arm and big bat. Reminiscent of Luken Baker, Tolle is hard to miss at 6’6” and 250 lbs. Tolle hit .317 as a freshman and .311 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs as a sophomore.

On the mound, TCU lost a quartet of talented arms in Luke Savage, Garrett Wright, River Ridings, and Cam Brown. The bad news for opposing teams is that TCU will have another strong group of pitchers in 2024. Sophomore righty Kole Klecker will lead the way after a strong freshman campaign. In addition, Payton Tolle will certainly play a leading role on the pitching staff, while West Virginia transfer LHP Ben Hampton will look to solidify the front line. Arkansas transfer Zack Morris, returning starter Louis Rodriguez, and Chase Hoover are all options for the Frogs as well. Ben Abeldt has starter potential, but may be moved to closer due to the depth and options that exist on the rotation already, highlighting the depth and diversity of the pitching staff. Hampton is a pitcher that Texas is well acquainted with from his time at West Virginia, Morris is looking to bounce back after posting an ERA of 7 last season, while Hoover and Rodriguez have faced consistency issues in the past, but both have outstanding stuff. Redshirt sophomore Caedmon Parker is another guy that could be factor for the Frogs after finally being healthy. Parker has outstanding stuff and a big time arm and if healthy, would be a massive boost to the bullpen. Oregon transfer Andrew Mosiello is another experienced arm for the bullpen that adds depth. Lastly, freshman Zach Cawyer has been talked about as having plus stuff with a fastball that has hit 95 and could be another option later in the season.




Texas Tech Red Raiders

2023 Record: 41-23 (12-12 Big 12)

Last Appearance:
Regional: 2023
Super Regional: 2021
College World Series: 2019

2024 Schedule Breakdown:
Home: 29
Away: 22
Neutral: 5

Conference Home Series: Texas, BYU, Houston, West Virginia, Oklahoma
Conference Away Series: Baylor, UCF, TCU, Kansas, Oklahoma State

Notable non-conference opponents: Stanford, Arkansas, Arizona State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, UT Arlington, ACU

Overarching thoughts on schedule: First time I can remember Tech playing less than 30 games at home. Really tough non-conference schedule, but should boost their RPI. Once again, it is Texas v. Texas Tech to kick off conference play.

Pitcher to Watch: Kyle Robinson
Hitter to Watch: Gavin Kash

Team Overview:
Entering his 12th season as head coach of Texas Tech, Tim Tadlock has built the Red Raiders into a national brand. Tech has missed the postseason just twice during his tenure, the year he took over (2013), and again in 2015. Excluding those two years and the COVID shortened 2020 season, Tech has made it to Omaha four times, the Super Regionals five times, and Regionals eight times. Unfortunately for Tech fans, the Red Raiders have not made it back to Omaha since 2019 and have not advanced past the Regionals the past two years. Tadlock and staff believe that they have assembled a team that can advance farther in 2024, but will need to prove themselves on the mound, having a staff ERA above five the past two seasons.

Offensively, Texas Tech has two of the best hitters in the conference and possibly nation in Kevin Bazzell and Gavin Kash. Bazzell spent last season at 3B, but due to the transfer of Hudson White to Arkansas, he will slide back behind the plate, where he has spent most of his career. In 2023, Bazzell was second on the team with an average of .348, 1.024 OPS and 10 home runs, and looks to improve upon those numbers. Former Texas transfer Gavin Kash will look to lead the team again in 2024 after posting a .327 average, 1.89 OPS, and 26 home runs. Gonzaga transfer Cade McGee is most likely the guy to slide in to play 3B, departed by Bazzell. McGee hit .293 with a 1.017 OPS and 6 home runs last season for the Zags, including going 6 for 16 against Texas Tech. Three other players to watch for are freshman TJ Pompey and Davis Rivers. Pompey has a monster Fall offensively and looks to be the day one starter at shortstop. In the outfield, Tadlock and staff are still working to find the right combination, but it appears that Damian Bravo, Gage Harrelson, and Austin Green will be the go to guys. Senior Austin Green had a .287 average last season with 12 home runs, while Gage Harrelson had a .324 average. Bravo is the least accomplished hitter of the group, but is super athletic and looking to expand his role this season.

On the mound, Tadlock and the staff are looking for big improvements from a number of players this season, but believe that they have better depth in 2024 despite the loss of staff ace Mason Molina to Arkansas and 50% of the wins from last season. In terms of depth, Tech has ten players that pitched last season, the bad news being that only two of them sport ERA that were sub 4. The weekend rotation will be led by Kyle Robinson (5.36 ERA), a hard throwing righty who has had a great Fall and is one of the guys that the staff believes will have a breakout season. RHP Zane Petty (5.68 ERA) looks to be the number two starter after starting eleven games his freshman season and continuing to make progress this past offseason. Trendan Parish (6.00 ERA) is slated to be the third starter this coming season. Parish had command issues last year, but has a mid-90s fastball and the experience from last year to lean on. True freshman Mac Heuer is a talented righty that could also end up pushing the incumbent starters for time as he has looked very good this Fall, showing off a big time arm. Out of the bullpen, Tech has a few guys that they will look to, including Taber Fast, Josh Sanders, Derek Bridges, Ryan Free, Brendan Lysik, and Ole Miss transfer Owen Washburn. To close games, the Red Raiders will likely turn to RHP Jacob Rogers to fill that role.




Kansas State Wildcats

2023 Record: 35-24 (13-11 Big 12)

Last Appearance:
Regional: 2013
Super Regional: 2013
College World Series: n/a

2024 Schedule Breakdown:
Home: 29
Away: 23
Neutral: 3

Conference Home Series: Cincinnati, Texas, Oklahoma State, Kansas, BYU
Conference Away Series: Houston, UCF, Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia

Notable non-conference opponents: Nebraska, Arizona State, Tennessee, Clemson, UConn, Northeastern, Cal

Overarching thoughts on schedule: Tough non-conference away schedule. Coach Hughes clearly is trying to ensure that RPI is not questioned again this year. Solid mix of home/away for conference play.


Pitcher to Watch: Tyson Neighbors
Hitter to Watch: Brady Day

Team Overview:
NCAA tournament or bust! After not getting selected for the postseason in 2023 at the expense of Oklahoma, a team they beat during the season, Coach Pete Hughes and the Wildcats are on a mission. Kansas State certainly can be viewed as a dark horse to win a Big 12 title, with solid hitting, one of, if not the best closer in the nation and a serviceable starting rotation. The Big 12 and college baseball is a grind though, and the Wildcats will have to do something they haven’t done in 10 years, put together an NCAA tournament worthy resume.

Offensively, Kansas State did lose four major contributors from last season (Goodwin, Pena, Rugely, and Johnson). That group accounted for more than 50% of the Wildcats home runs last season. The good news for EMAW fans is they have Brady Day and Kaelen Culpepper leading the offense, while adding some talented kids through the portal. Day has elite plate discipline and turned down MLB money to come back, while Culpepper hit .325 with 10 home runs last season and followed it up with a team best .471 for Team USA this summer. Day hit .356 last year and looks to try and improve his draft stock even further. Wichita State transfer Chuck Ingram hit .362 with 9 home runs last season and looks to be a major contributor for Kansas State this season, while Division II transfer Daniel Rivera hit .356 for Southern New Hampshire last season and brings a wealth of experience to the club, having been to three college world series. For Rivera, it isn’t just hitting though, last season he was 50 of 59 on the base paths and stole 10 more while playing in the Cape this summer. Another speedster is Brendan Jones, who doesn’t sport a high batting average, but does walk at a prolific rate. Lastly, behind the plate Kansas State has Raphael Pelletier, who is an excellent receiver and has a big arm to keep runners in check.

LHP Owen Boerema is back for another season and looks to lead the line after sporting a 7-2 record with 95 strike outs last season. RHP Ty Ruhl is also back after turning down the opportunity to go pro and appears to be making a move from bullpen to starting rotation. Lastly, RHP Jackson Wentworth appears to be the guy who will round out the starting rotation. Out of the bullpen, Andrew Evans and Mason Buss will be the middle innings guys, along with true freshman Blake Dean. The goal of course is to be able to hand things over to All-American and potential future first round draft pick Tyson Neighbors. Neighbors has a unique arm angle and really throws over the top with power and has some of the highest spin rates in college baseball, simply put, he is a nightmare for opposing hitters.