The Longhorns (6-7) jumped out to a huge lead for the second-straight game, but there would be no meltdown loss this time around. Texas responded well after Sunday’s rough defeat by beating Sam Houston State (5-9) in dominant fashion 12-3.
There were a few very encouraging signs for the Longhorns Tuesday evening, and the first came in the bottom of the second. Patrick Mathis, who had been sidelined with a strained hamstring, made his return to the starting lineup as the designated hitter, and put Texas in front 1-0 with a one-out RBI single up the middle. With two outs in the third, Joe Baker knocked in Zane Gurwitz, who led off with a double, to give the Longhorns a 2-0 lead.
Kody Clemens provided more firepower for Texas on offense when he went the other way with authority, which resulted in a two-run bomb into the left field bullpen. The home run came on a 3-2 pitch with two outs.
Texas’ offensive production continued in the home half of the fifth. Gurwitz again led off with a hit, this time a single. Travis Jones’ infield single resulted in runners on second and third with one down after a throwing error, and Baker recorded another RBI with a hard single up the middle. With the bases loaded and one after Tres Barrera’s walk, the glasses-wearing Kacy Clemens cleared them with a double to the wall in right-center field.
“Yeah, obviously that was kind of my thing,” responded Clemens, who also added that the glasses that he’s been wearing since late in the Stanford series are “not that big of a difference,” about eliminating some movement in his swing and seeing results. “I kind of got into, ‘Man, this feels big. I need to hit the ball. I need to put up power numbers,’ and all that. But I just went back to having my hands here, go straight to the ball, and let my power do its work. And that’s just kind of what’s been showing up lately.”
Before the inning would end, Kody Clemens made it 9-0 with a RBI single.
In the top of the seventh, Sam Houston State pushed three runs across which probably had the Texas fans in attendance thinking, “not again.” However, the Longhorns responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on a long, bases-loaded single by Gurwitz and then added two more in the eighth thanks to Brady Harlan’s hard two-out, two-RBI single to right.
“I think that they did a good job of sustaining their focus and competing,” said Augie Garrido after the game. “The scoreboard can let you cheat yourself, and that is what I talked about, ‘Hey we have to get better every inning. It doesn’t matter what the score is whether we’re ahead or we’re behind. We have to get better during batting practice. We just have to get better.’ … We’re staying the course.”
Key moment in the game
It might not seem that significant. But a game after watching a 7-0 vanish in the final two innings and being overwhelmed by Cal’s momentum, the Longhorns immediately matched Sam Houston State’s rally with a run of their own, which negated any sort of miracle comeback from happening again.
Battle on the hill
Winning pitcher – Morgan Cooper, Texas (1-0)
Losing pitcher – Cody Brown, Sam Houston State (0-2)
On a night when the bats blasted the ball around the yard for Texas, Cooper’s performance was maybe more impressive and encouraging. In 6.0 scoreless innings, the redshirt sophomore gave up just three hits, didn’t issue a walk, and struck out a career-high eight on 81 pitches.
Cooper was still touching 94 MPH in the fifth inning, and was 88-92 MPH in his final inning of work. Along with the velocity, Cooper showed some of the best fastball command he’s ever shown at Texas by working the ball on both sides of the plate with success. The curveball generated some ugly swings-and-misses, including on two pitches in the dirt. Cooper didn’t rely on the changeup too much, but did get a big strikeout on a 3-2 change against a righthander. He was terrific.
“Yeah, you don’t worry about it, but it’s also something to worry about if it is dropping a lot,” Cooper said when asked about holding his velocity deep into the game tonight. “That was something big that happened last week, was my velocity dropped a lot in the fourth inning. I guess it’s exciting that the work being put in is showing. That’s a good sign to see that going late into the innings.”
Beau Ridgeway’s command and breaking ball weren’t quite as sharp has his previous two outings, and that resulted in Sam Houston State knocking him around a little bit. In 1.0 innings, the freshman gave up three runs on three hits, and hit a batter. He also struck out one.
Nolan Kingham tossed a scoreless eighth before fellow freshman righthander Chase Shugart gave up a single but struck out three in a scoreless ninth. Smart move by Texas to get Shugart back on the mound after Sunday’s loss.
Breaking down the batter's box
Star of the game – Before the game began, Kody Clemens entered the contest with a BABIP (batting average on balls in play; average number around .300) of .195. For a guy that’s been putting the ball in play hard consistently, that’s just bad luck. The freshman has been due, and he was rewarded tonight with a 3-for-5 effort that included a run scored and three RBI, including two on a two-run homer.
Clemens hit the ball up the middle, and hit the ball very hard the opposite way twice; he’s remained balanced and poised in the box with a short, quick swing that takes the barrel to the ball on a good plane.
Frustrating day at the office – As a whole, Sam Houston State struck out 12 times and walked just once.
Dustin's extra bases
When Gurwitz was able to get into fastball counts tonight and saw heat, he feasted, and hit the ball where it was pitched. If he’s able to do that consistently, the results will be solid for Texas because when he’s not chasing, he’s a good fastball hitter. Gurwitz, hitting ninth, finished 3-for-5 with two runs, a RBI and all three hits were scorched. However, late in the game he took a very defensive swing on a slider out of the zone that resulted in an out.
Baker went 3-for-5 with three hard line drives towards the middle of the field, and showed the confidence to hit with two outs in key situations.
Although Mathis is limited still when it comes to running, his swing isn’t bothered at all. He put the bat on the ball hard in a couple other at-bats with the bat speed we’re used to seeing.
If it’s the recent addition of glasses or whatever it is Kacy Clemens is doing, Texas needs him to keep doing it. Like we saw in the fall, the junior has eliminated some of the movement in his swing, both in the lower half and the actual swing, and also shortened the swing some. The results lately have been impressive. He went 1-for-3 with two runs, a walk, and three RBI.
Also, sometimes you see things that can really put life into perspective. As the media gathered on the field just beyond the clubhouse and the dugout, Cooper emerged after Texas’ normal postgame meeting as a team in the clubhouse. He immediately walked up the nearest stairs before the field to reach the seats just beyond the field box along the first base side. Cooper exchanged a few words with people he knew in the stands, and then down came a young boy with his walker, helped by Cooper and a family member, to the field.
Eventually, the group made it to the bases where they started to walk the diamond together, Cooper accompanying the young boy and helping when needed. As Garrido walked up to the media gathered, he paused and I said softly to him as we prepared to fire questions his way about the game, “Puts things in perspective a little bit, doesn’t it?” And he looked at me and said, “puts things into perspective a lot,” before answering our questions.
The boy’s name is Kooper Hernandez, or “Super Kooper.” And he and the star pitcher for Texas named Cooper go way back.
“He broke his femur. He was diagnosed with bone cancer and he had his leg amputated in October last year. Being from Jarrell it’s small town. Everyone kind of knows everybody. When I found out about it, for some reason he likes me. I don’t know. I don’t know what he’s thinking,” Cooper said with a laugh. “His mom would always tell me when I’d leave that he’d talk about me all the time. So I just kept hanging out with him and stuff and we just kind of have a connection. Today, they were able to come to the game. Whatever I can to help them out. It’s a tough situation, but he’s been awesome.”
On a night when the guy returning from Tommy John pitched by far the best game he has since he returned, we were all again reminded by Kooper and Cooper that there are much, much more important things in life than baseball, which is a game some are very fortunate to play.
Read more about Kooper’s story here.
There were a few very encouraging signs for the Longhorns Tuesday evening, and the first came in the bottom of the second. Patrick Mathis, who had been sidelined with a strained hamstring, made his return to the starting lineup as the designated hitter, and put Texas in front 1-0 with a one-out RBI single up the middle. With two outs in the third, Joe Baker knocked in Zane Gurwitz, who led off with a double, to give the Longhorns a 2-0 lead.
Kody Clemens provided more firepower for Texas on offense when he went the other way with authority, which resulted in a two-run bomb into the left field bullpen. The home run came on a 3-2 pitch with two outs.
Texas’ offensive production continued in the home half of the fifth. Gurwitz again led off with a hit, this time a single. Travis Jones’ infield single resulted in runners on second and third with one down after a throwing error, and Baker recorded another RBI with a hard single up the middle. With the bases loaded and one after Tres Barrera’s walk, the glasses-wearing Kacy Clemens cleared them with a double to the wall in right-center field.
“Yeah, obviously that was kind of my thing,” responded Clemens, who also added that the glasses that he’s been wearing since late in the Stanford series are “not that big of a difference,” about eliminating some movement in his swing and seeing results. “I kind of got into, ‘Man, this feels big. I need to hit the ball. I need to put up power numbers,’ and all that. But I just went back to having my hands here, go straight to the ball, and let my power do its work. And that’s just kind of what’s been showing up lately.”
Before the inning would end, Kody Clemens made it 9-0 with a RBI single.
In the top of the seventh, Sam Houston State pushed three runs across which probably had the Texas fans in attendance thinking, “not again.” However, the Longhorns responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on a long, bases-loaded single by Gurwitz and then added two more in the eighth thanks to Brady Harlan’s hard two-out, two-RBI single to right.
“I think that they did a good job of sustaining their focus and competing,” said Augie Garrido after the game. “The scoreboard can let you cheat yourself, and that is what I talked about, ‘Hey we have to get better every inning. It doesn’t matter what the score is whether we’re ahead or we’re behind. We have to get better during batting practice. We just have to get better.’ … We’re staying the course.”
Key moment in the game
It might not seem that significant. But a game after watching a 7-0 vanish in the final two innings and being overwhelmed by Cal’s momentum, the Longhorns immediately matched Sam Houston State’s rally with a run of their own, which negated any sort of miracle comeback from happening again.
Battle on the hill
Winning pitcher – Morgan Cooper, Texas (1-0)
Losing pitcher – Cody Brown, Sam Houston State (0-2)
On a night when the bats blasted the ball around the yard for Texas, Cooper’s performance was maybe more impressive and encouraging. In 6.0 scoreless innings, the redshirt sophomore gave up just three hits, didn’t issue a walk, and struck out a career-high eight on 81 pitches.
Cooper was still touching 94 MPH in the fifth inning, and was 88-92 MPH in his final inning of work. Along with the velocity, Cooper showed some of the best fastball command he’s ever shown at Texas by working the ball on both sides of the plate with success. The curveball generated some ugly swings-and-misses, including on two pitches in the dirt. Cooper didn’t rely on the changeup too much, but did get a big strikeout on a 3-2 change against a righthander. He was terrific.
“Yeah, you don’t worry about it, but it’s also something to worry about if it is dropping a lot,” Cooper said when asked about holding his velocity deep into the game tonight. “That was something big that happened last week, was my velocity dropped a lot in the fourth inning. I guess it’s exciting that the work being put in is showing. That’s a good sign to see that going late into the innings.”
Beau Ridgeway’s command and breaking ball weren’t quite as sharp has his previous two outings, and that resulted in Sam Houston State knocking him around a little bit. In 1.0 innings, the freshman gave up three runs on three hits, and hit a batter. He also struck out one.
Nolan Kingham tossed a scoreless eighth before fellow freshman righthander Chase Shugart gave up a single but struck out three in a scoreless ninth. Smart move by Texas to get Shugart back on the mound after Sunday’s loss.
Breaking down the batter's box
Star of the game – Before the game began, Kody Clemens entered the contest with a BABIP (batting average on balls in play; average number around .300) of .195. For a guy that’s been putting the ball in play hard consistently, that’s just bad luck. The freshman has been due, and he was rewarded tonight with a 3-for-5 effort that included a run scored and three RBI, including two on a two-run homer.
Clemens hit the ball up the middle, and hit the ball very hard the opposite way twice; he’s remained balanced and poised in the box with a short, quick swing that takes the barrel to the ball on a good plane.
Frustrating day at the office – As a whole, Sam Houston State struck out 12 times and walked just once.
Dustin's extra bases
When Gurwitz was able to get into fastball counts tonight and saw heat, he feasted, and hit the ball where it was pitched. If he’s able to do that consistently, the results will be solid for Texas because when he’s not chasing, he’s a good fastball hitter. Gurwitz, hitting ninth, finished 3-for-5 with two runs, a RBI and all three hits were scorched. However, late in the game he took a very defensive swing on a slider out of the zone that resulted in an out.
Baker went 3-for-5 with three hard line drives towards the middle of the field, and showed the confidence to hit with two outs in key situations.
Although Mathis is limited still when it comes to running, his swing isn’t bothered at all. He put the bat on the ball hard in a couple other at-bats with the bat speed we’re used to seeing.
If it’s the recent addition of glasses or whatever it is Kacy Clemens is doing, Texas needs him to keep doing it. Like we saw in the fall, the junior has eliminated some of the movement in his swing, both in the lower half and the actual swing, and also shortened the swing some. The results lately have been impressive. He went 1-for-3 with two runs, a walk, and three RBI.
Also, sometimes you see things that can really put life into perspective. As the media gathered on the field just beyond the clubhouse and the dugout, Cooper emerged after Texas’ normal postgame meeting as a team in the clubhouse. He immediately walked up the nearest stairs before the field to reach the seats just beyond the field box along the first base side. Cooper exchanged a few words with people he knew in the stands, and then down came a young boy with his walker, helped by Cooper and a family member, to the field.
Eventually, the group made it to the bases where they started to walk the diamond together, Cooper accompanying the young boy and helping when needed. As Garrido walked up to the media gathered, he paused and I said softly to him as we prepared to fire questions his way about the game, “Puts things in perspective a little bit, doesn’t it?” And he looked at me and said, “puts things into perspective a lot,” before answering our questions.
The boy’s name is Kooper Hernandez, or “Super Kooper.” And he and the star pitcher for Texas named Cooper go way back.
“He broke his femur. He was diagnosed with bone cancer and he had his leg amputated in October last year. Being from Jarrell it’s small town. Everyone kind of knows everybody. When I found out about it, for some reason he likes me. I don’t know. I don’t know what he’s thinking,” Cooper said with a laugh. “His mom would always tell me when I’d leave that he’d talk about me all the time. So I just kept hanging out with him and stuff and we just kind of have a connection. Today, they were able to come to the game. Whatever I can to help them out. It’s a tough situation, but he’s been awesome.”
On a night when the guy returning from Tommy John pitched by far the best game he has since he returned, we were all again reminded by Kooper and Cooper that there are much, much more important things in life than baseball, which is a game some are very fortunate to play.
Read more about Kooper’s story here.
