Augie would have loved last night.
Before the Longhorns clinched a 10th trip to an NCAA Super Regional with that final fourth out in the bottom of the ninth inning, it was hard to look at the scene at the Disch and not think about the Texas legend that left us earlier in the year.
On one side of the field, you had a Texas team trying to regain a piece of its history, but it wasn't going to come easily. There was going to be a bases-loaded situation to escape. A lucky ground-rule double to survive. A potential mental hurdle of thinking you had the game won, only to need to flip the mental switch back on.
On the other side of the field was an opponent that seemed to embody exactly the type of mindset that Garrido would have loved, a team capable of handling adversity and owning the instincts of a fighter that might lose by a decision, but never a knock-out.
At the same time, there would both be exhilaration and devastation. That's baseball and that's life.
Garrido was the master of turning a small moment in a single game and making it about so much more and in the final innings of the Austin Regional, those small moments were in abundance.
And when the final out was "officially" recorded, all of those varying emotions exploded in front of us and I found it impossible to not think about him, if there was a baseball heaven out there where he was able to hang out with his old baseball buddies, drink a glass of wine and smile while watching the program that he loved so dearly find itself after having its will tested to the brink.
This was an Augie kind of weekend.
No. 2 - About David Pierce ...
It's easy to take winning for granted around here when it comes to baseball success. After all, we're talking about a program that legitimately believes that the site of the College World Series is its second home.
Yet, one of the things that really stands out to me from the aftermath of Texas clinching the regional win was the elation from its skipper.
While David Pierce has seen success at the highest levels as an assistant coach, this is the first time as a head coach to experience this level of success and you could see what it meant to him. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the sight of his smile as he hugged anyone and everyone he could get his hands on was worth a million.
For a guy that once upon a time played his college ball at Wharton Junior College and began his coaching career at Pasadena Dobie High School, this represented a monumental moment for him on a professional level.
Getting this program to this spot is what he was hired to do, but he hadn't actually ever done it before. It's worth taking the time to acknowledge the value of the moment for him every bit as much as the players.
No. 3 - Kody Clemens is about that action...
I'm not going to get into the debate that I started two weeks ago about how the youngest Clemens has put together the type of all-American season that his incredibly famous old man was never quite able to produce because Kody Clemens could hit 100 home runs and his old man would still be Roger Freaking Clemens.
Yanno ... the guy whose number is retired on the outfield wall where Kody does most of his mashing.
Instead, I just want to focus on the fact that after carrying the team on his shoulders to a Big 12 regular season championship down the homestretch of this season, he went out and topped it with his performance in the regional.
His performance against the Aggies on Saturday, which included him staring down the A&M dugout after crushing a ball to give the Longhorns a 3-0 lead, is the stuff of legends in the making. Adding the regional-clinching RBI double in the seventh inning on Sunday night was just the cherry on top of a tasty desert of a weekend performance.
The kid has become must-see-stuff at this stage of the season. We're watching one of the best seasons of the last quarter-century of any player the school has seen.
No. 4 - Talking Jake Smith ...
The Longhorns out-of-state recruiting machine picked up even more steam over the weekend with the commitment of Arizona prep star Jake Smith.
In a year when the Longhorns are struggling to reel in the best receiver prospects in the state of Texas, being able to secure the commitment of a player that would rank as a top five player in the state of Texas in this class is a massive coup.
At times, you see a little Reggie Bush in the kid. Sometimes you see a little Christian McCaffrey. Ironically, there are times when I see a little bit of Christian Kirk, the last Arizona prep star to rush and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season in the state of Arizona.
This is the type of commitment that is truly worthy of the celebration we make of verbal pledges. The only downside is that he can't play for the Longhorns this season.
No. 5 - The state of the state of Texas ...
A few thoughts following the commitment of five-star offensive line prospect Kenyon Green to Texas A&M this weekend.
a. It's a huge win for the Aggies. Barring injuries, off-field issues or him not caring about football enough to maximize his upside as a player, I think we're talking about a young man that will have a chance to play on Sundays before it's all said and done.
b. Texas is taking some punches to the chin in the state of Texas right now. Oklahoma is a handful in the Metroplex and A&M is a handful in Houston. It's as simple as that.
c. The number of available top-shelf blue chip prospects in the state of Texas is dwindling quickly. Of the top 20 in-state prospects, here is who remains uncommitted.
#5 Richmond Bush CB Erick Young
#7 Houston St. Pius X DB Jalen Curry
#8 Cedar Hill Trinity Christian DB Lewis Cine
#9 Houston St. Pius X QB Grant Gunnell
#15 Houston Mayde Creek DE Marcus Stripling
#19 Fort Worth Eaton WR Titus Swen
#20 Fort Bend Ridge Point DE Nelson Ceasar
Sixty-five percent of the top 20 players in the state are already committed. Two are Longhorns. Texas will likely land another name or two from the list of names above, but I'm not telling you something you don't already know when I tell you that the in-state recruiting success of 2019 isn't the same as that of 2018.
It's a good thing the out of state recruiting is at an elite level because it would be a problem if it wasn't.
No. 6 - Spotlighting the regions around the state of Texas...
I thought a quick snapshot of the rankings through the two most critical regions (most years would include East Texas) of the state of Texas - DFW and Houston - would be interesting to look at.
DFW
1. Allen WR Theo Wease (Committed to Oklahoma)
2. Bishop Dunne DB Brian Williams (Committed to Texas A&M)
3. Cedar Hill Trinity Christian WR Lewis Cine (Uncommitted)
4. Bishop Dunne LB Marquez Beason (Committed to Illinois)
5. Carrollton Hebron WR Trejan Bridges (Committed to Oklahoma)
6. Waxahachie DB Demani Richardson (Committed to Texas A&M)
7. Plano Prestonwood TE Austin Stonger (Committed to Oklahoma)
8. Forth Worth Nolan DE Nana Osafo-Mensah (Committed to Notre Dame)
9. Colleyville Heritage WR Kam Brown (Committed to Texas A&M)
10. Fort Worth Eaton WR Titus Swen (Uncommitted)
Houston
1. Richmond Travis WR Arjei Henderson (Committed to Oklahoma)
2. Humble Atascocita OL Kenyon Green (Committed to Texas A&M)
3. Richmond Bush DB Erick Young (Uncommitted)
4. Houston St. Pius X WR Jalen Curry (Uncommitted)
5. Houston St. Pius X QB Grant Gunnell (Uncommitted)
6. Conroe Oak Ridge OL Tyler Johnson (Committed to Texas)
7. Houston Mayde Creek DE Marcus Stripling (Uncommitted)
8. Fort Bend Ridge Point DE Nelson Ceaser (Uncommitted)
9. Klein Collins RB Isaiah Spiller (Uncommitted)
10. Richmond Bush DB Jamal Morris (Committed to Oklahoma)
No. 7 – Buy or Sell …
BUY or SELL: UT manages to win the Super regional and makes it to the CWS?
(Buy) I think Texas is going to knock off Ole Miss in Oxford.
BUY or SELL: Jake Smith takes the sting out of losing Garrett Wilson.
(Buy) I'd prefer Garrett Wilson, but if you're not going to get Garrett Wilson, getting a borderline five-star prospect at wide receiver makes for one hell of a consolation prize.
BUY or SELL: Herman and Texas firmly plant themselves (2-3 top 10 kids per year) in the Arizona FB recruiting landscape the next 5 years?
(Buy) It seems very possible, and perhaps likely, at this point.
BUY or SELL: Aggies care more about being in the SEC than winning?
(Buy) A&M views being in the SEC as winning. It's all they have.
BUY or SELL: Jimbo outworking Herman and staff. This is from the AY moderator:
"A sign of how Jimbo's staff outworks the others -
The aggies are on the verge of locking down 2020 OL Akinola Ogunbiyi and Smart Chibuzo. They've visited multiple times. Texas offered both quickly tonight.
A little desperation there, Tom?"
(Sell) I don't know if Texas is getting outworked. Texas is just getting beat, at least with a number of high-profile in-state 2019 prospects. That might be splitting hairs, but effort isn't the issue. I think the Texas staff is getting outperformed, rather than outworked.
BUY or SELL: Despite all their crowing, Texas ends up with a higher average point ranking than A&M and within 3 of Jimbo & Co. in the final rankings in 2019.
(Buy) Yeah, I can see that.
BUY or SELL: The current temperature in your house will remain below 80 for the next 24 hours?
(Sell) It depends on what part of the house you're in. The upstairs temps are in the low 70s. The downstairs temps are in the 80s. The temperature in the master bedroom could climb back into the 90s again today.
No. 8 - The most interesting things about this year's NBA Finals...
Who is going to win Finals MVP?
After game one, I might have leaned to LeBron James, even if his team is swept.
After game two, it might just be Steph Curry.
Very quietly, Kevin Durant is averaging 26.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists on 50-percent shooting in two games, which would allow him quite a case himself should he step up his game a notch on the road in Cleveland in games three and four.
The outcome of this series is decided as far as I'm concerned, but these three all-time players competing for the individual prize is going to be a lot of fun to watch.
No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... I think a case can be made that Steph Curry shooting a three-point shot is the most exciting play in sports right now.
... Curry was so good in game two that Kevin Durant's sensational night was completely overshadowed. I think he's going to have a moment before this series is complete.
... Why does LeBron keep wearing shorts with his tie and coat? Is he going to pull off making this a popular thing?
... I don't find myself thinking very much about the NFL right now.
... Hey Jake, tell us how you really feel...
... Speaking of Jake, he gets a spot in this weekend's Stat of the Weekend.
... Wait, Seattle is leading the American League West?
... Nine days and 22 hours until the start of the World Cup!
No. 10 – And Finally ...
Anyone seen Drake?
I feel like we might need to put him on the back of a milk carton pretty soon.
