Texas BASEBALL - Opening Weekend Series Preview

ZachattheDisch · 2025-02-13T12:44:10-0600

The Haunted House – Globe Life Field

Arlington has not been kind to the Texas Baseball team in recent years. In fact, going back to 2021, the Longhorns have played 18 games in Arlington. During that span, the Horns are 5-13, which includes 8 straight losses dating back to 2022 when the Horns lost to Oklahoma.

The good news is that early season struggles are not an indictment against a team nor predicate that the season will be a failure. In fact, despite going 0-3 in 2021, the Horns made it to Omaha and were a game away from playing in the title series. In 2023, the Horns went 0-3 to start the season and were a couple of plays away from being in Omaha for the third year in a row.

The other good news for fans is that this is a new year with a new staff. This is a veteran team that is hungry for success and ready to prove itself. Lastly, this year’s slate of teams in Arlington does not consist of a pair of preseason top 10 teams. Nothing against Louisville, Ole Miss, or Oklahoma State, but they are not in the same category as Arkansas and Vanderbilt. Each of the teams Texas will face have their own questions to answer this season. Overall, it should make for a great weekend of exciting baseball and hopefully will help set the tone for the season.

Buckle up. Texas Baseball is BACK!

#19 TEXAS LONGHORNS v. Louisville Cardinals
Date: Feb 14
Where: Globe Life Field (Arlington, TX)
Time: Friday at 7 pm CST
TV: Streaming on FloSports
Radio: AM-1300 The Zone

SERIES NOTES:

First Met: 2014
All Time Record (1-0): Texas has met Louisville just once before, back in 2014 at the College World Series
Last Meeting (2014) - (Clubs met in Omaha in a knockout game. The Horns won 4-1 behind the sparkling performance of Parker French (7.1 IP, 4H, 1R).
Cardinals went 32-24 (16-14), missing the NCAA Tourney for the 2nd straight year in 2024
Notes: Louisville picked to finish 8th in the ACC

Louisville has had a lot of holes in their team talent over the past couple of years, not too dissimilar to Texas. If the pitching was good, the hitting was down. If the starting pitching was good, the bullpen was down, or the team couldn’t hit. This season the Cardinals look to have a very athletic team with quality depth. More balance and contact than power offensively, the Cardinals strength is their defense up the middle, where they have several veteran players and guys who can make a difference. There are quite a few new names for Louisville, but they bolstered the team with some solid transfer pickups as they look to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2022 season when they made it to the College Station Regional, only to get swept by the Aggies, coached by Jim Schlossnagle.

RECORDS:

Texas: 0-0 (0-0 SEC)
Louisville: 0-0 (0-0 ACC)

PITCHING MATCHUPS:

FRIDAY–Texas LHP Jared Spencer (0-0) v. L’ville RHP Patrick Forbes (0-0)
- Spencer 2024 Stats: 6-0, 18 apps, 9 starts, 4.08 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 53 IP, .216 B/Avg
- Forbes 2024 Stats: 0-1, 12 apps, 4 starts, 3.72 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 29 IP, .243 B/Avg
- After being limited in 2024 due to an injury and splitting time between hitting and pitching, Forbes is expected to be the Friday night guy in 2025. Forbes spent the summer with the USA Collegiate National Team and on the Cape, flashing an upper 90s fastball and outstanding control.

Bullpen Arm to Watch:

Tucker Biven: 2024 Stats – 4-2, 24 apps, 3.82 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 35.1 IP, .271 B/Avg
- Named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List

Offensive Player to Watch:

Zion Rose - .380 Avg, 1.039 OPS, 5 HR, 32 RBI, .584 SLG%, 19 BB, 18 K, .455 OB%, 10-13 SB

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#19 TEXAS LONGHORNS v Ole Miss Rebels
Date: Feb 15
Where: Globe Life Field (Arlington, TX)
Time: Saturday at 7 pm CST
TV: Streaming on FloSports
Radio: AM-1300 The Zone

SERIES NOTES:

First Met: 1900
All Time Record: 14-6
Last Meeting (2021) - (Horns fell to Ole Miss 1-8 in the third game of the State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Arlington)
Ole Miss went 27-29 (11-19), missing the NCAA Tourney for the 2nd straight year in 2024
Notes: Picked to finish 15th in the SEC

After winning the National Championship in 2022, Ole Miss fans have had to suffer through back-to-back years of failing to make it to the NCAA Tournament. Despite a title just two years ago, 2025 could be a make-or-break season for head coach Mike Bianco and staff. Ole Miss has been picked to finish 15th by the coaches. There is reason for optimism this year for the Rebels as they have a solid core of veteran pitchers, both starters and relievers which absolutely makes a difference in a league like the SEC. In addition, Ole Miss brought in several impact transfers to help bolster an offense that was near the bottom of the SEC in multiple categories. Overall, the game against Ole Miss represents a good early test against an SEC foe who will be looking to grab an early out of conference win for their RPI and help kick off their quest to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

RECORDS:

Texas: 0-0 (0-0 SEC)
Ole Miss: 0-0 (0-0 SEC)

PITCHING MATCHUPS:

SATURDAY–Texas LHP Luke Harrison (0-0) v. Ole Miss RHP Riley Maddox (0-0)
- Harrison 2024 Stats: 1-0, 13 apps, 1 start, 9.28 ERA, 2.63 ERA, 10.2 IP, .341 B/Avg
- Maddox 2024 Stats: 3-7, 15 apps, 14 starts, 5.48 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 69 IP, .276 B/Avg

Bullpen Arm to Watch:

Connor Spencer (2024 Stats): 0-2, 18 apps, 6.16 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 19 IP, .194 B/Avg

Offensive Player to Watch:

Mitch Sanford (New Orleans transfer) - .381 BA, .460 OB%, .708 SLG%, 15 HR, 67 RBI, 26 BB, 46 K, 18 SB

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#19 TEXAS LONGHORNS v #17 Oklahoma State
Date: Feb 16
Where: Globe Life Field (Arlington, TX)
Time: Sunday at 6:30 pm CST
TV: Streaming on FloSports
Radio: AM-1300 The Zone

SERIES NOTES:

First Met: 1913
All Time Record: 70-55
Last Meeting (2024) - (Texas won the series against #14 Oklahoma State 2-1)
Went 42-19 (19-9)
Notes: Picked to finish 1st in the Big 12.

After having hosted three straight Regionals, but losing all three, Coach Holliday and the Pokes are looking to change their fortunes in 2025. Oklahoma State has not been back to Omaha since 2016, which is a bit surprising considering the talent and consistency that Holliday has overseen. After having to replace the entire pitching rotation from last year, it would seem like a longshot to make it in 2025, but make no doubt, the Pokes have the offensive talent to hang with anyone in the nation. They are a team that will hit and hit a lot! The matchup against Texas will be an important one for both squads as they look to make an early impression and get an all-important RPI win to kick off the season.

RECORDS:

Texas: 0-0 (0-0 SEC)
Oklahoma State: 0-0 (0-0 Big 12)

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS:

SUNDAY–Texas TBD v. Oklahoma State TBD (0-0)
- Texas has a number of options, but could roll out RHP Cody Howard due to his experience
- Oklahoma State will likely go with one of the following transfer arms:
  - LHP Harrison Bodendorf (Hawaii): 4-3, 20 apps, 11 starts, 4.61 ERA, 56.2 IP, .247 B/Avg
  - RHP Mario Pesca (St. John’s): 6-1, 15 apps, 15 starts, 2.96 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 76 IP, .242 B/Avg

Bullpen Arm to Watch:

Freshman Ethan Lund is a guy that the Pokes are very high on and could end up in the starting rotation by the end of the season

Offensive Player to Watch:

Nolan Schubart (2024 stats): .370 BA, .513 OB%, .838 SLG%, 28 HRs, 68 RBIs, 49 BB, 62K

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WEEKEND PREDICTIONS (Season Record 0-0):

Texas will go 2-1 in Arlington

Weekend Games to Watch:

#15 Clemson v. #17 Oklahoma State
#7 Oregon State v. Xavier
#24 Nebraska v. UC Irvine
Texas Tech v. #6 North Carolina (3 game series)
#21 Arizona v. Ole Miss
Campbell v. #22 UC Santa Barbara (3 game series)
#16 Vanderbilt v. Grand Canyon
#23 TCU v. San Diego (3 game series)
#15 Clemson v. #21 Arizona
Air Force v. #10 Florida (3 game series)
#24 Nebraska v. #16 Vanderbilt
#21 Arizona v. Louisville
#16 Vanderbilt v. UC Irvine
Indiana v. #7 Oregon State
#7 Clemson v. Ole Miss
#2 Virginia v. Rice

SEC Teams in Action:

Alabama – Weekend series hosting Bradley
Arkansas – Weekend series hosting Washington State
Auburn – Weekend series hosting Holy Cross
Florida – Weekend series hosting Air Force
Georgia – Weekend series hosting UNC Wilmington
Kentucky – Weekend series at Lipscomb
LSU – Weekend series hosting Purdue-Fort Wayne
Mississippi State – Weekend series hosting Manhattan
Missouri – Neutral games against Penn State, Connecticut, and Stetson
Oklahoma – Weekend series hosting Lehigh
Ole Miss – Shriner’s Childrens against Arizona, Texas, and Clemson
South Carolina – Weekend series hosting Sacred Heart
Tennessee – Weekend series hosting Hofstra
Texas – Shriner’s Childrens against Louisville, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma State
Texas A&M – Weekend series hosting Elon
Vanderbilt – Neutral games against Grand Canyon, Nebraska, and UC Irvine

PDPickens · 2025-02-13T12:45:34-0600