Tag: Big 12 baseball

Two Longhorns Named To Preseason All Big 12 Team

Texas Longhorns baseball team has two players represented on the preseason All-Big 12 team with Bryce Elder and Eric Kennedy.

Two weeks until the Longhorns start their baseball conference championship defense against the Rice Owls on February 15th. The Big 12 announced their preseason All-Big 12 team. Two Longhorns represented on the team with pitcher Bryce Elder and outfielder Eric Kennedy.

Elder is heading into his junior season for the Longhorns. Last year with Texas, Elder was named to the All-Big 12 second team. He posted a 2.93 ERA in 13 starts where he pitched 83 innings. He led the team with 86 strikeouts and was named Big 12 pitcher of the week on multiple occasions. Elder looks to lead the staff back to the College World Series in Omaha for the second-consecutive season for the first time since 2002-2005 when Texas participated in the championship tournament for four consecutive years.

Kennedy will return to Austin for his sophomore season. The former high school All-American was named to the All-Big 12 honorable mention team as a freshman. He led all Longhorns with a .310 batting average and hit safely in 13 of 14 of the final games of the season. He scored 41 runs with eight doubles, three triples and two home runs in 2019.

Is It Time For Former Longhorn Roger Clemens To Get HOF Nod?

Roger Clemens missed out on the Hall of Fame class in 2020 but is it time that the former Texas Longhorn get in?

Just a week ago the newest class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was announced. The class of 2020 includes former New York Yankee Derek Jeter and former Colorado Rockies, Montreal Expos and St Louis Cardinals first baseman and right fielder Larry Walker. One name that just missed the class was former teammate of Jeter and former Texas Longhorns great Roger Clemens.

Clemens finished fourth among the candidates receiving 60.7% of the votes, the required threshold is 75%. Each year since 2014, Clemens has been gaining votes that started with just 35.4% and continued to grow until this past year at 60.7%. Under voting rules, Clemens has until 2022 to receive the necessary number for induction or he comes off the ballot for writers. It then moves to a committee that would meet in 2024.

The controversy surrounding Roger Clemens induction stems around the BALCO investigation that stated that Clemens received performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) from trainer Brian McNamee. Baseball purist believe that Clemens doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame based on this investigation. Clemens never admitted to taking steroids and had he admitted one would think the case against him in the Hall of Fame wouldn’t be as strong.

Given the era that Clemens played in, it seemed to be common place for players using steroids. While it is no excuse, given how Clemens performed before the accusations of PEDs, he deserves his opportunity to shine and be inducted. For the former Longhorn, 2021 just might be his best chance given how voters have been delivering their votes in recent years. It is hard to deny what Clemens accomplished on the mound and for that it is time to make it right.

Roger Clemens Accomplishments

  • 11-time All-Star
  • Two-Time World Series Champion
  • Seven-time Cy Young Award Winner (Most All-Time)
  • American League Most Valuable Player (1986)
  • Two-Time Triple Crown Winner (ERA, Wins and Strikeouts)
  • Led Major League Baseball in wins (four times)
  • Led Major League Baseball in ERA (seven times)
  • Led American League in strikeouts (five times)
  • MLB All-Century Team
  • Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
  • Career Wins-354 (9th All-Time)
  • 4,672 strikeouts (3rd All-Time)

 

Former Longhorn Brandon Workman Looks To Lock Down Closer Role

Former Texas Longhorn and current Boston Red Sox pitcher Brandon Workman is looking to lockdown the closer role in 2020.

Another former Texas Longhorns pitcher is looking for a big year in 2020. For the Boston Red Sox they could have their next closer in Brandon Workman. For Workman his journey started in Bowie, Texas where he lettered all four years in high schooling. During those four years he earned All-State honors in two of the four years and Silver Slugger All-American recognition. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies but did not signed and joined the baseball team at the University of Texas in 2008.

After three seasons with the Longhorns, Workman was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 2010 MLB Draft with the 57th overall selection. In 2013 he would be promoted from Double A Portland to Triple A Pawtucket and eventually to the Majors in July. He would be part of the bullpen that propelled the team to a World Series Championship. He didn’t surrender a single run in seven postseason appearances.

Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

His sophomore season in the majors wasn’t memorable as Workman went 1-10 with 5.17 ERA in 19 games. In 2015 he would require Tommy John surgery costing him the entire season. In 2016 Workman spent the year trying to get back to the big leagues. He would return to Boston in 2017 appearing in 33 games with a 3.18 ERA which was a career best at the time.

The former Longhorns pitcher would be up and down between Boston and minor league affiliate Pawtucket in 2018, although he recorded a 6-1 record and 3.27 ERA in 43 games. He was apart of the Red Sox ALDS and ALCS roster before being replaced for the World Series.

Last season saw Workman finish the season as the closer where he closed out 16 games for Boston. The team wouldn’t qualify for the postseason after finished third in the AL East division. During the season Workman posted a 10-1 record with a career best 1.81 ERA. Heading into Spring Training, Workman is looking to be the closer but he has some competition in Boston. Given how he finished out the season Brandon Workman should get the opportunity to be the man to lockdown the ninth inning in 2020.

Corey Knebel Eyeing Mid April Return To The Mound?

Former Texas Longhorns closer and current Milwaukee Brewer Corey Knebel is eyeing a mid April return to the mound.

It wasn’t quite the 2019 season that former Texas Longhorns pitcher Corey Knebel had hoped for. After a career year in 2017 for the Milwaukee Brewers, the numbers weren’t quite up to snuff in 2018. For Knebel, he was an All-Star for the Brewers in 2017.

That year he led the Majors in appearances with 76, while getting the save in 39 games. He would finished the season with a 1.78 (ERA) earned run average. His 2018 season wouldn’t be near as kind as Knebel posted a 3.58 ERA with a 4-3 record in 57 appearances while earning 16 saves. The 2019 season was hoping to see him return to his All-Star form for the Brewers.

In March of 2019 it was reported that Knebel would miss the season due to an injured elbow that would require Tommy John surgery to repair a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. The typical recovery and best case scenario is a 13-month recovery time to begin playing baseball again.

According to CBS Sports, Knebel is eyeing a mid-April return to the mound. Barring any setbacks which the report states that there were none, fits right in with the 13-month recovery period. The former Longhorn will likely come in as a middle reliever and eventually getting an opportunity to earn his spot as the Brewers’ closer once again.

Knebel came to Texas in 2011 where he became the closer. That year he recorded 19 saves earning him First Team All-American honors and tying a school record. He played until 2013 where he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers with the 39th overall pick.

He made his Major League Debut against the Texas Rangers in 2014 before being traded from Detroit to Texas. That year Knebel sprained that same UCL before being shut down. In the offseason, Knebel was part of a package that sent him to Milwaukee. In 2017 he was named National League All-Star.

Brandon Belt Looks For Bounce Back Year In 2020

Former Texas Longhorn Brandon Belt is looking for a bounce back season in 2020 for the San Francisco Giants.

Former Longhorn and current Giants’ first baseman Brandon Belt is preparing to head into his 10th season in the majors, all of which have been with the Giants. Belt received his call to the big leagues in 2011, appearing in 63 games while batting .225 with nine home runs and 18 runs batted in at the age of 23. Outside of an injury-riddled season in 2014, that would be the fewest games that Belt would play in.

In 2019, the former Longhorn and Nacogdoches native appeared in a career-high 156 games that he also matched in the 2016 season. Belt batted just .234 with 127 strikeouts to only 83 walks. He added 17 HRs and 57 RBIs. Looking for a bounce back season, Belt will report to spring training for the Giants in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 16th.

The Giants will be looking to overtake the two teams that finished above them in 2019, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants finished with a combined record of 16-22 against those two clubs. For Belt, he is trying to bring the Giants back to contention. The team hasn’t had a playoff berth since 2016 and haven’t won the pennant since 2014 when they won the World Series.

Belt spent 2008-2009 with the Texas Longhorns. He decided to go to school over starting his baseball career when he was selected in the 11th round by the Boston Red Sox straight out of Lufkin High School. Belt spent 2007 with San Jacinto college where again he was drafted in the 11th round by the Atlanta Braves. He transferred to Texas where he would spend the next two seasons.

As a member of the Longhorns team in 2008, the team finished with a 39-22 record and was eliminated in the NCAA Regionals after falling to Rice 7-4. The following year Belt transitioned to first base and gave up pitching due to his shoulder. The Longhorns finished as runner-up in the 2009 College World Series. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fifth round of the 2009 MLB Draft.

Brandon Belt’s MLB Accolades

  • National League All-Star (2016)
  • Two-time Wold Series Champion (2012, 2014)
  • Career Batting Average .261
  • Career Home Runs: 129
  • Career Runs Batted In: 472
  • Career On Base Percentage: .354

Former Longhorn Ron Gardenhire Hopes To Turn Tigers Around

Former Longhorn and current Detroit Tigers skipper is hoping to turn around a team that posted their second-worst record in team history.

The Texas Longhorns are preparing for the Alumni game coming up on February 1st. However, there are a handful of former Longhorns preparing for Spring Training and the 2020 Major League Baseball season. One such former Longhorn is long-time skipper Ron Gardenhire.

Gardenhire is preparing for his third year as the Detroit Tigers skipper after an 13-year run in Minnesota with the Twins. After a 6-21 postseason record, Gardenhire was fired and quickly swept up by the Tigers to be their new skipper. He is in the final year of three-year contract with Detroit.

The Detroit Tigers were coming off one of their 10 worst seasons in their history. The organization dates all the way back to 1894. The team went 68-94 in 2017 before relieving Brad Ausmus in favor of Gardenhire. In their first season under the new manager, the Tigers posted an identical 68-94 season.

In the second year under Gardenhire, the Tigers were even worse. Last season the team finished 47-114 and posted the most home losses (59) in the modern era. For Gardenhire, he will need a season where the team shows some signs of life if he wants to continue his career in Detroit.

Ron Gardenhire’s Career Accolades

  • Career Record 1,179-1,251 (.485 winning percentage)
  • Minnesota Record 1,068-1,039 (.507 winning percentage)
  • Minnesota Playoffs 6-21 (.222 winning percentage)
  • Detroit Record 111-212 (.344 winning percentage)
  • AL Manager of the Year (2010)

Four Longhorns named to Big 12’s All-Decade baseball team

Kody Clemens, Mark Payton, Taylor Jungmann, and Corey Knebel are named to D1 Baseball’s Big 12 All-Decade team.

It was a successful decade for Texas baseball, consistently winning throughout all ten years. Winning the Big 12 regular season three different times in 2010, 2011, and 2018. The only other program to come close to the Longhorns was Texas Tech, also winning three.

Texas also added a Big 12 tournament win in 2015, sending them straight to the NCAA tournament. Making it to the tournament in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018, the Longhorns got to the College World Series in three of those years.

All of this success was due to a few players who made it into the D1baseball.com Big 12 All-Decade Team. Kody Clemens, Mark Payton, Taylor Jungmann, and Corey Knebel all made it in for the Longhorns. You can check out the full team here:

Here are the four players that made it into the Big 12 All-Decade team:

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Two Longhorns Assistants Look To Bring Texas To The Top

Troy Tulowitzki and former Longhorn great Huston Street look to bring the Texas baseball team back to the top of the baseball world.

The Texas Longhorns baseball team is looking for a return to prominence. The Longhorns haven’t had a championship season since 2005 although they came close in 2009 as a runner up to champion Louisiana State Tigers. After a four-year absence from the championship tournament the boys in Austin returned to the tourney in 2019 but were quickly eliminated after two games.

For this season, Texas looks to regain their magic and become one of the top teams not only in the Big 12 but in all of the NCAA. This season they will have a couple new voices in the room to help them along the way. Huston Street has joined the staff as a student assistant. Many fans will remember Street who helped lead the Longhorns to the title in 2002 and the semifinals in 2004. The Longhorns pitching staff will be able to lean on his experience as both a champion in the CWS and in Major League Baseball.

Another big name on this staff that will be key is Troy Tulowitzki who joined the staff after ending his 14-year career in the majors. Tulo much like Street has a plethora of knowledge and experience that he can share with the team that can only help them as they try to bring Texas back to the top of the college baseball world. It all starts February 1st with the Alumni game.

In 2020 the Longhorns will likely need to be better than they were a year ago with a 7-16 conference record. However, given how they performed in the postseason, don’t count out another magical run by the Longhorns.