Tag: Mike Antico

Highlights from Saturday’s Alumni Game as the Texas Exes show out

The Texas Alumni held off the current Longhorns in an offensive slugfest.

No. 1 Texas baseball welcomed back 15 former players for the annual Alumni Game on Saturday.

The Texas Exes jumped out to an early lead on the current roster and held on for an 8-6 victory. Both offenses swung the bat well as the teams combined for 14 runs and 21 hits.

The star of the show was Sophomore Dylan Campbell, who started for the Alumni team. Campbell went 4-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. His three-run bomb off Pete Hansen in the second inning put the Alumni squad up 4-0.

David Hamilton (2017-2019) added on to the alumni lead going 2-3 with two runs scored.

The current squad started to heat up in the middle innings.

Murphy Stehly launched a solo home-run to lead off the third inning. Mitchell Daly and Ivan Melendez followed with extra-base hits to make the score 6-2.

Texas scored runs in the next three innings to cut the lead to 7-6 on an Eric Kennedy two-run single.

The Alumni squad would respond with a run of their own as last season’s centerfielder Mike Antico (2021) hit a moonshot over the right-field wall to extend the lead to 8-6.

The current Horns would threaten in the bottom half of the seventh but Duke Ellis (2018-2020) would rob Trey Faltine of a game-tying base hit.

Here are some of the highlights of Saturday’s ballgame:

Five Texas baseball players who rank among the NCAA’s top 50

Five Texas Longhorn baseball players who rank nationally among statistical categories.

The Texas Longhorns baseball team is 30-8 on the season and continues to ride a 13-game winning streak. They’re currently ranked No. 3 nationally and sit atop the Big 12 with slight leads over Texas Tech and TCU.

The Longhorns look more and more like a squad who will be competing in Omaha for the NCAA College World Series. Just as impressive has been the play of many of their players. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few of these Texas stars could be playing in the minor and major leagues in the coming years.

At the beginning of the season, all eyes were on pitcher Ty Madden and his elite strikeout numbers. More recently, the focus has shifted to Ivan Melendez, who had garnered attention after six consecutive games with a home run. Melendez eventually fell just short of tying the NCAA record at eight games.

Texas currently has five players among the top 50 in their respective statistical group, with a few others who are narrowly on the outside looking in. With 17 games left in the regular season, many of these numbers are likely to fluctuate.

Here are the five Texas players who rank among the the top 50 statistically via NCAA.com.

Four Texas Longhorns receive preseason All-Big 12 recognition

The Longhorns are itching to get back on the diamond after last season’s abrupt end. Four players were named in All-Big 12 preseason honors.

The Longhorns 2021 baseball season is almost upon us as the team prepares to open the season at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

In a press release from the University, a total of four Longhorns have been named to the Big 12’s preseason all-conference teams. It’s headlined by pitcher Ty Madden, who served as Saturday’s pitcher last season.

Big 12 Conference preseason honors

Austin Todd and Ty Madden were the two Texas players named to the Big 12 preseason All-Conference team. Two other Longhorns were named to the Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors for the preseason.

Ty Madden, Pitcher

Madden, who shares the recognition with K-State LHP Jordan Wicks, served as the Saturday starter for the Longhorns in 2020, pitching 25 innings and posting a 1.80 ERA with a 3-0 record. He struck out 26 batters and walked just four in 25 innings, while holding opponents to a .196 average.

Austin Todd, Outfielder

Todd got off to a scintillating start to the 2020 season, leading the team with a .375 batting average and 14 runs scored. He finished with four doubles, one triple and one home run, driving in 15 runs. He started all 17 games, reached base safely in every game and had nine multiple-hit games.

Mike Antico, Outfielder

Antico comes to Austin after an accomplished career at St. John’s from 2017 to 2020. He was a career .332 hitter with 22 doubles, seven triples and 13 homers along with 108 runs scored, 67 RBI and 44 career stolen bases. He was a 2019 unanimous first team All-BIG EAST selection and earned ABCA/Rawlings second team All-Region honors.

Tanner Witt, Pitcher

A right-handed pitcher and infielder from Houston, Witt was a four-year starter at Episcopal High School. He was a two-time All-State player and 2019 VYPE Private School Player of the Year. He was ranked the No. 1 shortstop in Texas, No. 4 overall player in the state and No. 18 nationally by Prep Baseball Report. In 2019, he participated in the Under Armour All-American Game and was a member of the 2017 USA Baseball 15U National Team.