Tag: Pete Hansen

No. 1 Texas takes down No. 17 Tennessee 7-2, improving to 10-0

Trey Faltine’s home run sparked Texas’ offense in its 7-2 victory over Tennessee.

In a rematch of two Omaha teams from a season ago, No. 1 Texas got the better of No. 17 Tennesse yet again. The Longhorns took down the Vols 7-2, behind stellar performances from Pete Hansen and Ivan Melendez.

Pitching dominated the game early on. Both Pete Hansen and Tennesse starter Chase Burns were in cruise control before giving up solo home runs in the fifth inning.

Hansen finished his day after going six innings, allowing one run with five strikeouts. The lefty picked up his second victory on the season.

Trey Faltine got the offense going for the Horns with a monster home run to tie things up in the fifth.

Texas broke the game open in the next inning. Eric Kennedy and Ivan Melendez led off the inning with back-to-back doubles to take the lead. A Tennessee error and a Skyler Messinger single later put Texas up 4-1.

Things got a bit dicey in the seventh for Texas. The Vols got to Texas reliever Travis Stehle to cut the score to 4-2, but a clutch strikeout from freshman Luke Harrison left the tying runs stranded.

Texas added a few insurance runs as Aaron Nixon closed the door on game one of the Shinner’s Hospital Classic.

A top 10 matchup vs. LSU is up next for the Longhorns.

Shiners Children’s College Classic: Preview and pitching matchups

Houston is the place to be for college baseball fans this weekend.

David Pierce has to be happy with what he has seen from his squad early on.

No. 1 Texas has passed the eye test of the 2022 season thus far. The Horns are undefeated at 9-0, outscoring opponents 73-9 over that span.

The Longhorns are playing well in all facets of the game. Allowing less than one earned run per game while hitting .300 as a team will get the job done.

Texas is coming off a weekend sweep of future SEC foe Alabama and a midweek blowout over Sam Houston State.

The competition will heat up for Texas this weekend at the 22nd annual 2022 Shiners Children’s College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Texas will face No. 17 Tennessee, No. 7 LSU and UCLA. Baylor and Oklahoma are the other Big 12 teams joining Texas in the field.

Texas went 1-2 during the event in the COVID shortened 2020 season.

Here is a look at the projected pitching matchups in each of Texas’ games for the weekend.

No. 1 Texas vs. Alabama: Preview and pitching matchups

No. 1 Texas hosts Alabama for a chilly weekend at The Disch.

The No. 1 Texas Longhorns welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide to Austin for what should be a chilly weekend the Disch. The last time these teams has faced off was in the 1983 College World Series when Douglas Hodo’s father was on the team.

Both teams enter this series a perfect 5-0 on the short season.

Texas swept Rice in convincing fashion on the first weekend series of the year and took two road mid-week games over Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Alabama has looked the part yet again after making the NCAA tournament a season ago. The Tide took down Xavier in three straight games on the weekend and followed that up with two mid-week wins of their own.

Texas has outscored their opponents 53-7 on the season and will look to continue that dominance against future SEC foe Alabama.

Here is a look at the probable pitching matchups for the weekend:

Friday: LHP Pete Hansen (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Garrett McMillan (0-0, 6.00)

Saturday: RHP Tristan Stevens (1-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Antoine Jean (0-0, 4.50)

Sunday: RHP Tanner Witt (1-0, 1.80) vs. LHP Grayson Hitt (1-0, 0.00)

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Two Longhorns named to Golden Spikes Award watch list

The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the best player in college baseball.

The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the best player in college baseball.

On Tuesday, USA Baseball announced its 2022 Gold Spikes watch list which included 55 players across the country.

Texas starting pitchers Pete Hansen and Tanner Witt were named to the list.

Hansen enters the 2022 season as the ace of the Longhorns staff. He boasts a career ERA of 1.58 over 108 innings pitched. Hansen was also named preseason Big 12 pitcher of the year.

Witt will move into the weekend rotation after a phenomenal freshman season out of the bullpen. Opposing batters hit just .194 against Witt’s electric fastball and wipeout breaking ball last year.

12 Longhorns have been named a Gold Spikes Finalist but none have ever captured the award, most recently Kody Clemens in 2018. Hansen and Witt will have the chance to change that this season.

Texas begins the 2022 season on Friday, Feb. 18 at home against the Rice Owls.

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LOOK: Texas’ pitching staff headlines Baseball America’s February cover

Texas has a chance for a special season and it all starts on the mound.

Most publications have Texas ranked No. 1 to start the 2022 college baseball season and for good reason. Texas returns the majority of an Omaha lineup and will boast one the best pitching staffs in America.

Texas’ weekend rotation of Pete Hansen, Tanner Witt and Tristian Stevens headlined Baseball America’s college baseball preview magazine cover. Baseball America labeled the Horns “armed and dangerous” and “the best pitching staff in the nation.”

All three pitchers in Hansen, Witt and Stevens had fanatic seasons a year ago.

Hansen posted a 9-1 record with a 1.88 ERA. The southpaw was named preseason Big 12 pitcher of the year by coaches around the league.

Witt will move into the starting rotation after a freshman All-American outing from the pen in 2021. The hard-throwing righty held opponents to a .194 batting average and finished with a 3.14 ERA.

Heading into last season Texas had some question marks in the weekend rotation behind eventual first-round pick Ty Madden. Tristian Stevens stepped into the Saturday role and was excellent all season. Stevens finished the season as an All-Big 12 selection.

Texas has a chance for a special season and it all starts on the mound.

Texas Baseball: Seven Longhorns named to preseason All-Big 12 team

Texas has the pieces to have another great season in 2022.

The 2022 Texas Longhorns are ranked preseason No. 1 by most publications and for good reason. This team has a loaded roster stacked with elite pitching depth and experience.

The preseason All-Big 12 team shows how talented Texas’ roster is.

The Longhorns have seven of the 18 players named to the list. The most in the conference by a wide margin.

  • C Silas Ardoin
  • 2B Mitchell Daly
  • SS Trey Faltine
  • 1B/DH Ivan Melendez
  • P Pete Hansen
  • P Tristian Stevens
  • P Aaron Nixon

Junior pitcher Pete Hansen was named Big 12 preseason pitcher of the year. An honor awarded to former Longhorn Ty Madden a season ago. Hansen appeared in 19 games in 2021 finishing 9-1 with a 1.88 ERA.

Hansen will be joined in the weekend rotation with 2021 first-team All-Big 12 pitcher Tristian Stevens and freshman All-American Tanner Witt.

Texas will open the season at home against Rice on Feb. 18.

Click here for a full 2022 schedule breakdown.

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Texas ranks No. 1 in D1Baseball’s preseason rankings

Texas baseball ranks preseason No. 1 after coming up just short in Omaha a season ago.

We are about a month away from the start of a new college baseball season and Texas fans have lots to be excited about.

The Horns rank No. 1 in D1Baseball’s preseason top 25 rankings and will return the majority of their College World Series team from a year ago.

 

Tanner Witt, Tristan Stevens and Pete Hansen will make up one of the best starting rotations in the nation backed by freshman All-American Aaron Nixon returning as the team’s closer.

In the field, Texas has six of nine guys back from last season. The return of outfielder Austin Todd from injury and Kansas transfer Skyler Messinger help fill the holes left by Mike Antico and Zach Zubia.

Texas will be tested early and often in 2022. The Horns will play 11 games against five teams ranked in D1Baseball’s top 25:

  • No. 19 Tennessee
  • No. 8 LSU
  • No. 14 Texas Tech
  • No. 17 TCU
  • No. 7 Oklahoma State

Click here for a full breakdown of Texas’ 2022 schedule.

The expectation for Texas baseball is to make the College World Series and compete for a national title and this year’s squad will have the pieces to do so.

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Texas Baseball: Horns rank No. 1 in preseason poll

Expectations are high for David Pierce and the Longhorns this year.

The college baseball season is just around the corner and expectations in Austin are as high as ever.

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ranked Texas as their No. 1 team in the county in a preseason poll they released on Monday.

After a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals of the College World Series a year ago, the Horns will return a major core of that team. Seven position players and four key pitchers will all be back at the Disch in the spring.

The 2022 Longhorns will be stacked with MLB talent. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper has seven Longhorns on their preseason All-American teams:

  • LHP Pete Hansen
  • RHP Tristen Stevens
  • RHP Tanner Witt
  • RHP Aaron Nixon
  • 1B Ivan Melendez
  • SS Trey Faltine
  • 2B Mitchell Daly

David Pierce has done a masterful job with the program since taking over for legend Augie Garrido. Since the start of the 2020 season, Texas is 67-20 with a Big 12 championship and an Omaha appearance.

Click here for a full breakdown of Texas’ 2022 schedule.

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Baseball America reveals never too early rankings, Texas top 15

The 2021 Texas Longhorns baseball team is already receiving attention in Baseball America’s never too early top 25 rankings.

It is really never too early to start talking baseball around Austin. The Texas Longhorns baseball got off to a good start in their 2020 campaign before the pandemic shut down their season. The Longhorns were 14-3 and in the midst of a four-game winning streak before it was ended.

The Longhorns are now looking forward to what should be a full season in 2021, fingers crossed anyway. National baseball publication Baseball America has released their “never too early” top 25 rankings. Texas currently sitting inside the top 15 teams in American at number 11.

The Longhorns are joined by Texas Tech, Texas Christian and Oklahoma in the rankings.

  • Texas Tech (2)
  • Texas (11)
  • Texas Christian (16)
  • Oklahoma (18)

The Longhorns lost two key members from their team a year ago with Duke Ellis and Bryce Elder making the jump to Major League Baseball. However outfielder Austin Todd, first baseman Zach Zubia and catcher D.J. Petrinsky are all back for another season.

Prior to the season, Baseball America ranked their 2020 recruiting class number one in the nation. It will be interesting to see how that group plays for the Longhorns in 2021. One of the top prospects in the MLB Draft went undrafted meaning that Tanner Witt will play for the Longhorns in 2021. His signability being a major concern. MLB teams didn’t want to use a pick on a play they may or may not be able to sign since the draft was only five rounds this year.

Given the players who decided to return in 2021 and the rise of freshman pitcher Pete Hansen, the Longhorns look to rise to the challenge of taking back the Big 12.

Texas Baseball: Fifth Inning Offense Keeps Longhorns Perfect

The Texas Longhorns hosted the Sam Houston State Bearkats in hopes of staying perfect on the season. Pete Hansen would earn his first win.

Texas Longhorns took the field for their ninth game of the season looking to stay perfect ahead of their trip back to Houston. The Longhorns will participate in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic. This will be the team’s first test taking on the 11th ranked LSU Tigers and 6th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. They will wrap up the weekend against the Missouri Tigers.

As far as the Tuesday night game against the Sam Houston State Bearkats, it was bleak early on. Texas gave up an unearned run in the top of the first, Pete Hansen would settle down. He went five innings for the Longhorns, surrendering just two hits while striking out six batters.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the offense was finally able to break though against the Sam Houston State pitching staff. Murphy Stehly drove in the first run. The Longhorns had the bases loaded, Stehly hit into an RBI fielder’s choice driving Eric Kennedy home. After finally tying the game, Austin Todd stepped to the plate with an opportunity to get the team head.

With runners on second and third, in stepped Zach Zubia with a big opportunity to get the pitching staff some breathing room. There isn’t another bat the team wants at the plate than Zubia, he singled to right field to bring two more runs across the plate.

Hansen went from being on the hook for the loss to relying on the bullpen to close out the game for the win. Kolby Kubichek came in to the game, pitching 2.1 innings. He would be the beneficiary of some good defense behind him.

Andre Duplantier II came into the game in the eighth to close the door on the game. He would pitch 1.2 innings to earn his first save of his Texas career. The save also earned Hansen his first win in his collegiate career. Texas improved to 9-0.