Texas baseball continued its run of excellence on Friday. The No. 21 Texas Longhorns (20-7) defeated the No. 17 Oklahoma State Cowboys (20-7) in an impressive 5-3 victory. Texas might not be ranked No. 21 for long.
An early offensive explosion saw the Longhorns build a 5-1 lead with powerful extra base hits. It’s the style of play that makes head coach David Pierce’s team so fun to watch.
We were critical of the ball club and its coach earlier in the season. Now they are due for praise. The team has won 16 in a row. The last five have come against Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, all of which have high postseason aspirations.
This team replaced first baseman Ivan Melendez and six other bats in its lineup. Starting pitcher Lucas Gordon was elevated to Pete Hansen’s role as staff ace. Pitchers who were unable to perform in big game roles last season have made this team a winner and more reliable than last season’s top heavy squad.
We challenged the team to play better baseball. Over the last 16 games, David Pierce is more than passing every test.
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