Baseball thread for 2026 and going forward

[david ficken]

And we’ve got a long way to go to catch them on wins. They, have been playing 60 yrs longer than we have, though

Yes it is Fordham. They have been playing 165 baseball seasons to our 129 seasons not including this year.

Fordham has 4,630 wins to our 3,745 wins not including this year's wins.

Standford is #3 with 3,135 wins not including this year's wins. In 132 seasons not including this year.

Another surprise is that LSU is #13 in all time wins with 2,869 in 130 not including this year.

I think both Coach Ty Harrington? Spelling his correct or not, and myself as well as other as a shock to hear from the other TV announcer with coach Ty on Tuesday night.

I'm going by Baseball America numbers from August this past yr.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

 

[david ficken]

We have started the grind of the conference play. The issue for us is that we need to use the mid week game to see some of the players that we haven't used as much or at all to find out if they have a role moving forward. Plus, some of the pitchers need more time on the mound in game to see how the react to calls, hits, and other issues.

Now, we have 7 games in 9 days with 4 on the road. Now, the game on Tuesday maybe we over looked Tarleton State or maybe it was just next Tuesday at Houston a trap game. Coach Schloss will get these guys attention one way or another. Also, expect Weiner and Tulo to use the off days to work with these guys.

The one issue that I have a problem with is if they start Pack Jr in RF leave him there. Let Larson or Monsour start in LF and bring in Duplantier or Pendergrass as he is close to being ready.

As for J. Williams goes, it sucks that he hurt himself and is having surgery, but he doesn't have to choose 1 sport until he feels like it. Besides most of his NIL is tied up to football not baseball.

 

[63_Texas_1]

As for J. Williams goes...most of his NIL is tied up to football not baseball.

Good information. Thank you.

 

[david ficken]

I'll be putting some thoughts on the team, differences in coaching, and the start of some of the 2026 class that was signed, but still has to make it through the MLB draft in July and signings up to August

 

[david ficken]

If anyone has been watching on YouTube the baseball games, ESPN+/SEC+ announcers really like to compare the 2005 team to this year's team. Both started 16-0, after 20 games both were 18-2, and the 2005 team ERA was 2.80 so far this year the team ERA is 2.67.

That great, but this year's team still has a lot of baseball games to play.

We are the #2 team in the majority of the polls. I'm good with that.we have 2 really big visiting series with gaggy and fake ut, and 2 other visits to South Carolina and Vandy to go. Not to mention this weekend with another top 10 team in blow u. Not to mention that bama comes calling in April and so does Miss St.

Add to that Texas State comes here next Tuesday and the visiting team has won the last 9 games.


So, let's see how much comparisons they keep doing by May.

Not to overlook any other mid week games.

The good thing is no arkie this year. Now, LSU on the other hand is playing itself out of the round of 64 and the road to Omaha.

I still think UCLA, USC, Southern Miss, arkie, Auburn, UTSA, and a few others will make Omaha very interesting this year. Hopefully we are very healthy and get there easily.

 

[david ficken]

Now, let's talk about coaches. I meet Pierce a few yrs ago he is a nice guy, but the problem for him was he micro managed at Texas. There are a few teams were a HC can micro manage, but Texas baseball isn't one of them.

I get some liked the 3 in 5 yrs to CWS, but you win at 1 so what. Besides he also had a team that was either 9 or 10 games below being 500 or 50/50 wins/losses. We haven't had that since IDK because the great Cliff never had a losing season. Augie had maybe 3 team that were a couple of games under 500.

Another thing, something that Schloss said is that up until this year Harrison has gone thru 4 different pitching coaches in 4 yrs and really 5 in 5 yrs. That is like Strong and even to a lower degree Herman.

You want to find coaches that are really good and stay with the HC. Pierce must of been irritable with these assistants for the constant changes.

 

[Drb522]

Texas needs to learn how to put a team away. This is getting old quickly

 

[Baron]

Texas needs to learn how to put a team away. This is getting old quickly

The bullpen is terrible. A major lack of control for some of these guys. How many HBP has the bullpen recorded?

 

[TB14]

The bullpen is terrible. A major lack of control for some of these guys. How many HBP has the bullpen recorded?

This. There is a reason Weiner haven't been happy with a lot of these guys and only trying to use the same 5 pitchers (6 if you count Walker though he just pitches to lefties). The problem is those guys will burn out by tournament time. We are giving time to a lot of other guys just hoping one or two perform well.

In particular I'm over watching Burns struggle to throw strikes. Give those innings to Crossland.

 

[Drb522]

The bullpen is terrible. A major lack of control for some of these guys. How many HBP has the bullpen recorded?

Idk, but they’ve walked the bases loaded too many times to count. Nobody cares how hard you throw ball 4

 

[Drb522]

The bullpen is terrible. A major lack of control for some of these guys. How many HBP has the bullpen recorded?

Idk, but they’ve walked the bases loaded too many times to count. Nobody cares how hard you throw ball 4

This. There is a reason Weiner haven't been happy with a lot of these guys and only trying to use the same 5 pitchers (6 if you count Walker though he just pitches to lefties). The problem is those guys will burn out by tournament time. We are giving time to a lot of other guys just hoping one or two perform well.

In particular I'm over watching Burns struggle to throw strikes. Give those innings to Crossland.

Crossland has been just as bad. Anybody as cocky as him should be able to throw strikes more than 50% of the time

 

[TB14]

Idk, but they’ve walked the bases loaded too many times to count. Nobody cares how hard you throw ball 455

Crossland has been just as bad. Anybody as cocky as him should be able to throw strikes more than 50% of the time

But Crossland has only walked 2 guys all year.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Leffew intrigues me

 

[Drb522]

But Crossland has only walked 2 guys all year.

I believe they pulled him with the bases loaded against Auburn.. it wasn’t because he was throwing lots of strikes either

 

[Baron]

Name / IP / ERA / BB / WP / HBP
Grubbs / 17.2 / 4.08 / 9 / 2 / 1
Hamilton / 5.1 / 5.06 / 4 / 0 / 1
Flores / 8.0 / 5.62 / 3 / 2 / 3
Burns / 8.0 / 6.75 / 11 / 2 / 2
Higgins / 6.2 / 6.75 / 6 / 1 / 3
Walls / 8.1 / 7.56 / 5 / 0 / 3
Bing / 0.1 / 81.00 / 1 / 0 / 1

Looks like that's 39 walks and 14 hit batters by the "bad" part of the bullpen.

 

[david ficken]

So, Coach Schloss has stated that they are hopeful to find out with the illness is with Michael Winter.

A few pitchers we might start to see mainly on Tuesday night games are:
Cooper Rummel, Grady Westphal, Jack McKernan these are all freshmen.

Cody Howard, Conner McCreery both are Sr.

Cal Higgins has been up and down so far. Kade Bing is just back to being a pitcher used.

Coach Schloss and Weiner do talk about a lot of these guys, but the last 10 days or so is difficult to get these guys sim game and practice time.

It does suck to lose these Tuesday games, but 7/8 of the top 25 teams lost on Tuesday night. If you also go back several have loses on mid week games.

 

[david ficken]

So, to start the weekend series with 7 teams tied at 1st place. Coming out of the weekend games tied for 1st with Miss St. and Georgia at 7-2 is big. Especially when you consider that we played 7 games in 9 days.

Now, for the month of April our schedule is a little more traveling.

The Tuesday night game this week with Texas State needs to be ended early by us. The last 9 games the visiting team has won. That needs to change this week.

After that we go to South Carolina for a weekend series that starts this Thursday.

Then Incarnate Word visits on Tuesday.

Then we go to the mental institute that little brother is at for a weekend series.

Followed by a sub little brother institute visit to Texas on Tuesday. (A&M Corpus Christi)

Then our only weekend series at home with bama starting on April 17th.

Then Air Force visit to Texas on Tuesday.

Then at the end of April we make our way to Vandy.

I would love to say sweeps through to Vandy or April, but I won't. We should win the series against everyone and win the Tuesday games. But I know better whether some know better that's on them.

 

[Baron]

Looks like the rest rest of the schedule is manageable with us hosting Miss St.