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Horns are quickly back to work tonight with a 4-game series vs BYU at The Disch. Feel free to chime in here over the course of the next four days as we see if the team can turn things back around.

Head Coach David Pierce and the Texas Longhorns will open up the 2021 baseball season by participating in a 3-day event at Arlington's Globe Life Field on February 19-21. Along with Texas, there will be five other Division-I teams participating in the Showdown. Texas Tech and TCU will round out the Big 12 schools, while Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas will represent the Southeastern Conference. Each of the six participating teams are ranked in the Top-10 of D-1Baseball's Preseason Poll (Texas Tech - 3, Ole Miss - 6, Mississippi State - 7; Arkansas - 8; Texas - 9; TCU - 10). Globe Life Field opened last March and saw no fans in the stands for the Texas Rangers' regular season. It did host MLB postseason games, including the World Series, and saw a limited number of fans in attendance. Single game tickets go on sale today, January 21st at 1:00 PM and can be purchased at the following link: https://www.mlb.com/rangers/tickets/events/college-baseball-showdown The schedule of games can be found below. 2021 STATE FARM COLLEGE BASEBALL SHOWDOWN SCHEDULE (Home Team Listed Second) Friday, February 19 11:00 a.m.—Mississippi State vs. Texas 3:00 p.m.—Mississippi vs. TCU 7:00 p.m.—Arkansas vs. Texas Tech Saturday, February 20 11:00 a.m.—TCU vs. Mississippi State 3:00 p.m.—Texas Tech vs. Mississippi 7:00 p.m.—Texas vs. Arkansas Sunday, February 21 11:00 a.m.—Mississippi State vs. Texas Tech 3:00 p.m.—Mississippi vs. Texas 7:00 p.m.—Arkansas vs. TCU

Astros will kick off the MLB shortened 60-game season on July 24th, hosting the Mariners at Minute Maid Park. Game time is 8:10 PM Central. With a shorter season, and likely one of the few sports that are going to be on, I expect viewership to be very solid.

Happy Saturday, Seamheads Game 2 of the opening weekend series is here and your game thread for chatter is right here.

Bryce Elder will take the mound this evening in Waco, as the Texas Longhorns (20-12) jump back into Big 12 play against the league-leading Baylor Bears (21-7). Weekend Series Starting Pitchers: FRIDAY—Texas So. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 1.70) vs. Baylor R-So. RHP Jimmy Winston (3-0, 0.56) SATURDAY—Texas Jr. RHP Blair Henley (4-1, 3.40) vs. Baylor Jr. LHP Paul Dickens (3-1, 3.65) SUNDAY—Texas Fr. RHP Coy Cobb (0-2, 3.16) vs. Baylor Jr. RHP Hayden Kettler (2-2, 4.24) All-time series record: Texas leads Baylor 247-110-4 Friday night's Game will be televised on ESPNU with first pitch taking place at 8:00 PM.

Joeywa is out of pocket for the series, so be sure to follow Travis Hlavinka (@travhlav) for play by play. The Longhorns (17-11) will host the Musketeers (9-15) in a 3 game series that starts tonight at 7:00 PM. PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS FRIDAY—Texas So. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 1.98) vs. Xavier Sr. RHP Damien Richard (0-1, 9.98) SATURDAY—Texas Jr. RHP Blair Henley (3-1, 3.74) vs. Xavier So. RHP Griffin Lanoue (2-1, 6.27) SUNDAY—Texas Fr. RHP Coy Cobb (0-2, 3.70) vs. Xavier Jr. RHP Conor Grammes (1-5, 7.33) This series marks the first time these two teams have met on the baseball diamond.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA Though he may be a stately 56 years old, Roger Clemens is no slouch. The seven-time Cy Young winner, who sat consistently in the low-to-mid 80's throughout his outing, started the day for the alumni, and while he may have only pitched one inning, the electricity from his appearance was felt throughout Disch-Falk Field. The more recent Clemenses brought their own personalities back to The Disch for another round, as well, but neither quite brought the bravado of Dad, who left his appearance to a standing ovation. In a game that the current Texas squad won 7-4, with all the fun had, it was easy to forget score was even kept at all. But while the return of the alumni is special in its own way, the game truly is about preparing for the start of the 2019 season, which is only a couple weeks out. While some questions that still surround the team cannot possibly be answered until the season does roll around, the game did provide some interesting information to speculate over. The Tate Shaw-to-first base experiment played out in full over the course of the game as Shaw got every rep at the position for the current squad on Saturday. While he only committed one error, it was clear that he, at least at this point, wasn’t very comfortable at the position. As the team’s most gifted outfielder defensively, it was puzzling that head coach David Pierce would make the possibility of moving Shaw to first base a reality. After watching freshman outfielder Eric Kennedy, though, it’s easy to see why. Pierce gushed over Kennedy and said that he’s a player that he has to get in the lineup. “(Eric) Kennedy’s been coming,” Pierce said. “Eric is just powerful and can run. He’s a guy that’s working his way into the lineup for sure” On a multi-hit day, Kennedy also showcased his major pop on a laser home run off of Connor Mayes that left the park in a hurry. It’s easy to see why he has gained so much attention from his coaches and teammates and he has the makings to be a very, very special player. The most impressive performance of the day, however, belonged to sophomore pitcher Bryce Elder. Seen as a long reliever in 2018, Elder was one of the potential players that was in the running to make the jump to weekend starter. After Saturday, though, his sights may be set on Blair Henley’s job as Friday night starter. Elder was near perfect as he went scoreless through 3.2 innings and struck out four of his final five batters. The only pitcher to get significant time, Elder took full advantage as he displayed more developed control to go along with a fast ball that sat around 93 MPH. Pierce called him “by far the most impressive pitcher of the day.” And Elder wasn’t shy about his desire to take over the role of a starting pitcher. “I think (being the Friday night starter) is what everybody works for unless you’re a bullpen guy,” Elder said. “I like starting. I like getting in a routine.” Bertelson’s Big Blast Sophomore infielder Sam Bertelson, who went hitless during every at-bat of his last season, started off the game with a bang. In the top of the second inning, Bertelson took Henley way deep out to right center. One of farther home runs you will ever see at The Disch, Bertelson’s power potential has to make Pierce and his staff salivate at the thought of getting him more at-bats. With an opening at first base, one has to wonder whether Bertelson’s ability to drive the ball out of the park will help him win the position or at least give him a small advantage. While fans may have been surprised to see Bertelson hit a ball like that, Pierce wasn’t necessarily surprised. “(Sam Bertelson’s) batting practice is so powerful,” Pierce said. “Then it becomes just about timing and swinging at the right pitches. He’s got major, major power.” Texas will begin regular season play in Lafayette, La. against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Friday Feb. 15th.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA With the opening of the season just a week away, the Texas baseball team is beginning to take shape. On Saturday, the Longhorns will take on the former lettermen in the annual Texas alumni baseball game. There, fans will get their first taste of the 2019 season, as well as a first glimpse of the new bust of former coach Augie Garrido, which will be unveiled at 11:30 a.m. Though there are still some question marks, there was a bit more clarity on a few things that head coach David Pierce made the media aware of on Friday afternoon: 1. The middle infield appears to be set Though senior shortstop Masen Hibbeler wouldn’t admit it, he knows who will be his double-play partner up the middle will be. Freshman Lance Ford drew rave reviews once again from not only Pierce, but also senior outfielder Austin Todd, who mentioned Ford as the new face that has really impressed him leading up to the season. Maybe more telling was the fact Pierce made no mention of any other second baseman, except that freshman Bryce Reagan likely doesn’t have the experience or versatility to play second base at this point. When you look at Texas’ roster, there’s slim pickings at second base and even slimmer pickings on second base with any experience. In fact, only one player has shown the ability to do play the position collegiately, and that man is Hibbeler, who will likely spend most of his time at short. Don’t be shocked to see Hibbeler at second base in spot starts this year, though. Pierce mentioned that Hibbeler has two talented players “battling him for the position,” in Reagan and redshirt sophomore Bryson Smith. 2. No decision made on first base While I still believe Michael McCann will be the first player to trot out to first base to open the season, another interesting name has emerged as a serious contender. Earlier this offseason when I previewed the position, I briefly mentioned sophomore Sam Bertelson as player that I didn’t have a realistic expectation of to win the position. But when asked how things at the other hot corner were shaking out, Bertelson’s name was the first to come out of Pierce’s mouth. Color me surprised. Shortly after, McCann was mentioned as not only being in competition for the position, but as a guy that has earned the right to be an everyday player. This still leads me to believe that he will be the starter at least to begin the season. Zubia, who many hoped would take the next step to becoming an everyday first baseman feels like a player, who at this point, will see most of his time in the near future at DH. Pierce did say how he plans to use Zubia in the field in order to get another one of his outfield bats, most namely freshman Eric Kennedy, in the batting lineup. 3. Two weekend starting pitching jobs are up for grabs After losing its Friday and Saturday starters to the MLB Draft, the Texas pitching staff will have some major decisions to make as Opening Day inches closer and closer. Junior Blair Henley, who will take over the job as Friday night starter is left as the lone weekend man looking around for the two other pieces to complete the trio. Senior Matteo Bocchi, who made spot starts throughout the past season, including the game that sent Texas to the College World Series, is one of the more likely names to take a spot. From Parma, Italy, Bocchi played along Hibbeler at Odessa College before both made the decision to further their careers in Austin. Bocchi was as solid as a spot starter could be in 2018, compiling a 4-1 record to go along with a 3.05 ERA. Two other names to keep an eye on are sophomores Tristan Stephens and Matt Whelan. Both started at least one game in 2018 and are players with reliable arms to go the distance. If Pierce wants to incorporate a freshman, though, he’ll have his pick of the litter with guys like Cole Quintanilla, Coy Cobb, Ty Madden and Jack Neely, who are seen as important pieces of the future on Texas’ pitching staff.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA A week ago, this preview would have been cut and dry, saying how David Hamilton is the team’s most secure starter and maybe the most vital cog in the Texas baseball engine. However after an incident with an e-scooter which resulted in a torn Achilles, Hamilton is out for at least the 2019 season. Since his arrival to the University of Texas in 2016, the junior has been the starter at baseball’s premier position. With him out, though, head coach David Pierce will have to do his best at replacing an elite defender, base runner and up-and-coming hitter. The obvious replacement should and most likely will be senior outfielder Masen Hibbeler. An infielder by trade, Hibbeler’s move to the outfield occurred midway through the 2018 season and was possibly one of the sparks that catapulted the Longhorns all the way to the College World Series. Hibbeler had an excellent 2018 campaign after arriving in Austin from Odessa College. Frequently a top-of-the-order hitter, Hibbeler started in 65 games. He hit .261 over the course of the year and had 21 extra base hits to go along with 30 RBI. Hibbeler has been a starter since Day 1, and do not expect that to change no matter what defensive position he plays in 2019. While Pierce probably didn’t want to mess with a good thing, he’ll now have to, as the task of replacing Hamilton will be a major component of determining Texas’ success in the upcoming season. If Pierce wants to go the untraditional route and implement a new face into the lineup, however, he’ll have his choice of two supremely gifted freshmen. The first of the two was the player who more than likely was going to be Hamilton’s heir apparent if he declared for the MLB draft following the 2019 season. Freshman Bryce Reagan, who originally hails from Amherst, NH, played his high school ball at the prestigious IMG Academy. According to Max Preps, Reagan hit .338 over the course of his senior year and added 12 RBI into the fold. At a long and lanky 6’2”, Reagan has the range to play at every position in the infield, but is most natural at playing shortstop. The nation’s 19th ranked high school shortstop according to Perfect Game, Reagan was highly regarded and sought after during the recruiting cycle. Reagan no doubt has the Texas pedigree and was seen as one of the cornerstone players to come out of Texas’ 2018 recruiting class. The other option Pierce has to look at is freshman Alec Carr. Carr came to Texas by way of Sugar Land, where he attended Kempner High School. Far more stocky at 6’0” and 200 pounds, Carr packs much more power into his frame than Reagan. Though he missed almost the entirety of his senior year due to injury, Carr led the state of Texas in home runs as a junior. Like Reagan, Carr is seen as a player that should eventually step into an everyday position, whether it be at short, second base or third base. While no locked down position has a seamless replacement, Pierce should feel confident in what he has stocked in the cupboard. If Texas can duplicate its success without one of its top players is a large question mark that is hovering over the program. One thing is for certain, though — you won’t see any Texas baseball players riding around on e-scooters any time soon.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA How do you replace a season like Kody Clemens had in 2018? How do you replace a player that was at the top or near the top of the country in average, hits, slugging, home runs and RBI? On top of that, someone who had a .985 fielding percentage at second base and was the unquestioned and undisputed team leader, whose clutch play was the determining factor in so many games? Well, the short answer is you can't. And the long answer is that the production of Clemens will be nearly impossible to replicate. And while you can try, the likeliness of it happening is about the same as the percentage of people that say Clemson had a bad football season this year. The determining factor of who, in fact, will play the position heavily depends on whether or not senior Masen Hibbeler moves back to the infield or stays in the outfield early in 2019. While he's still listed as an infielder, Hibbeler played the majority of 2018 in left field. And after talking to a few people close to the program during the offseason, the team is pretty content with having him play there in 2019. That's not to say he won't end up at second, as there is currently a log jam in the outfield with at least five other players with no infield experience (senior Tate Shaw, junior Austin Todd, junior Duke Ellis, sophomore Kamron Fields and freshman Eric Kennedy) that will need large sums of time somewhere in the outfield. Hibbeler is not unfamiliar with the infield as he came to Texas as shortstop, and only moved to the outfield after the coaching staff made the decision to move Clemens from third base to second. While at Odessa College from 2015-2017, Hibbeler spent time in the middle infield and has said those are the positions that he prefers to play. In the end, the coaching staff may have no choice but to move Hibbeler back to second base, but as of right now, my sources are fairly confident his season will start in left. This, of course, was before the news of David Hamilton's season-ending Achilles injury. Now, the likelihood that Hibbeler will end up in the infield is much higher. If Hibbeler does in fact stay in left, it will leave a pretty barren spot at the position. But I believe head coach David Pierce is comfortable enough with his trio of freshmen middle infielders to give them the reins right away. The first of these freshman will be Lance Ford. The 5'10", 175-pound newcomer out of Kerville Tivy has drawn rave reviews from fall camp, and has been mentioned by Pierce as one of the fresh faces that has earned himself some playing time. However, with the necessity at the position, my guess is that he has earned himself a starting position going into the 2019 season. The second to get a shot should be Bryce Reagan. Hailing from New Hampshire, Reagan is likely the best defender of the three. At a rangy 6'2", 190 pounds, Reagan grew up playing shortstop, but should make an easy transition to second base. The most highly touted of the three, Reagan could find himself in the platoon at second or shortstop. The final of the trio will likely be Alec Carr. Carr is substantially meatier than both Reagan and Ford at 6'0", 200 pounds. At Kempner High School, he led the state of Texas in home runs and showed he can transfer that size into power. The only problem with Carr is that he is probably most natural at shortstop and third base, making second base his tertiary position. I believe he's very well-equipped to play third base and should be junior Ryan Reynolds' backup at the position. However I don't think he quite has the defensive chops or the range of Reagan at this point to play second base, and that's why he gets the bump to third spot. Though I made the claim previously that first base is the most open position, and am sticking by that due to the number of people that can play the position, second base is largely up in the air as well. One thing is for certain, though — there is definitely no shortage of youth at the position. Second base has the makings to be one of the more interesting stories early on in the year and it will definitely be a position worth keeping an eye on in the weeks leading up to the start of the season.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA On Saturday morning, Texas baseball sent out a press release stating that junior shortstop David Hamilton would miss the entirety of the 2019 season after a successful surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles. A San Marcos native, Hamilton has been the starting shortstop since his arrival on campus. Though he is mostly seen as a defensive savant, Hamilton’s bat vastly improved in 2018. After a season where he hit for a .307 average, seven doubles, six triples, five home runs and 35 RBI, to go along with 37 walks and 31 stolen bases, Hamilton was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection. Obviously the loss of Hamilton is a devastating blow to a season that hasn’t even started yet, but hope is not all lost as Texas has a player that can make a seamless transition to a full-time role at shortstop. Senior Masen Hibbeler, who split time between second base and left field arrived at Texas with two years of junior college experience playing shortstop. With Hamilton’s injury, Hibbeler will undoubtedly be the one to get first reps at the position. What this also means is that Hibbeler will most definitely not move back to second base. As a result, at least one freshman will start in the middle infield. My guess is that it will be freshman Lance Ford at second base. Freshmen Bryce Reagan and Alec Carr will likely get some reps at shortstop as well, with Reagan possibly also sharing second base with Ford. Throwing combinations together and seeing what sticks will probably be on the menu for a team with a lot more questions as it enters the season. The most puzzling question that looms will be in Texas’ lineup, where Pierce will have to replace either his pick for a leadoff hitter, the No. 5 hole, or the No. 3 hole. Here is what I believed the Texas baseball starting lineup was going to look like prior to Hamilton’s injury: RF Duke Ellis LF Masen Hibbeler SS David Hamilton DH Zach Zubia C DJ Petrinsky 3B Ryan Reynolds CF Tate Shaw 1B Michael McCann 2B Lance Ford With Hamilton’s injury, the area of strength that actually eases its tension is the absolutely stacked outfield. Prior to Friday, one of Texas’ experienced outfielders was on the outside looking in. Following the injury, however, the combination of senior Tate Shaw and juniors Duke Ellis and Austin Todd will probably be your starting outfield, with sophomore Kamron Fields and freshman Eric Kennedy serving as the primary backups. Here is what I believe Texas’ starting lineup will look like now: RF Duke Ellis SS Masen Hibbeler C DJ Petrinsky DH Zach Zubia 3B Ryan Reynolds LF Austin Todd CF Tate Shaw 1B Michael McCann 2B Lance Ford The loss of Hamilton will hurt every facet of Texas’ game. Already the team’s best base stealer and likely top defender, Hamilton was a burgeoning hitter with All-American recognition in his sights. Replacing his production will be a must if Texas plans to return to Omaha in June.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA A position that hasn't had a preseason sure-fire starter since Kacy "The Mayor of UFCU Disch-Falk Field" Clemens roamed the dirt, first base is yet again up for grabs heading into a new season. While things worked out better than expected for the Longhorns in 2018 after Jake McKenzie took over the position, he and his golden glove, leadership and do-it-all ability currently reside at a natural gas and petroleum exploration company in San Antonio. Nevertheless, Texas baseball must go on and the opening left behind must get filled. In sports, sometimes the filling is done by one person, and other times it is done by committee. Previewing the 2019 season, it looks more likely than not that first base will be occupied by the latter. Outside of a few outings to get a break from working the plate from senior catcher DJ Petrinsky, and a couple of surprise appearances from senior outfielder Masen Hibbeler, virtually no player on Texas' roster has any experience playing the other hot corner. However, there are a few names that head coach David Pierce has thrown around as being in the mix for some playing time. The most logical choice and a name that many expected to get an opportunity in 2018 but never saw, is redshirt sophomore Zach Zubia. Zubia is already a staple in the Texas lineup, where he thrived in 2018 hitting clean-up behind Kody Clemens. At 6'4 and 240 pounds, Zubia has the makeup to be a prototypical first baseman. However, his biggest downfall is his athleticism. He struggled to consistently show the ability to get to balls in scrimmages, and is nowhere near a natural at picking balls in the dirt and will have more trouble stretching from the bag than any of the others vying for the position. But between a redshirt season and a freshman season that saw him work solely at gaining practice reps at the position, he would be the ideal choice for Pierce and company if he shows the improvement they hope he can. Another name thrown around was that of senior backup catcher Michael McCann. There is no doubt that McCann will fill in for Petrinsky to give him a breather, but McCann actually has the opportunity to seize first base if he can show high or even substantial capability to play the position. Not seen as a gifted hitter, McCann has made a living of being a quality backup catcher and a terrific locker room presence. If he gets the chance to show the coaching staff that he can make a somewhat seamless transition and man the position with confidence, there's a chance he can be 2019's version of McKenzie. Two other names also thrown around were those of Hibbeler, and to some surprise, redshirt senior outfielder Tate Shaw. Hibbeler started out last season as the starting second baseman and moved around a bit before finding a home in left field. He performed admirably there and is the front-runner to be the starting left fielder next year. His biggest plus, his gifted bat, makes him a must in the everyday lineup no matter the position. Shaw split time between center and right and flashed the leather countless times in 2018, but left something to be desired at the plate. The reason for the possible first base shake-up for these two really has less to do with them and more to do with getting players like junior Austin Todd and sophomore Kamron Fields more opportunities roaming the field. Add in versatile freshmen Lance Ford and Eric Kennedy, who have drawn rave reviews from their coaches during the fall, and there may be too much of a log jam in the backend of the Texas defense to not at least try and give Hibbeler/Shaw some time at first. The least likely possibility, but a chance nonetheless, is sophomore Sam Bertelson. Outside of Fields, Bertelson was the only other freshman position player to get playing time in 2018. Going into last year, Bertelson was expected to get a decent amount of reps at both corners to fill in for (at the time) third baseman Kody Clemens and (at the time) junior first baseman Ryan Reynolds. After the defensive overhaul, however, that really never came to be, and he was left without much opportunity. In total, he only had 13 at-bats, struck out eight times and never recorded a hit. He did not just forget how to play baseball, though, and may get an opportunity during the spring. Not to discount the freshman completely, but to discount them quite a bit, Peter Geib and Thomas Burbank are the only two new faces that have experience playing corner defense in the infield. Geib was recruited to play third, and Burbank also doubles as a lefty on the mound. Barring injury, expect both to redshirt and be possible options in 2020. Whoever Pierce decides to trot out on opening day will most definitely not be the only player to man the position, and not likely the player to end the year there, either. Whether a quick fix is in store or a rotating door is more likely is yet to be seen, but first base is definitely the position with the largest question mark heading into 2019.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA Originally thought of as a question mark coming into 2018, Texas’ catching position became a bastion of strength over the course of the year. Senior DJ Petrinsky was the driving force behind the success after fighting off redshirt senior Michael McCann on his way to becoming one of the conference’s best full-time catching hitters and most lethal arms behind the plate. After playing for two years at Hill College, Petrinsky arrived at Texas with an immediate chance to start. Known more for his bat than his defensive prowess, Petrinsky delivered with his consistency and his power. Over the course of 51 games, Petrinsky hit .257 and slugged .452, tacking on nine home runs to go with his 29 RBI. Defensively, he progressed in a big way over the length of the season. He threw out 26 of 61 runners for just under 43%, and got more consistent with each and every game. In 2019, he will be relied on as a star and will likely be a middle-of-the-order staple that should find himself closer to the clean-up spot than the seven hole he hit in last year. Head coach David Pierce even went as far as to say he could be the team’s best hitter. “I’ve just been really proud of DJ Petrinsky,” Pierce said. “[Petrinsky] could potentially be our best hitter. And he has a calmness to him with this young staff and could be the MVP of this group because of his disposition and his demeanor.” Backing up Petrinsky will be a familiar face in McCann, who has been relied on more for his leadership ability and his locker room presence than on-field play. That doesn’t mean he won’t get a shot at more playing time this year, though, especially with a position at first base being open after the graduation of Jake McKenzie — who dabbles more in oil and gas these days than he does PFPs and on-base percentages. Pierce said that McCann is no doubt an option to get some looks at first and mentioned his name along with a plethora of others that are vying for time at the position. Beyond the two recognizable names are a pair of redshirt freshmen in Austin-native Jordan Landel and Houston-native Turner Gauntt, followed by lone true freshman Caston Peter. While none of these names may get a hefty amount of playing time in 2019, they will all have a chance to compete for the starting catcher position in 2020. Just for fun if we were to look forward to the 2020 season, catcher would be the most open position on the roster with six players who have little to zero experience collegiately vying for the spot. The three recently signed catchers, Silas Ardoin, Cameron Constantine and Peyton Powell are all highly touted prospects who will have the opportunity to seize the position fresh out of high school. While Constantine may be the most athletic of the bunch, Ardoin would hold the slight favorite to take over if bets were placed today. “[Ardoin] is a very polished catch-and-throw type catcher that really understands the positon,” Assistant coach Sean Allen said. “His father was a big-league catcher and you can tell [Ardoin] has grown up around the game. With his advanced approach to the game we look forward to getting [Ardoin] on campus.” Barring a significant change, expect Petrinsky to see the field as the everyday catcher and thrive even more than he did in 2018. Not only will his defense likely see a significant improvement, there’s a great chance he could be a double-digit home run guy and possibly lead the team in RBI in 2019.

BY TRAVIS HLAVINKA With Texas Baseball signing 15 high school seniors on National Signing Day Wednesday morning, the college baseball season is inching closer and closer. Head coach David Pierce announced the inking of the young players and called the day “another step in the right direction for the Texas Baseball program.” “The class of 2019 fills the needs of our program,” Pierce said. “It consists of three catchers, three left-handed pitchers, a right-handed pitcher, two outfielders, two infielders and four two-way players—three right-handed pitchers and one left-handed.” The incoming wave of new faces will follow the even bigger 2018 signing class that Pierce had last year, where he signed a 17-man class of high school seniors that finished as the No. 8 class in the country and No. 1 class in the Big 12, according to Baseball America. Texas biggest coup from the current cycle and the player it will likely have to fight to keep away from the pro ranks is Brett Baty. The infielder and Austin native was the 2018 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and one of the top left-handed bats in the country. At 6’3 with a nicely-filled frame, Baty is virtually a guarantee to start the day he steps on campus. “Pure hitters are very hard to find and, in my opinion, [Baty] is one of the best pure hitters in the country,” Pierce said. “He has exceptional work ethic, character and leadership abilities, and because of that, I can see him starting at first or third as a first-year player. I really consider Brett as one of those players that ignites the culture of your program immediately.” With first base currently being occupied by redshirt sophomore Zach Zubia and a plethora of others vying for the position, including a handful of freshmen who are athletic enough to play middle infield or even outfield, the position should be tailor-made for Baty to occupy in 2019. Another position of importance will be behind the plate, where Texas will have the task of replacing senior DJ Petrinsky. Luckily a trio of freshmen, Silas Ardoin, Cameron Constantine and Peyton Powell, will come in to compete for the open spot. Each offers a diverse set of skills and the ability to be utilized in other positions, most namely Constantine. “[Constantine] is a very good athlete and a two-sport star that could play QB in college if he wanted to go that route,” assistant coach Sean Allen said. “We could see [Constantine] come in and play multiple positions for us because of that athleticism and his ability to constantly get the barrel at the plate.” Rounding out the high points of the class are a pair of two-way players in Andre Duplantier II and Trey Faltine III. Each is 6’2 and comes from the right side of the mound. Both Duplantier and Faltine will have their opportunities pitching, hitting and defensively, and could make a sophomore two-way player Kameron Fields-like impact early in their careers. Allen had high praise for both, but Faltine, in particular. “I would argue that [Faltine] is the most versatile player in the country,” Allen said. “He represented Team USA on several occasions and plays all over the field for them. He legitimately can play any position on the field, but I’m looking forward to how well he does at shortstop when he shows up on campus.” Pierce and his staff have to be salivating at the thought of getting (hopefully) all 15 of these young men on campus. Until then, though, he’ll have to settle with one of the top classes from 2018 and a veteran roster that made it all the way to the College World Series this past season. Here is a full list of the class of 2019: Silas Ardoin | C | R/R | 5’11” | 190 | Lake Charles, La. Brett Baty | INF | L/R | 6’3” | 210 | Austin, Texas Cameron Constantine | C | R/R | 6’ | 190 | McKinney, Texas Brenden Dixon | INF | R/R | 6’1” | 195 | Argyle, Texas Andre Duplantier II | RHP/INF | 6’2” | 198 | Humble, Texas Sanson “Trey” Faltine III | RHP/UTIL | 6’2” | 195 | Richmond, Texas Peter Hanson | LHP | 6’2” | 190 | R/L | El Dorado Hills, Calif. Douglas Hodo III | OF | 6’ | 175 | R/R | Boerne, Texas Chase Lummus | LHP | 6’1” | 195 | Godley, Texas Peyton Powell | C | 6’1” | 190 | L/R | Robinson, Texas Colton Rathjen | OF | 6’ | 180 | L/R | Houston, Texas Jared Southard | RHP | 6’2” | 215 | Austin, Texas Will Swope | RHP/INF | 6’2” | 210 | R/R | The Woodlands, Texas Sam Walbridge | LHP | 6’5” | 185 | L/L | San Antonio, Texas Austin, Wallace | LHP/OF | 6’4” | 220 | L/L | Flower Mound, Texas

Quick update, we're headed B3, and Tennessee Tech is up 4-0. Chased the Ole Miss starter in T3. I'll try to keep y'all updated.

FRIDAY, JUNE 1 Game 1: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 3 Texas A&M -- 4 p.m. CT TV: ESPN2 Game 2: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Texas Southern -- 8 p.m. CT TV: Longhorn Network SATURDAY, JUNE 2 Game 3: TBA (Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser) -- 1:30 p.m. CT TV: TBA Game 4: TBA (Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner) -- 6 p.m. CT TV: TBA SUNDAY, JUNE 3 Game 5: TBA (Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser) -- 2 p.m. CT TV: TBA Game 6: TBA (Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner) -- 8 p.m. CT TV: TBA MONDAY, JUNE 4 Game 7 (if necessary): TBA (Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser) -- 6 p.m. CT TV: TBA

So, this happened. Still rubbing my eyes in disbelief. Haven't seen a play like this outside of T-Ball.

Can’t believe an Astros WS thread hasn’t been started. Helluva game both tonight and last night. A little bit of everything and the Astros got out of LA with their first franchise WS win and now have home field advantage. I know @Daniel Seahorn @Johnstark23 @MBHORNSFAN @Aaron Carrara & @streettopeschel are paying attention to the games. Who else is? Next game on Friday. Let’s go ‘Stros!!

For 2018, the NCAA has changed how they'll do the seeding for the CWS Tournament. See the article below from Kendall Rogers at www.D1Baseball.com ************************************************************************** Top Seeding Changes Coming To Tourney News Kendall Rogers - October 6, 2017 For years, college baseball coaches and fans alike have asked the same question about how the NCAA tournament field is assembled. “If softball can seed the top teams in the tournament 1-16, why can’t baseball?”. That’s the question that has been on everyone’s mind for at least the past decade. It was guaranteed to come up at every State of Baseball press conference in Omaha, and it has always been a topic of discussion at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention as well. That question no longer needs to be asked, as the NCAA baseball postseason format will include seeding the Top 16 teams and regional hosts in the field of 64 as opposed to just the Top 8 teams that we’re accustomed to, a measure that was approved this past week by the Division I Baseball Committee and subsequently by the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee. “This is a big deal for our sport. We have to continue making the tournament better and by going 1-16 with the top seeds, it makes our tournament more equal to all areas,” Sidwell said. “The committee felt strongly that this was something we should do. There were times when there were particular restrictions on travel, mileage and things like that, but we wanted to grow the game and make the tourney better. “So, now we’re at 1-16, and I think we get more of a true field,” he continued. “We will have true matchups in super regionals for the teams in the Top 16. My biggest thing is looking at our great sport and find ways that we can grow the game and make everything better, whether it’s pace of play or simply tweaking some things in regards to the postseason.” The best news? It’ll start in 2018 and the format will call for 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, and so on in the super regional round. Should one of those seeds get upset in the regional round, the winner of the regional would replace them as that seed and there would not be a reseeding process, a potential future change that many coaches are still in favor of. “This is a great step forward for our sport and long overdue,” TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “College baseball has grown to the point that regionalization of the NCAA tournament should be an afterthought to putting the best possible tournament structure together."Committee chairman Scott Sidwell has been a strong proponent of seeding 1-16. For the most part, the feeling from the NCAA had always been that it wants to help grow and promote the sport in different parts of the country, while also hoping to present supers that will be buzzy for television ratings and attractive matchups. Therefore, we have consistently ended up with outstanding super regionals such as Florida-Florida State, Florida-Miami, of course TCU-Texas A&M, and out on the West Coast, it was a virtual guarantee that some of those teams would be paired in the supers round. While exciting, it left a salty taste in the mouths of several coaches over the years. “I just think it’s going to be a different angle on the postseason. Instead of making it more regionalized like the past, it’s going to be much more national in scope,” Cal State Fullerton coach Rick Vanderhook said. “This was a good day for the California schools, and frankly, other teams like Florida, Florida State and Miami, along with TCU and Texas A&M. Now, you’ll have multiple teams from multiple areas paired up in supers, which is good for the game. It makes this a national thing.” But the idea of shifting away from ranking the traditional 1-8 national seeds and moving to a 1-16 seeding format began to gain more traction this past summer in Omaha, thanks to NCAA Division I Committee chairman Scott Sidwell, the athletic director at the University of San Francisco, and others. Sidwell never budged when asked about the possibility of seeding 1-16. He would always say “absolutely”, and by the end of his trip to Omaha, he made it clear it was his mission to make sure that change occurred before his tenure was up. He and other members of the committee didn’t waste any time and college baseball will now see a much-needed change take place With the premier teams and regional hosts being seeded 1-16, the next question from many around the sport will be about potentially seeding 1-64. Though you can’t say never after today’s news, the likelihood of that occurring in the near future is small. There are some serious obstacles against seeding all 64 teams in the postseason. Unlike basketball, which has almost every game televised on some sort of platform, there are still some conferences where viewing games is a challenge. Of course, there are regional advisory committees, but I doubt the committee will want to rely solely on that and metrics to make those tough decisions in the 50-64 range. “Going to 64 at some point would be challenging because there are so many championships and the way we do our championship would in theory affect other championships,” Sidwell said. “There are some financial concerns with going to a 1-64 seeding, and some other items that we’d need to look at.” For now, consider it a win for Sidwell and the sport. We finally got 1-16.

After adding HS commit RHP Bryce Elder last night, Piece & Co add JUCO OF Duke Ellis tonight. Look for this to be popping up on Twitter often.

Cantu is getting a change of scenery. Wish him the best. He has always been a fine representative of UT, especially off the field. Hopefully this fresh start helps him find his groove again.

Texas and LSU have agree to play at Alex Box the 2nd weekend next year!

Per Kendall Rogers, looks like Sosa will be transferring to a JC.

I'll just leave this right here