TEXAS BASEBALL
Last year: 42-22, 15-9 in Big 12; lost in Stanford Super Regional.
Coach: David Pierce, 261-138 in seven years at Texas.
Players to watch: Porter Brown, redshirt senior outfielder. Brown, a San Antonio native and Reagan High School alum, was a major contributor to last year’s offense, batting .323 on the season. Lebarron Johnson Jr., redshirt junior pitcher. Johnson posted a 2.91 ERA in 20 appearances with 13 starts and is the Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Will Gasparino, freshman outfielder. Even though Gasparino has yet to make his college debut, there are high expectations for the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Overview: Texas was picked to finish second in the Big 12 preseason poll behind TCU and has a real chance to win the Big 12 one last time. Even though over half of the team is made up of underclassmen, Texas has a solid
group of veterans that is capable of leading the team to another College World Series appearance. Peyton Powell and Jack O’dowd are two of the Longhorns’ most experienced hitters. Aside from Johnson, the Longhorns are returning experienced pitchers such as Tanner Witt and David Shaw. In related pitching news, Pierce is adding pitching coach duties to his plate after parting ways with Woody Williams during the offseason. Pierce managed his pitching staff during his first two years in Austin as head coach. Bullpen struggles became a recurring theme in Texas’ losses last season. Notable contests outside of the Big 12 include games against future SEC opponents LSU, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. With tough opponents in the Big 12 and outside of the conference, Texas has plenty of opportunities to prove itself as a national title contender.