As the sun shone down on the freshly manicured UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Punxsutawney Phil wasn’t the only one to welcome an early spring as Texas baseball held its annual Alumni and Fan Appreciation Game on Saturday.
The program saw 25 Longhorn baseball alumni come together to face Texas’ 2024 lineup in a preseason showcase where the underclassmen took their elders back to school, with the home team securing a 7-4 victory over the visiting alumni.
Some prominent names on the alumni list included Dylan Campbell, Silas Ardoin, Douglas Hodo, Zane Morehouse and Murphy Stehly, who each got drafted into the MLB during their respective seasons. Head coach David Pierce expressed his excitement surrounding the return of some familiar faces and what it says about the program.
“When one of your guys makes it to the big leagues, it’s just really exciting,” Pierce said. “But when you look at your culture and this many guys wanting to come back and be a part of it today, that’s really meaningful to us.”
Former right-handed pitcher Nolan Kingham, now a relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves minor league, also shared his enjoyment in seeing old friends after leaving Texas to enter the 2018 MLB Draft.
“I’m here to be a cheerleader, having the good vibes and interacting with the crowd, so it’s going to be fun,” Kingham said. “I’m expecting us to win, that’s for sure.”
The alumni took the lead right off the bat, as hits from Kody Clemens, Mike Antico and Campbell during the first inning led to a 3-0 advantage to start things off. Texas was able to answer with a run of its own, carrying one run on the scoreboard through five innings of play until a three-run homerun from redshirt senior Peyton Powell got the Longhorns back in the game at 4-4.
Powell’s teammates followed suit not long after, as a single to right field from sophomore Max Belyeu sent seniors Porter Brown and Jack O’Dowd back home to put Texas in the lead for the first time all afternoon. Although pitcher Charley Hurley had a slow start, the senior managed to keep the visiting team at bay for the remainder of the game.
The home side finished things off with a homer to right field from junior Casey Cummings, which solidified Texas’ 7–4 win at the end of the seventh inning.
Despite the Longhorns making a late comeback and sporting a .269 hitting percentage for the evening, Pierce said he’s content with the progress of his players both offensively and defensively, noting that there’s room for improvement as the season settles in.
“It’s really great to see them just have quality at-bats late in the game,” Pierce said. “We have got to clean up some of our defense, it just felt like we were a little shaky with that, but then we had some good plays as well.”
But above all, Pierce emphasized the impact that Texas has had on its current and former student-athletes and how this game shows that being a Longhorn can unite a community unlike any other, especially when it comes to being on the same team.
“They love the University of Texas, they got a great love for each other and they want to see each other,” Pierce said. “They’re tremendous young men that felt like they learned a lot here, felt like they could still give back, but they just love being here.”
The official start to the Texas baseball season comes Feb. 16 as the team will kick off its first series against San Diego.
