Traveling to the largest ballpark in the Southeastern Conference for its opening weekend, No. 11 Texas baseball was not intimidated by the environment. Sweeping Mississippi State, the Longhorns extended their win streak to 17 consecutive games.
“They learned that baseball is still baseball and you should enjoy and appreciate the venues that you get to play in and the crowds you get to play against,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “It’s kinda an ‘us against the world mentality’ when you’re on the road. I was really, really proud of our dugout energy.”
Texas opened the series by holding off Mississippi State’s ninth-inning push to win the first game, 8-7. Due to inclement weather, Saturday’s contest was pushed into a Sunday doubleheader, pitting the Longhorns and Bulldogs to play two back-to-back seventh-inning games.
Testing their depth, Texas notched two runs in the final inning of both games, completing the series sweep with a 5-3 win in the first game and 4-1 in the second.
Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle was pleased with his team’s performance during its first series against SEC competition, highlighting his team’s pitching rotation.
“I’m just really proud of all of our guys — (Dylan) Volantis closing two games, Jason Flores getting a start in the SEC and keeping us in the game and then Max Grubbs and Ruger Riojas did what they needed to do,” Schlossnagle said. “I think the 14 innings favored us a little bit because we were able to use all of our guys in a short amount of time.
Behind the plate for all three games and catching all 14 innings in the doubleheader, junior catcher Rylan Galvan was an asset in the batter’s box. Coming up big this weekend, Galvan went five for 10 with two home runs and recorded four RBIs.
“I thought Galvan to catch 14 innings just did an amazing job and obviously hit a big home run,” Schlossnagle said.
Going 0-5 on his previous at-bats, junior outfielder Max Belyeu sealed the Longhorns’ victory during game one of the doubleheader. Belyeu’s only hit of the weekend found its way out of the park for a home run, bringing in two runners with him.
Starting out the year unlucky at the plate, graduate first baseman Kimble Schuessler had a very successful weekend in Mississippi. Like his catcher, Schuessler went 5-10, hammering a double and one RBI in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.
Making an impact this weekend, sophomore third baseman Casey Borba capped off the Longhorns’ massive seventh inning with a massive home run, recording three RBIs during Friday’s game. Borba brought in one more runner during game two of Sunday’s doubleheader to close off the strong weekend.
Texas is set to face the UTSA Roadrunners on Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas.
“We’re going to play an awesome UTSA team, one of the best hitting and offensive teams in the country Tuesday night, so we’re going to have our hands full,” Schlossnagle said.
