The kids of Texas Baseball probably savored the idea – rather, the honor – of playing a de facto home series in the “Sports Capital of Texas.” How irksome and flabbergasting, then, was the anti-climax of learning that Round Rock (of all places) brands itself this way. Round Rock? Sports Capital of Texas? Or deep-fried Lone Star hell hole No. 76? Read More | Comment »

The intermingling of a shrimpy nonconference schedule with a baby-faced 2011-12 litter — which features six freshmen — amounts to an enigmatic Longhorn squad devoid of obvious identity (and a national ranking). Read More | Comment »

The rash of editorializing by fans and media in the days following Texas’ feeble "Two and Barbecue" elimination from the College World Series in Omaha this week has split into two schools of thought. Read More | Comment »

The University of Texas baseball team defeated Kent State 5-0 Monday to escape an early season exit (for them) and move on to host the NCAA Austin Super Regional beginning this Friday, June 10, 6pm, at Disch-Falk Field vs. the Arizona State Sun Devils. Click through for the full schedule. Read More | Comment »

In a memorably inane dispute and stalemate involving a girl’s bicycle on Seinfeld, harebrained litigants Elaine Benes and Cosmo Kramer appealed to an “impartial mediator” to rule on its rightful ownership: Read More | Comment »

Despite an unpredictable, inconsistent offense that has yet to strike a rhythm, UT has benefited from a friendly first-half schedule layered with mediocrity, and a top-flight pitching staff — headlined by ace Taylor Jungmann (sporting a .068 ERA), and featuring counterparts junior Sam Stafford and senior Cole Green. Read More | Comment »

Uneven performances over the young season’s first eight games have staked the 2011 Longhorns (ranked No. 6) to a 5-3 record – with a sensuous trip to Hawaii on the athletic department’s dime. Read More | Comment »

I am not a Texas Longhorns fan. Technically, I’m now part of the media, so out of principle I should not be a Longhorns fan. But technicalities aside, I was born and raised in Nebraska so I have no desire to put on burnt orange polos nor hook 'em horns – largely because the Big Ten won’t allow it. Read More | Comment »

The No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns start their Super Regional series vs. the No. 6 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs Friday. How best to describe this matchup? They say the next big thing is here
That the revolution's near
But to me it seems quite clear
That it's all just a little bit of history repeating.
- Shirley Bassey Well that sums it up nicely. Read More | Comment »

On the television series Lost, the final season used a unique storytelling device. As a devoted Lost nerd, I will try to be as minimally dorky as possible while I explain this device so that all of you who didn’t watch the greatest drama on network television ever can follow along. A Lost history lesson and Texas baseball commentary (I promise) after the jump … Read More | Comment »

The No. 2 national seed University of Texas Longhorns will host the Rice Owls, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, and Rider Broncs in a College World Series Regional Tourney starting Friday, June 4. If Texas wins the double-elimination tourney, they will face the winner of the TCU Regional for one of the eight spots in the College World Series. Read More | Comment »

The Texas Longhorns and LSU Tigers face off in game 1 of the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., tonight at 6pm (ESPN). That's led to some wagering by the two states' leaders; this press release just in from Gov. Rick Perry's office:

Texas Wages Bet with Louisiana on College World Series

Gov. Perry Confident in Texas Longhorns AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal placed a friendly wager on the outcome of the College World Series, which takes place this week in Omaha, Neb. “The Texas Longhorn baseball program has been winning national championships since the 1940s and I'm looking forward to Coach Garrido and his team bringing home yet another title from Omaha this week,” said Gov. Perry. “With the winningest coach in college baseball history calling the shots and his players consistently stepping up in the clutch, I'm certain there is going to be some Louisiana seafood headed our way.” Gov. Perry put a tray of Texas bar-b-que on the line, confident that the Texas Longhorns will take home a seventh championship title. Gov. Jindal bet a tray of fresh Louisiana seafood that the Tigers would beat the Longhorns. “LSU’s strong pitching and outstanding hitting will rack us up major wins against the Texas Longhorns in this series, and I am willing to bet a tray of fresh Louisiana seafood that the Tigers will be the champions of this match-up. Anyone can play Small Ball, but the LSU Tigers will teach Texas how Monster Ball is played,” Gov. Jindal said.

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The Longhorns road to Omaha and the College World Series was nothing short of epic; NCAA records broken, and college legends made. Taking down the TCU Horned Frogs with a 5-2 win in the decisive third game of the Austin Super Regional playoffs, UT (46-14-1) advances to the CWS for a record setting 33rd appearance, but first since 2005. Following the No. 1 seeded Longhorn’s 25 inning marathon victory over Boston College on Saturday, May 30, - the longest game in NCAA Division I history - all eyes seemed to be on the Austin-hosted bracket of the NCAA playoffs. That win carried UT into the Regional Championship, largely on the arm of reliever Austin Wood, who pitched an astonishing 13 innings, 12 1/3 of which were recorded as no-hit ball, before Travis Tucker singled in Connor Rowe for the winning 3-2 run. The Regional showdown against Army the following day proved no less dramatic as Preston Clarke drilled a walk-off grand slam to propel the Longhorns to a 14-10 victory and berth to the Super Regional best-of-three series this past weekend against TCU, who were making their first ever appearance in the bracket. Read More | Comment »

Richard Linklater's loving doc of UT baseball coach Augie Garrido, Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach, will make its nationally televised debut Sunday night, June 15, on ESPN2 at 9pm. Austinites were treated to its regional premiere and a Q&A with Linklater and Garrido at the Paramount Theatre Tuesday, June 3. Garrido sports the most wins of any NCAA baseball coach ever and has won five championships over four decades at two schools (Cal State Fullerton and UT). Our own Ashley Moreno interviewed Richard Linklater about his doc and her piece “Zen and the Art of Winning Championships” (Screens, May 30) can be found here. Not to be missed are Augie's locker-room “talks” with his players following disappointing (in his opinion, regardless of the numbers on the scoreboard) outings. I recommend programming your DVRs now before you forget. Read More | Comment »

Bring out the brooms Horns’ fans, as Texas swept rival Texas A&M over the weekend, sending the Aggies home with their tails between their legs! Texas’ pitching has been the story the last few weeks as they have given up only 21 runs in their last 10 games. Kenn Kasparek has led the way with a 24-inning scoreless streak, including a no-hitter against Texas State. Freshman Chance Ruffin has been almost as good with a complete game against Baylor where he gave up 1 run in seven innings. In game one against A&M over the weekend, Ruffin allowed only 1 run on six hits. Jordan Danks saw to it that A&M left UFCU Disch-Falk Field on a stretcher as he hit two triples in the game with three runs batted in to give the Horns’ the 5-2 victory. Junior Austin Wood has come to life of late, pitching his first career complete game against A&M over the weekend. Wood allowed 2 runs in the first inning and then manhandled the Aggies from that point on, recording eight scoreless innings in giving the Horns a 5-2 win in game two. Kyle Russell made sure Wood got the victory, blasting his 14th home run of the season. Read More | Comment »

In the history of baseball there have been games decided by an exciting event or with an obvious outcome. Sometimes, they go as scripted, while others keep you on the edge of your seat. A game-winning home run can bring the stands to their feet and players into a delirious joy. A blowout can be fun for the winning team, leaving the loser ready for a shower. Often, parents bring their little ones to experience America’s Game in a way they did during their younger years. Most of the time, fans sit in their seats, eating and drinking, enjoying a sunshiney day at their favorite ballpark. T-shirts from the gift shop, a hot dog and soda from the concessions, and a newly broken-in glove with the slim hope of catching a foul ball. Typically, the fans are separate from the players, and they don’t get to see what the players experience during a game. So, I decided to change that. Read More | Comment »

Agnes Varnum was kind enough to alert us to two wildly different, but distinctly cool-sounding screenings that the Austin Film Society's putting on in the very new future. First up to bat is the Paramount premiere of Rick Linklater's Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach, his feature documentary about beloved UT men's baseball coach Augie Garrido, the winningest coach in NCAA history. The show's on June 3, and proceeds will benefit in part the Boys and Girls Club. The second is a Rolling Roadshow sneak of the Duplass Brothers' Baghead out at Hamilton Pool – certain to up the creep-out factor to the comedy/horror hybrid. The Duplasses will be on hand for the event, where there'll be campfire snacks available for purchase. Want s'more? (Sorry, we couldn't resist.) Advance tickets for the June 12 show are available here, along with details about the limited number of 4-course dinner VIP tickets available. Incidentally, Baghead will open in Austin theatres on June 13, in advance of New York and L.A. Because that's the kind of trendsetting town we call home … Read More | Comment »

Texas baseball has come back to life as they won this past weekend’s series over Baylor, making it two series wins in a row. There were several key pitching performances that propelled the Horns into the win column. Chance Ruffin pitched a complete game in game one, giving up one run on seven hits to lead the Horns to a 12-1 win at Baylor. Texas had 16 hits, playing small ball all game to manufacture runs with ease. The Longhorns had 14 singles and two doubles to go along with Ruffin’s masterful performance. Jordan Danks, David Hernandez, Preston Clark, and Brandon Belt each had three hits on the evening as the Bears were no match for Texas’ big bats. In game two, the Horns left a dozen runners on base in losing 6-1. They had several scoring opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize with the timely hit. Another good pitching performance, this time by Austin Wood, wasn’t enough as he got no help from the Longhorn hitters. Read More | Comment »

Before we get to last weekend's series with the K-State Wildcats, it must be noted that UT right-hander Kenn Kasparek pitched a no-hitter last night in the Longhorns' 11-0 win over the Texas State Bobcats. Kasparek was one hit-batter away from a perfect game and faced the minimum of 27 batters as that lonely base-runner was the victim of a ground-ball double play in the Bobcats' next at-bat. Congrats Kenn!

And now, from the Bobcats to the Wildcats … UT won their weekend series with the Kansas State Wildcats by winning games one and three with timely hitting and some luck. Kyle Russell and Jordan Danks each homered in game one to bring their season totals to 12 and five, respectively. But, playing “Garilla Ball” isn’t how UT won the series. Manufacturing runs, timely hitting, and the hand of a higher power put Texas in a great position to win this past weekend. The Horns had several sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, and ground outs to move runners over and walks to put men on base. But, that doesn’t paint the whole picture. Read More | Comment »

OK, I am not really sure where to start here. My prediction of Texas taking two of three games against Oklahoma State was a little off. Alright, I admit I had no idea what I was talking about because the Horns were swept by the Cowboys this past weekend. I guess the best summation of the current situation is that Texas baseball is taking a nose dive. And fast. Only three years removed from the College World Series title, and a record of 56 wins and 16 losses, Texas boasts a record of 24 wins and 17 losses in the current campaign. Even if they won all of their remaining games, they still would not equal that 2005 team. Kyle Russell has become a home-run machine for the Longhorns once again. He hit two homers in the midweek game against Texas Arlington and another two in game three against Oklahoma State to bring his season total to 11. Russell has hit two homers four times in the last month. But is it too late? Read More | Comment »