Longhorn fans, it’s about that time of year to pull out the crusty cap and wrinkled jersey. Dust off the ol’ ball glove and get ready for some cheesy nachos and hot dogs with all the fixin’s. It’s time for some some big-time, powerhouse baseball brought to you by your University of Texas Longhorns!
The big question is, how good are the Longhorns going to be this year? Well, there’s not really any way to answer that except to say that the Longhorns are ranked No. 6 by Rivals.com and No. 7 by USA Today. Preseason rankings don’t really mean much until the games start, but it’s a good sign that the “professionals” think the baseball team will be pretty good this year.
So, here’s my best guess as to the starting lineup for position players (and remember, it’s just a guess):
Catcher: Preston Clark
First Base: Brandon Belt
Second Base: Michael Torres
Short Stop: David Hernandez
Third Base: Travis Tucker
Left Field: Kevin Keyes
Center Field: Jordan Danks
Right Field: Kyle Russell
Most Texas Baseball fans are familiar with Jordan Danks and Kyle Russell, both being named Pre-Season All Americans. Last year Russell led the nation in home runs with 28 and didn’t make a single error in the outfield. Danks wasn’t far off that pace with a .332 batting average and scoring 63 runs. In addition to Russell and Danks, Preston Clark is widely considered one of the best catchers in the country and is returning for another year.
There are many newcomers to the Longhorns, including projected starting first baseman Brandon Belt, who is an incoming freshman, along with second baseman Michael Torres, who transferred from USC. In addition, Kevin Keyes is also a freshman and is in a difficult battle with Russell Moldenhauer to start in left field. Because of his offensive ability, Moldenhauer will probably DH if he doesn’t start in left field.
Projected rotation for the Longhorns is opening day starter Austin Wood, who went 8-1 last year with an ERA just over 3. Texas has three incoming freshman pitchers to add to the rotation this year in Cole Green, Brandon Workman, and Chance Ruffin. Kenn Kasparek will also be in the rotation as the probable No. 2 or 3 starter.
The Longhorns open their season this weekend against Virginia Commonwealth in a three game series beginning today at 2:30pm. The second game will be on Saturday at noon, while the rubber game will occur Sunday also at noon.
I hope everyone’s as excited as I am about the 2008 season. Come out to Disch-Falk Field for a weekend of Longhorn baseball and hopefully the start of the road to Omaha!
This article appears in February 22 • 2008.