Longhorns begin crucial 10-game end-of-season stretch with series at Kansas
Forty-six down, 10 to go. The Texas Longhorns are in the homestretch of the 2023 regular season and need a strong finish to the campaign to compete for the Big 12 title and improve its seeding in the NCAA tournament.
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Considering the relative weakness of the Big 12 this year, the only host from the league is likely to be the regular season champion. West Virginia currently has the inside track on that with its 11-4 record in conference play. Oklahoma State and Kansas State are tied for second, while the Longhorns are in third with a 10-8 mark.
Texas, who did not play a midweek game this week, heads to Lawrence, Kan. for a three-game series with Big 12 cellar-dweller Kansas. The Longhorns swept the Jayhawks in Lawrence in 2021 and repeated that result in Austin in 2022. If Texas wants to compete with the Mountaineers, the Cowboys, and the Wildcats for a third Big 12 regular season crown under David Pierce, a third-straight sweep of KU is almost a necessity.
Both Oklahoma State and Kansas State are playing out-of-conference series this week. The Cowboys take on East Tennessee State in Stillwater, Okla. while the Wildcats face Southeast Missouri State in Manhattan, Kan.
In a cruel twist, Texas could be rooting for Oklahoma this weekend as the Sooners head to Morgantown, W. Va. to face the Mountaineers. The Longhorns, who were swept by OU in Austin, would likely see their RPI improve if Skip Johnson’s team were to take two-of-three at West Virginia.
Texas will send typical No. 1 starter Lucas Gordon to the mound on Friday. Lebarron Johnson Jr. is scheduled to get the start on Saturday. Tanner Witt will start Sunday in what is likely to be another short outing as he returns from Tommy John surgery.
Three-straight wins over the Jayhawks, plus a little help from OU, before the Longhorns host San Jose State for a non-conference series next week would go a long way toward making the season-finale three-game set with WVU of greater importance.
There are seven games between now and then, but those last three won’t matter in relation to the Big 12 title as much if Texas can’t take care of business on the road this weekend.
Texas at a glance
Record: 30-16
Big 12 record: 10-8
RPI ranking: No. 27
In the D1Baseball field of 64?: Yes (No. 2 seed in the Dallas regional hosted by Dallas Baptist)
Probable pitching matchups
FRIDAY–Texas LHP Lucas Gordon (5-0, 2.16) vs. Kansas RHP Collin Baumgartner (4-1, 4.34)
SATURDAY–Texas RHP Lebarron Johnson Jr. (4-2, 2.70) vs. Kansas RHP Hunter Cashero (2-0, 5.29)
SUNDAY–Texas RHP Tanner Witt (0-1, 40.50) vs. Kansas RHP Sam Ireland (4-6, 6.91)
Remaining schedule
May 5-7 – at Kansas
Record: 21-24
Big 12 record: 6-12
RPI ranking: No. 114
In the D1Baseball field of 64?: No
May 9 – UT-Arlington
Record: 23-20
RPI ranking: No. 88
In the D1Baseball field of 64?: No
May 12-14 – San Jose State
Record: 20-20
RPI ranking: No. 124
In the D1Baseball field of 64?: No
May 18-20 – West Virginia
Record: 34-11
Big 12 record: 11-4
RPI ranking: No. 14
In the D1Baseball field of 64?: Yes (No. 10 national seed, host of Morgantown regional)
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