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Eyes On The Prize: Longhorns Look to Return to Omaha

Eager might be the theme of the 2008 Texas Longhorns baseball season. Despite being the most successful college baseball program since the turn of the century, the Horns enter the 2008 season eager to erase the memories of regional exits in each of the last two seasons. Head coach Augie Garrido relishes the opportunity to blend experienced veterans eager to erase the recent disappointments with the talented newcomers eager to prove the belong at what is historically the best program in the country.

Although they’ve had early exits from the NCAA Tournament the last two years, the Longhorns still boast recent success, coming off back-to-back Big 12 titles. Last season’s title run was highlighted by a pitching staff whose 3.16 ERA was 1.54 lower than the nearest squad.

This year’s pitching corps is short on certainty but high on talent. Austin Wood (8-1, 3.15 ERA) is the lone returning starting pitcher from 2007. Last season, the left-hander earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors on two occasions. After missing all of 2007 with an injury, senior Kenn Kasparek figures to earn a starting spot. The right-hander was 8-0 with a 2.10 ERA as a freshman during the Horns’ 2005 national championship run and went 5-2 with a 3.80 ERA in 2006.

The Horns’ offense will be spearheaded by first-team All-America outfielder Kyle Russell (.336, 28 HR, 71 RBI) who led the nation with a UT single-season school record of 28 taters. The towering rightfielder chose to return to Austin despite being a fourth-round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals in last summer’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

After patrolling leftfield each of the last two seasons, junior Jordan Danks (.332, 4 HR, 38 RBI) moves to centerfield. The speedy Danks has not been caught stealing in any of his 26 career attempts. He gained valuable experience as a leadoff hitter on the US National Team during the summer.

Russell Moldenhauer (.278, 6 HR, 32 RBI) is penciled in to start in leftfield after spending last season as the Horns’ designated hitter. The sophomore, a skilled hitter who was selected in the third round of the 2006 MLB draft, is expected to bolster the middle of the lineup.

The infield features only one returning player and that player is moving to a new position. Travis Tucker (.307, 1 HR, 34 RBI) moves to the hot corner in 2008 after playing second base in his first season in Austin. The Longhorns brought in a pair of West Coast transfers to man the middle of the infield, including Michael Torres from the University of Southern California at second base and David Hernandez from Fresno State University at shortstop. In addition to having a spot in the bullpen, Brandon Belt also figures to be the Horns starting first baseman.

Two-year starting catcher Preston Clark (.286, 8 HR, 45 RBI) also selected to return to the Forty Acres rather than head to the minor leagues. Regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the nation, Clark was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2007.

Garrido is starting his 12th season on the Forty Acres. He enters the season needing just 22 wins to earn his 500th win as head of the Longhorns.

The Horns 2008 schedule features 52 games, including 30 home games.

* - Big 12 Conference games ^ - Houston College Classic Minute Maid Park