No. 15 Texas sweeps Las Vegas Classic as winning streak reaches nine games

The Horns were hot in Vegas, scoring 35 wins in victories over the Huskies, Red Raiders, and Fighting Illini.

Under first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle, the No. 15 Texas Longhorns are piling up wins as SEC play approaches, extending the team’s winning streak to nine games over the weekend by sweeping the Las Vegas Classic at the Las Vegas Ballpark with a 10-9 win over the Washington Huskies, a 10-5 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and a 15-6 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Even with a 9-1 record and those wins over Power Four opponents, the team’s current RPI is 44, but the conference gauntlet will provide plenty of opportunities — right now, getting better and stacking wins are the dual priorities.

Friday — Texas 10, Washington 9

Last year, a mid-March series loss to the Huskies in Austin set a low ceiling for the Longhorns under former head coach David Pierce, adding some interest to a neutral-site non-conference matchup.

In common Friday fashion, the Texas bats needed some time to get going as junior shortstop Jalin Flores experienced his first power surge of the season after a tough start by hitting solo home runs in the second inning and the fifth inning.

Leaning on a fastball, Flores hit his first home run of the season 418 feet with an exit velocity of 104 miles per hour to give Texas a 1-0 lead.

The second put the Horns ahead 2-1, a 396-foot bomb at 103 off the bat.

In the sixth, the Horns knocked starter Max Banks out of the game, breaking it open with seven runs on six hits.

Senior first baseman Kimble Schuessler drove home two runs on a bases-loaded single after a single, walk, and a single with one out. The outing for Banks ended after hitting Flores with a pitch to load the bases again, setting up another two-run single, this time by freshman designated hitter Cole Chamberlain. With two outs, the inning’s biggest swing came from junior catcher Rylan Galvan on a three-run homer, an opposite-field shot that just cleared the fence in right-center.

Before Texas added a run in the seventh inning when Schuessler grounded into a double play, the bullpen allowed Washington back into the game following 6.0 innings of strong work from senior left-hander Jared Spencer, who allowed one run on four hits with nine strikeouts and two walks.

Redshirt junior right-hander Cody Howard made his second appearance of the season in relief. Howard allowed an infield single and a bunt single that was initially ruled out on the field but overturned on replay to put runners on first and second. After a third straight single, Howard gave up a grand slam to outfielder AJ Guerrero — the 0-1 pitch wasn’t a bad offering from the Baylor transfer, a fastball down and outside, but one of best home-run hitters in Washington history sent it over the wall in right field for his 34th career homer.

After allowing another single, Howard was pulled in favor of junior right-hander Ruger Riojas without retiring a batter. The UTSA transfer wasn’t his usual sharp self, either, as he was only able to record one out before giving up a single, a four-pitch walk, and throwing a wild pitch that scored a run.

Forced to go to the bullpen once again, Schlossnagle called on sophomore right-hander Thomas Burns gave up a full-count single that drove home a run, but struck out the final two batters to end the inning.

Burns struggled with his command in the eighth, walking the leadoff batter, hitting the next batter, and then issuing a four-pitch walk to load the bases.

Senior right-hander Andre Duplantier entered the game and hit the first batter he faced, then induced an RBI groundout before striking out the final two batters of the inning.

With the Texas lead down to a single run, junior right-hander Max Grubbs ended the bullpen shenanigans by putting Washington down in order to secure his second career save.

Saturday — Texas 10, Texas Tech 5

In a renewal of one of the more fierce Big 12 rivalries for the Horns in recent years, Texas used a big two-out rally in the second inning to create early separation.

After the first batter was retired, Flores reached on a dropped fly ball by the third baseman, Schuessler singled, Chamberlain walked, and sophomore left fielder Tommy Farmer was hit by a pitch, scoring a run. Galvan delivered a two-run double to left field and sophomore second baseman Ethan Mendoza matched his season total for home runs as a freshman at Arizona State by hitting his third for Texas.

Sophomore center fielder Will Gasparino followed with a two-out solo shot to end the scoring in the inning with Texas up 7-0.

The Longhorns scored three more runs in the fifth on a solo home run by freshman third baseman Adrian Rodriguez, a bases-loaded walk, and a wild pitch.

On the mound, Texas redshirt junior left-hander Luke Harrison turned in another positive performance, allowing one run on six hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over 5.0 innings.

The bullpen wasn’t as bad as it was on Friday, but it wasn’t especially good, as freshman right-hander Drew Rerick was charged with two run in the seventh inning when he walked two batters and freshman left-hander Dylan Volantis allowed a single, a steal of home, and a run-scoring fielder’s choice before the third run scored on a throwing error by Mendoza.

Volantis ultimately went 3.0 innings, allowing two unearned runs on four hits while striking out five in earning his first career save.

Sunday — Texas 15, Illinois 6

The Horns fell behind against the Fighting Illini on Sunday as sophomore left-hander Kade Bing continued to struggle, hitting two batters and allowing two runs to score on wild pitches before Grubbs entered the game in the fourth inning.

After a throwing error on Rodriguez, Grubbs gave up three unearned runs on a home run that put Illinois up 6-1.

Texas rallied in the bottom of the inning with four runs thanks to RBI singles from sophomore left fielder Easton Winfield and Mendoza, along with an RBI double by junior right fielder Max Belyeu and an RBI groundout by Gasparino.

The truly game-changing inning was the sixth when the Longhorns scored nine runs on seven hits, including doubles by Flores, sophomore left fielder Tommy Farmer, and Belyeu.

Meanwhile, Grubbs was steady, going 4.1 innings to earn his first win this season, scattering four hits and striking out three without allowing any damage other than the home run.

Junior right-hander Grayson Saunier only needed eight pitches in the ninth to retire all three batters he faced.

Five Texas players finished with multiple RBI, led by a 4-for-6 performance from Belyeu, who drive in three runs, and multi-hit games from five players.