No lone stars in Texas
Shortstop Omar Quintanilla was a first-round pick in the major-league draft. Second baseman Tim Moss went in the third round. So did left fielder Dustin Majewski, while right fielder Eric Sultemeier was taken in the sixth.
None were hotter down the stretch than center fielder Joe Ferin.
All are now gone from the Texas baseball program - and if you can believe it, practically forgotten the year after they helped the Longhorns make their third College World Series in four seasons.
That's because Texas, which plays Nebraska in a three-game weekend series that begins in Disch-Falk Field today at 6:15 p.m., is ranked No. 1 in the country.
"We have a lot of talent, obviously," said freshman center fielder Drew Stubbs, a third-round pick who turned down offers from the Houston Astros to become a Longhorn. "We're playing very well. I'd like us to start swinging the bats, as a whole, better, but our pitching has put us in position to win a lot of games."
Among those victories are four against defending national champion Rice, fueling Texas to a 39-5 start that includes an 11-3 mark in the Big 12 Conference. That record has largely been built around a pitching staff that sports a nation-best 2.34 earned-run average.
Considering the Longhorns' returning pitchers accounted for 34 of the 50 wins and 16 of the 18 saves from 2003, it's hardly a surprise.
Headlining that group is right-handed junior Huston Street, an All-American and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2002 CWS. Street is Texas' all-time saves leader and while he missed all but one game for a month after suffering a groin injury in mid-February, he's still 4-1 with a 1.48 ERAand four saves.
During the past week, Street has thrown 7.1 innings in four appearances. On Tuesday, with the Longhorns guarding a 6-3 lead against Texas State, he entered a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the seventh inning and notched his only strikeout before retiring a batter on a groundout.
Street has shared the closer's role with right-handed sophomore J. Brent Cox (3-1, 1.06, 5 saves). Against Texas State, Cox worked a perfect inning while striking out the side.
Texas' weekend starters have been just as effective.
Left-handed junior J.P. Howell joined Stubbs as a midseason All-American by Baseball America. Howell (8-1, 1.83)won his seventh straight by defeating Baylor last Friday, and is 18-3 with 200 strikeouts in 188 innings since transferring from Southern Cal at the beginning of the 2003 season.
The Longhorns' other starters are right-handed sophomore Sam LeCure (6-0, 2.22)and left-handed senior Justin Simmons (8-1, 3.67), a three-time All-Big 12 selection.
"I would have to say it's a well-thought-out, put-together pitching staff," said Tom Holliday, in his first year as UT's pitching coach after spending 26 seasons at Oklahoma State (the last seven as head coach). "The starters can all pitch-pitch. They're not just limited to power, or one side of the plate.
"And I think the bullpen is probably the most unique that I've ever been around, because of the variety of arms and the flexibility we have with them. We've got a little bit of everything."
While Stubbs, hitting .304 with a team-high five home runs, is the most touted of Texas' newcomers, the Longhorns also are getting huge contributions from freshman left fielder Carson Kainer, who's batting a team-best .394.
Stubbs said since his decision to become a Longhorn became a no-brainer when the Astros came only about halfway to meeting what he would have been willing to sign for.
"I've been a life-long UTfan," said the product of tiny Atlanta, Texas. "It's kind of been a life-long dream to play here."
He couldn't have timed his arrival much better.
Now, Stubbs looks to help the red-hot Longhorns win their first series against the Huskers (who have dropped five of their last seven games to fall to 26-10 and 7-5) in six years.
"Nebraska has a lot of returning starters," Stubbs noted of the defending Big 12 champs. "They've lost some games here recently, but we know we'll be in for a fight."
n Saturday's 3 p.m. game will be televised on FOX Sports Net (channel 37).
n Nebraska is 14-0 this season when playing an error-free game.
n Texas is 22-2 at home this season. Last Saturday, Street gave up a 10th-inning homer to Baylor's Michael Griffin, as the Bears ended the Longhorns' 10-game winning streak before a season-high 6,874 fans at Disch-Falk.
n Left-handed sophomore Zach Kroenke (6-0, 1.84 ERA) goes against Howell tonight. On Saturday, right-handed junior Phil Shirek (5-0, 2.95) returns to the rotation to face LeCure. Nebraska has yet to name Sunday's starter.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
None were hotter down the stretch than center fielder Joe Ferin.
All are now gone from the Texas baseball program - and if you can believe it, practically forgotten the year after they helped the Longhorns make their third College World Series in four seasons.
That's because Texas, which plays Nebraska in a three-game weekend series that begins in Disch-Falk Field today at 6:15 p.m., is ranked No. 1 in the country.
"We have a lot of talent, obviously," said freshman center fielder Drew Stubbs, a third-round pick who turned down offers from the Houston Astros to become a Longhorn. "We're playing very well. I'd like us to start swinging the bats, as a whole, better, but our pitching has put us in position to win a lot of games."
Among those victories are four against defending national champion Rice, fueling Texas to a 39-5 start that includes an 11-3 mark in the Big 12 Conference. That record has largely been built around a pitching staff that sports a nation-best 2.34 earned-run average.
Considering the Longhorns' returning pitchers accounted for 34 of the 50 wins and 16 of the 18 saves from 2003, it's hardly a surprise.
Headlining that group is right-handed junior Huston Street, an All-American and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2002 CWS. Street is Texas' all-time saves leader and while he missed all but one game for a month after suffering a groin injury in mid-February, he's still 4-1 with a 1.48 ERAand four saves.
During the past week, Street has thrown 7.1 innings in four appearances. On Tuesday, with the Longhorns guarding a 6-3 lead against Texas State, he entered a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the seventh inning and notched his only strikeout before retiring a batter on a groundout.
Street has shared the closer's role with right-handed sophomore J. Brent Cox (3-1, 1.06, 5 saves). Against Texas State, Cox worked a perfect inning while striking out the side.
Texas' weekend starters have been just as effective.
Left-handed junior J.P. Howell joined Stubbs as a midseason All-American by Baseball America. Howell (8-1, 1.83)won his seventh straight by defeating Baylor last Friday, and is 18-3 with 200 strikeouts in 188 innings since transferring from Southern Cal at the beginning of the 2003 season.
The Longhorns' other starters are right-handed sophomore Sam LeCure (6-0, 2.22)and left-handed senior Justin Simmons (8-1, 3.67), a three-time All-Big 12 selection.
"I would have to say it's a well-thought-out, put-together pitching staff," said Tom Holliday, in his first year as UT's pitching coach after spending 26 seasons at Oklahoma State (the last seven as head coach). "The starters can all pitch-pitch. They're not just limited to power, or one side of the plate.
"And I think the bullpen is probably the most unique that I've ever been around, because of the variety of arms and the flexibility we have with them. We've got a little bit of everything."
While Stubbs, hitting .304 with a team-high five home runs, is the most touted of Texas' newcomers, the Longhorns also are getting huge contributions from freshman left fielder Carson Kainer, who's batting a team-best .394.
Stubbs said since his decision to become a Longhorn became a no-brainer when the Astros came only about halfway to meeting what he would have been willing to sign for.
"I've been a life-long UTfan," said the product of tiny Atlanta, Texas. "It's kind of been a life-long dream to play here."
He couldn't have timed his arrival much better.
Now, Stubbs looks to help the red-hot Longhorns win their first series against the Huskers (who have dropped five of their last seven games to fall to 26-10 and 7-5) in six years.
"Nebraska has a lot of returning starters," Stubbs noted of the defending Big 12 champs. "They've lost some games here recently, but we know we'll be in for a fight."
n Saturday's 3 p.m. game will be televised on FOX Sports Net (channel 37).
n Nebraska is 14-0 this season when playing an error-free game.
n Texas is 22-2 at home this season. Last Saturday, Street gave up a 10th-inning homer to Baylor's Michael Griffin, as the Bears ended the Longhorns' 10-game winning streak before a season-high 6,874 fans at Disch-Falk.
n Left-handed sophomore Zach Kroenke (6-0, 1.84 ERA) goes against Howell tonight. On Saturday, right-handed junior Phil Shirek (5-0, 2.95) returns to the rotation to face LeCure. Nebraska has yet to name Sunday's starter.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
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