Lone Star Showdown Preview: No. 2 Texas vs. No. 18 Texas A&M set to begin tonight
The Texas Longhorns are traveling to College Station for heated matchup versus a very good Texas A&M squad. Texas has one of the top pitching staffs in the nation, while the Aggies boast a strong team at the plate. Both teams present a great test for each other as they head into the back half of the season.
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Game one is tonight at 7 p.m. SEC Network will air the game. Game two is at 2 p.m. on Saturday on ESPN2. Game three is Sunday at 1 p.m., and that contest will be streamed on SEC Network+. All three games are in College Station.
First things first, this series isn’t going to make or break either season in the standings. Both teams will still have the goal of making it into the NCAA Tournament as a top 16 seed to get a regional at home. While a series loss would put Texas A&M behind the eight ball as far as SEC title hopes, it would still be in range of possibility for the Aggies. Texas needs to keep pace with Georgia, who currently holds a one game lead.
Both teams’ strengths will duke it out this weekend. So too will both teams’ weaknesses. Texas A&M boasts one of the best offenses not just in the SEC, but in the nation. The Longhorns have one of the best pitching staffs in the nation to go against them. The Texas offense has left some opportunities on the table, and Texas A&M has had some disappointing moments on the mound.
This will be an excellent test of the two teams.
When looking at the two teams batting in the SEC on an individual basis, the Aggies’ lineup has a lot more variance. But a decent amount of the A&M order is hitting above .300. Texas has seen some key hitters not reach their full potential. All that said, Texas is fourth in the SEC and just barely behind A&M’s team .292 batting average in conference games.
The Aggies are moving Weston Moss out of a starting pitching role for this series, sliding in Aiden Sims in his place of the game two starter. Only two Aggies pitchers hold an ERA under 5.00, leading to the second worst ERA in conference play. Texas on the other hand has seen some excellent pitching with momentary lapses in excellence. The Horns have a conference leading 3.25 ERA in SEC play.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – Texas RHP Ruger Riojas (2.74 ERA) vs. Texas A&M LHP Shane Sdao (5.48 ERA)
This will be an exciting matchup on the mound. While Sdao has stats that make it appear like he can be touched, allowing a .386 opponent batting average in conference play, he will be putting his best foot forward with a fiery performance against a team he really does not like. Riojas will look to have another great performance against the Aggies, rebounding from a less than ideal outing against South Carolina.
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SATURDAY – Texas LHP Luke Harrison (2.72 ERA) vs. Texas A&M RHP Aiden Sims (3.32 ERA)
Sims will be in a new role moving up a day in the rotation, and time will tell if that affects him on the mound. So far he has been the best pitcher for the Aggies, only allowing opposing SEC batters to record a .259 batting average. Harrison has remained the model of consistency for the Longhorns, and now leads the Texas starters in WHIP (0.91) and batting average against (.174) inside SEC play. Texas will look for another strong game two performance.
SUNDAY – Texas LHP Dylan Volantis (2.01 ERA) vs. TBD
It is a wait-and-see approach for who will take the mound for the Aggies in game three of the series. The Sunday starter is likely dependent on if they have used big arms in the first two games. Texas will trot out Volantis on the mound. His breaking pitches have been borderline unhittable, and Texas will be in a good spot Sunday if Texas A&M needs to use a lot of pitchers in games one and two.
This will be an elite matchup for the college baseball world, and quite frankly with all of the narratives and rivalry aspects along with this, the numbers may not mean as much as they typically do. This will be an emotional series. That can make players rise to the occasion or fall to the pressure.
The winner of this series will hold the bragging rights, but both teams win or lose will have the full season ahead of them.
SEC Standings
| conf | cpct | overall | opct | home | road | neutral | strk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 10-2 | 0.833 | 28-6 | 0.824 | 22-5 | 6-1 | 0-0 | W8 |
| Texas | 9-3 | 0.750 | 27-5 | 0.844 | 19-2 | 5-3 | 3-0 | W3 |
| Alabama | 8-4 | 0.667 | 26-8 | 0.765 | 18-1 | 5-6 | 3-1 | W2 |
| Mississippi State | 7-5 | 0.583 | 26-7 | 0.788 | 19-3 | 4-3 | 3-1 | W1 |
| Texas A&M | 7-5 | 0.583 | 25-7 | 0.781 | 19-3 | 4-3 | 2-1 | L1 |
| Florida | 7-5 | 0.583 | 25-9 | 0.735 | 17-6 | 7-3 | 1-0 | W1 |
| Vanderbilt | 7-6 | 0.538 | 21-14 | 0.600 | 19-4 | 1-5 | 1-5 | W2 |
| Kentucky | 6-6 | 0.500 | 24-8 | 0.750 | 16-3 | 8-5 | 0-0 | W1 |
| Auburn | 6-6 | 0.500 | 22-10 | 0.688 | 15-6 | 3-4 | 4-0 | L1 |
| LSU | 6-6 | 0.500 | 22-12 | 0.647 | 16-8 | 3-4 | 3-0 | L1 |
| Ole Miss | 5-7 | 0.417 | 23-11 | 0.676 | 19-4 | 3-5 | 1-2 | W2 |
| Arkansas | 5-7 | 0.417 | 21-13 | 0.618 | 15-8 | 3-4 | 3-1 | W1 |
| Oklahoma | 5-8 | 0.385 | 22-11 | 0.667 | 14-5 | 4-6 | 4-0 | L1 |
| Tennessee | 4-8 | 0.333 | 21-12 | 0.636 | 18-6 | 1-5 | 2-1 | W1 |
| Missouri | 3-10 | 0.231 | 20-15 | 0.571 | 11-8 | 3-6 | 6-1 | L1 |
| South Carolina | 3-10 | 0.231 | 16-19 | 0.457 | 14-9 | 2-8 | 0-2 | W1 |
