After winning three games in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic in Houston over the weekend to remain undefeated, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns return to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday for a matchup against the Houston Christian Huskies.
The Horns have won all 10 previous meetings between the two schools, including a 7-1 win over the Huskies in the Austin Regional last year. Houston Christian earned the automatic bid from the Southland Conference after making an unexpected tournament run.
Under third-year head coach Clay Vanderlaan, HCU is off to a 6-6 start this season, bouncing back from an 0-5 start to the season with series wins over Alcorn State and UIW and a midweek road win in extra innings over Rice in Houston. On Sunday, the Huskies notched an 11-10 walk-off win over the Cardinals after rallying from a 9-2 deficit over the final three innings.
Outfielder Jack Walker had a big week for Houston Christian, batting .500 with two home runs, four RBI, and eight runs scored to extend his hitting streak to seven games. First baseman Katcher Halligan has been hot at the plate, too, raising his average from .143 to .370 over an eight-game hitting streak. Walker and Halligan are two of the four batters hitting over .300 for the Huskies, led by catcher Levi Castilleja, an excellent contact hitter, at .409, and second baseman Anthony Avalos at .390.
The Huskies haven’t flashed much power this season with six home runs and a .425 slugging percentage, though they do have 29 doubles and a .301 team batting average.
Right-hander Kenan Elarton (0-0, 0.00 ERA), an Arizona transfer who played high school baseball with Texas junior catcher Carson Tinney at Valor Christian in the Denver metro, is expected to get the start for Houston Christian, his first of the season. Elarton has held opponents scoreless in his four innings pitched over three outings, striking out four while allowing four hits and three walks.
As a staff, the Huskies have struggled with a 7.30 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP as opponents have hit .298 with 12 home runs.
Texas is expected to give freshman right-hander Sam Cozart his second straight midweek start after two superlative outings. In relief of sophomore right-hander Jason Flores two weeks ago, the 6’6, 260-pounder allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts in four innings of the run-rule win over Lamar. Last week, in his first collegiate start, Cozart was dominant over four scoreless innings, holding UTRGV to one hit while striking out eight and walking three.
Expect Flores to see some action against Houston Christian, too.
“Need to get Jason Flores back out on the field. Jason’s really good and he threw awesome last Tuesday night,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said during his Monday appearance on the Around the Horns podcast.
Flores went one scoreless inning against the Vaqueros, working around two hits while striking out one.
At the plate, redshirt senior third baseman Temo Becerra is in the midst of the best power surge in his career. In Houston, the Stanford transfer went 4-for-8 with three home runs, seven runs scored, six RBI, 14 total bases, and a 2.365 OPS. The three home runs tied his career total entering the season.
First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. Central on SEC Network+.
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