Augie and Staff inks 9 in the early signing Period!!

FROM PRESS RELEASE
AUSTIN, Texas-University of Texas Baseball received National Letters of Intent from nine of the top high school student-athletes in the nation on the first day of the early signing period head coach Augie Garrido announced on Wednesday.

“Coach (Tommy) Harmon year in and year out proves he can bring in the top recruits in the country,” Garrido said. “This class falls in line with that history. He has brought in players that will make us a national contender in 2009. Coach Harmon does a good job of anticipating where we will need talent in the future and filling in that talent.”

The group, which was secured by Harmon, UT’s associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, includes seven of the top baseball players in Texas according to Inside Prep Baseball’s Texas Top 25 list. The Longhorns’ recruits ranked among top 25 in Texas are RHP Austin Dicharry (No. 1), RHP Taylor Jungmann (No. 2), LHP Sam Stafford (No. 6), IF Brandon Loy (No. 8), IF Jordan Etier (No. 11), OF Morgan Mickan (No. 20) and LHP/OF/1B Hunter Cervenka (No. 25).

The Horns also added local products IF Kevin Lusson, brother of current UT outfielder Kyle Lusson, from Austin McCallum High School and Andrew McKirahan from Georgetown High School.

The class features five Central Texas players as Jungmann, McKirahan and Mickan all hail from Georgetown and Jordan Etier of Austin Westlake joins Lusson as a Capital City signee. The Georgetown trio marks the first time UT has ever signed three players from the same high school in a single recruiting class.

The Longhorns are expected to finalize the paperwork on more recruits before the early signing period ends on Nov. 21.

In terms of positions included in the signing class for the 2008-09 season, there are five pitchers, three position players and one two-way performer. A brief look at Texas’ entire first day signings is listed below.

2008-09 University of Texas Baseball signing class (as of Nov. 14, 2007)
Name Pos. Hometown (School)
Hunter Cervenka LHP/OF/1B Baytown, Texas (Sterling)
Austin Dicharry RHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)
Jordan Etier SS/2B Austin, Texas (Westlake)
Taylor Jungmann RHP Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
Brandon Loy RHP Garland, Texas (Rowlett)
Kevin Lusson 3B Austin, Texas (McCallum)
Andrew McKirahan LHP Georgetown (Georgetown)
Morgan Mickan OF Georgetown (Georgetown)
Sam Stafford LHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)

Hunter Cervenka LHP/OF/1B Bayton, Texas (Sterling)
· Ranked No. 25 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Ranked No. 29 on the 2008 Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list
· Member of the 2007 Texas Rangers Area Code Team
· Tabbed a member of the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Junior All-Stars team in 2007
· Played on the USA Stars National Team at the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars in 2007
· Tabbed second-team All-District 21-5A as an outfielder in 2007
· Named the No. 2 underclassman at the 2007 World Showcase by Perfect Game USA
· Selected first-team All-District 22-5A as an outfielder in 2007

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Hunter is a very athletic, legitimate two-way guy. He’s 89, 92 from the mound. As a position player, he played first base and outfield and has the potential to have big power.”

Austin Dicharry RHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)
· Ranked No. 1 on the 2008 Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Ranked No. 41 on the 2008 Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list
· Member of the 2007 Texas Rangers Area Code Team
· Posted a 10-1 record with a 1.41 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 59.2 innings as a junior
· Also hit .376 with seven doubles, six home runs and 34 RBI in 2007 in helping lead Klein Collins to a 38-5 mark
· Garnered second-team 4A All-State honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association
· Named first-team All-District 16-5A and All-Houston 5A as a junior
· Tabbed a member of the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Junior All-Stars team in 2007
· Also named to the Team Texas Junior Sunbelt roster in 2007

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Austin is one of the top pitchers in the state and he’s able to throw a wrecking ball for a strike. He’s got a great body for a pitcher and should be able to come in and pitch early.”

Jordan Etier SS/2B Austin, Texas (Westlake)
· Ranked No. 11 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Member of the 2007 Texas Rangers Area Code Team
· Batted .308 with 36 runs and 19 RBI in 33 games as a sophomore in 2006

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Jordan is very Travis Tucker-like. He’s a football player and has a smile on his face all the time. He loves to play, and we’re projecting him more as a second baseman but he can play shortstop.”


Taylor Jungmann RHP Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
· Ranked No. 2 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· AFLAC All-American and Louisville Slugger All-American in 2007
· Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2006 and 2007
· Tabbed Super CenTex and 2A Player of the Year in 2007, as well as Texas Sports Writers Association and Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association first-team all-state in 2007
· Posted a 13-0 record with a 0.41 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 84.2 innings to earn district MVP honors as a junior at Rogers High School
· Named first-team all-state by TSWA and THSCA in 2006
· Posted a 10-1 record with a 0.84 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 83.2 innings to earn district MVP honors as a sophomore junior at Rogers High School
· Tabbed first-team all-state by THSCA in 2005
· Posted a 12-2 record with a 0.90 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 70.1 innings to earn district MVP honors as a freshman junior at Rogers High School

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Taylor is one of the top pitchers in the nation and is dominant at times with his fastball. He’s up to 92 or 93 mph without much effort, and he has very easy arm action and an effective breaking ball.”

Brandon Loy SS Rowlett, Texas (Rowlett)
· Ranked No. 8 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Named to the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2007
· Earned All-District 10-5A first-team honors from the Dallas Morning News as a junior in 2007
· Tabbed District 11-5A Newcomer of the Year by the Dallas Morning News as a sophomore

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Brandon is the best middle infielder in the state. He’s considered the best shortstop in the state and he’s very fluid on the field. He has a plus-arm and great baseball instincts.”

Kevin Lusson 3B Austin, Texas (McCallum)
· Named to the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2007
· Participated in the Texas Scouts Association All-Star Game in 2007
· Tabbed All-CenTex as a sophomore and junior
· Has earned first-team all-district honors at three separate positions, including third base (freshman), shortstop (sophomore) and second base (junior)
· Batted .442 with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 29 RBI as a junior
· Hit .376 with 14 RBI and a .527 on-base percentage as a sophomore
· Batted .355 with 16 RBI and a .448 on-base percentage as a freshman

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Kevin is a switch-hitter, third baseman, and has a lot of the same actions as Bradley Suttle.”

Andrew McKirahan LHP - Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
· Posted an 8-1 record with two shutouts, a 1.97 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 64 innings as a junior

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Andrew is a left-hander that Coach Johnson feels will pitch in the low-90s. He throws strikes and has a big upside.”

Morgan Mickan OF - Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
· Ranked No. 20 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Standout QB at Georgetown
· Batted .400 with 12 doubles and 38 RBI to earn All-District 14-5A honors as a junior

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“He’s very athletic and strong. He’s a leader, left-handed hitter, outfielder that loves to play and is very athletic.”

Sam Stafford LHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)
· Ranked No. 6 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list

· Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2007
· Posted a 7-1 record with one save, 92 strikeouts and a 1.38 ERA in 50.2 innings as a junior
· Named to the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Junior All-Stars team in 2007
· Tabbed second team All-District 16-5A as a junior

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Sam is a Left-handed pitcher that throws strikes. His velocity is going to get to the low-90s. He has pitched with Austin (Dicharry) over at Klein Collins and the are a perennial power so he knows how to win.”

White defeat Orange to win the Fall World Series!!

The White squad posted a 7-2 win in the finale of the University of Texas Fall World Series at The Dell Diamond on Friday and won the series 2-0-1.

The Orange struck first when Russell Moldenhauer launched a solo home run over the leftfield wall in the bottom of the first inning.

The White responded with two runs in the top of the third inning when Kyle Russell hit a triple down the first base line bringing in Tant Shepherd and Russell scored on single by Cameron Rupp for the 2-1 lead.

Connor Rowe knotted the bottom of the third with triple to leftfield, plating Brandon Belt who reached on a walk.

Russell hit his second triple of the game in the top of the fourth bringing in Ben Kaplan, Pat McCrory and Jordan Danks to stake the White to a 5-2 lead.

In the top of the fifth inning, the White added two insurance runs when McCrory hit a two-out, two-run to inflate the cushion to 7-2.

McCrory lead all hitters going 3-for-5 with two singles, one home run and 2 RBI.

Cole Green earned the win for the White allowing two runs in four innings and Garrett Clyde pitched three innings of scoreless relief to earn the save.

The Fall World Series wrapped up UT's autumn practice session and the Longhorns return to action February 22 with a three-game home series against Virginia Commonwealth University.

For the rest of my pictures from the game CLICK HERE.




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Orange and White World Series Game 1!!!

The Orange and White played to a 5-5 tie in game one of the three-game Fall World Series Wednesday afternoon at The Dell Diamond.

The White drew first blood in the top of the first inning as Michael Torres scored on a wild pitch. Torres reached first with a single up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a groundout by Tant Shepherd.

The Orange bounced back in the bottom of the first inning. Travis Tucker hit a leadoff home run to leftfield to tie the score at 1-1. With one out, Russell Moldenhauer and Kevin Keyes both singled and an error put the runners on second and third. Todd Gilfillan singled to centerfield bringing in Moldenhuaer and Keyes, staking the Orange to a 3-1 lead.

In the top of the second inning, Jeff Boes trimmed the lead to 3-2, hitting a solo home run to leftfield.

The fourth inning saw the White take a 5-3 lead when Cameron Rupp homered to leftfield driving in Shepherd and Kyle Russell, who reached on a walk and single, respectively.

The Orange trimmed the margin to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Walks by David Hernandez and Keyes sandwiched around a single by Moldenhauer loaded the bases. Belt drew a walk to drive in Hernandez.

The Orange tied the game with a sacrifice fly by Hernandez plating Runey Davis. Davis drew a walk and the Orange loaded the bases when Clint Stubbs was hit by a pitch and Tucker was issued a walk.

Boes led the White, going 2-for-3 with one double and one home run. Tucker and Moldenhauer each had two hits for the Orange.

Keith Shinaberry was the pitching standout of the day, weaving three innings of scoreless relief. He yielded two hits and one walk, while striking out four.

The Fall World Series continues with a 4 p.m. contest at The Dell Diamond. Link

Texas falls to Texas State in exhibition!!

FROM PRESS RELEASE
The University of Texas baseball squad dropped an exhibition game to Texas State University, 4-3, Friday afternoon at The Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

Texas State took the lead in the third inning with a run and inflated the cushion to 2-0 with a run in the fourth. Adam Witek hit an RBI single to drive in Cody Gambill to break the scoring seal for TSU. The second run came on an RBI double to the gap in right centerfield by Ben Theroit.

Texas shaved one run off the lead in the sixth inning with when Jordan Danks drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a throwing error an a ground ball by Cameron Rupp.

The Longhorns knotted the score in the seventh inning with another unearned run. Kyle Lusson drew a leadoff walk and a throwing error on a ground ball by Tant Shepherd put runners at the corners. With one out, Travis Tucker plated Lusson with a sacrifice squeeze bunt.

Texas State responded with two runs in the top of the eighth. Paul Goldschmidt drove in the go-ahead run with a single up the middle and Jerry Cervantes tacked on an insurance run with an single through the left side of the infield, staking the Bobcats to a 4-2 lead.

Kevin Keyes hit a home run over the leftfield wall with two outs in the ninth, his second home run of the exhibition season.

Brandon Workman, UT’s starter pitched two scoreless innings yielding two hits while striking out two. Stayton Thomas also pitched a pair of scoreless innings allowing one walk. Kyle Walker pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and one walk.

For TSU, Mike Heart and Steven Siers each booked two scoreless innings.

Texas returns to action on Wednesday, Oct. 31, with the Orange-White World Series at 4:30 p.m. at The Dell Diamond.

For the rest of my pictures click HERE.

Texas posts 5-3 win over Baylor in exhibition game

I went to the game at the Dell Diamond between the Longhorns and the Baylor Bears. Baylor will make some noise next year in the BIG 12 and the Regionals. Look for Baylor to be in that top 16 seed as the seeding are announced next year. I know it is early but, Baylor is that good. What does this say about Texas. ALOT. I wish it was Friday February 22nd right now. Both of these teams will only get better as the fall season progress.

Press Release from Texas;

-- The University of Texas baseball squad posted a 5-3 win over Baylor University in a fall exhibition Sunday at The Dell Diamond. Freshman Kevin Keyes and junior Jordan Danks hit home runs to lead the Longhorns to the victory in a pre-arranged 12-inning affair.

On the mound for Texas, junior Austin Wood, the Longhorns' starter, and freshman Cole Green each pitched two scoreless innings. Junior Kyle Walker and freshman Stayton Thomas pitched one shutout inning apiece. Walker picked up the win, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one. Green earned the save, scattering three hits over two innings, while fanning two.

Baylor broke the scoring seal in the third inning. Paul Miles hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a groundout by Ben Booker and scored on a single to rightfield by Raynor Campbell.

The Longhorns claimed the lead in the bottom half of the third. Freshman Tant Shepherd led off with an infield single and freshman Cameron Rupp grounded into a fielder's choice to take Shepherd's spot at first. In his first at-bat against collegiate pitching, Keyes deposited a home run over the fence in leftfield, staking UT to a 2-1 lead.

The Bears tied the game in the top of the sixth with a solo home run to right field by Aaron Miller, knotting the game at 2-2.

Texas reclaimed the advantage in the bottom of the seventh as Danks hit a moon shot over the fence in leftfield, giving UT a 3-2 advantage.

Texas tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Danks was hit by a pitch and junior Preston Clark singled through the left side to put runners at the corners. Sophomore Russell Moldenhauer plated Danks with a sacrifice squeeze bunt and sophomore Brandon Belt hit a double off the wall in left centerfield, driving in Clark for the 5-2 advantage.

Baylor scored the games final run in the 10th inning as Miller hit an RBI double to drive in Landis Ware.

Travis Tucker, Michael Torres and Clark each had two hits for the Longhorns.

Beamer Weems and Shaver Hansen each logged three hits for Baylor and Booker and Miller chipped in with two apiece.

Texas returns to action at 3 p.m., CDT on Friday, October 26 against Texas State at The Dell Diamond.

www.texassports.com

Here is the link to the pictures that I took from the game.

2008 Missouri Schedule!

From Simmons Field

Opponents by conference

Big XII
Baylor (3)
Kansas (4)
Kansas State (3)
Nebraska (3)
Oklahoma (3)
Oklahoma State (3)
Texas (3)
Texas A&M (3)
Texas Tech (3)

Missouri Valley
Creighton
Indiana State (4)
Missouri State (2)
Southern Illinois

Big 10
Michigan State
Minnesota (2)

Ohio Valley
Eastern Illinois
Southeastern Missouri St

Mid-American
Toledo (3)

Independent
South Dakota State (2)

Mid-Continent
Western Illinois (2)

Big East
Connecticut

Big West
Cal Poly

CUSA
Central Florida

PAC 10
California

West Coast
San Diego

For the full Schedule click here

Tennessee Announces 2008 Baseball Schedule

Tennessee head baseball coach Todd Raleigh released the team’s 2008 schedule. In addition to the traditional gauntlet of Southeastern Conference opponents, the Volunteers also will square off against four non-conference teams who advanced to NCAA Regional play last season.

Of the 56 scheduled regular-season games, 16 will be against 2007 NCAA Tournament teams. A total of 13 teams on UT’s 2008 schedule turned in a top-64 finish in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) last year.

“This is a good schedule with some really strong opponents, though it’s still not what I’d ultimately like for it to be,” Raleigh said. “We’ve given up some home games this year for the sake of securing multiple home dates with those opponents in the future. When our stadium renovations are complete, I’d like to play close to 40 home games while increasing our strength of schedule across the board.

“Most of this year’s schedule was set before our staff arrived, so our hands were tied in many instances for this first year. With that said, it will still be a challenging season. We’re working extremely hard this fall to prepare.”

Friday, Feb. 22—the new NCAA-mandated uniform start date that will create a true national “Opening Day” for college baseball —will provide Big Orange fans with their first glimpse of the Vols, as UT begins a three-game homestand against Morehead State at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. It is the first of 33 regular-season home games.

The Vols’ pre-conference schedule is highlighted by a return trip to Houston for the Minute Maid College Classic. Tennessee is slated to face Big 12 Conference stalwarts Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma at the event, which takes place at Minute Maid Park, home stadium of the Houston Astros. The Vols also took part in the 2005 Minute Maid College Classic, posting a 1-2 record.

Due to the NCAA’s new start date, there are only three weekends of play before UT enters the conference portion of its schedule. Tennessee’s home SEC series feature matchups against LSU (March 14-16), Florida (April 4-6), Alabama (April 11-13), Vanderbilt (May 2-4) and Kentucky (May 9-11).

The Vols will venture out on the road to battle conference foes Georgia (March 21-23), Auburn (March 28-30), Arkansas (April 18-20) and Mississippi State (April 25-27) before closing out the regular season at South Carolina (May 15-17).

Ole Miss is the only team UT will not face during the 30-game regular-season SEC schedule.

Tennessee has home-and-home series set with ETSU, Furman and Middle Tennessee, non-return road games at Lipscomb, and Tennessee Tech and exclusive home dates with Morehead State, James Madison, Eastern Michigan, Presbyterian College, USC Upstate, Charlotte, Appalachian State, Western Carolina and Belmont.

The Vols’ longest homestand is a nine-game stretch from March 5-16. Tennessee will play four straight road games on five different occasions. And six weeks of the 12-week regular-season schedule will feature multiple midweek games.

The 2008 SEC Tournament is set for May 21-25 at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. NCAA Regional play takes place May 30-June 2, with NCAA Super Regionals slated for June 6-9. The NCAA College World Series runs June 14-25 at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

Fox Sports Net South/SEC-TV has announced that it will televise two Tennessee home games. The Vols’ April 5 contest against Florida and May 3 game against Vanderbilt both will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Net South.

SportSouth also will televise a number of UT home games, which will be announced at a later date.

Tennessee Press Release

Augie always going with the flow!!!!!!!

Augie Garrido has been in the college baseball business for 39 years, so there is nothing that ever throws him or surprises him.

"It's always day to day," said the UT boss, who has guided the Longhorns to the College World Series five times in the last eight years and captured the National Championship twice (2002 and 2005).

"This, however, will be the most different fall than we ever have had," said Garrido, who gathered his team together in the final days of September.

"The NCAA decided that we have 132 days to play and practice," he continued. "So, we will have 33 days of fall practice. You will be able to get a better read on your team with so much more time in the fall. In the past, you were having to make decisions without too much information. That will no longer be the case.

"There will be time to compete for positions. We used to start the games in January and this year it will be into February."

Garrido said fall practice won't end until Nov. 2, with completion of the Orange and White Fall World Series games.

When the 2008 season begins, the Horns will play their initial home games at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

"Because," the skipper begins, with a smile crossing his face, "Disch-Falk looks like a Baptist church in Beirut."

While Garrido certainly sounds as though he likes the changes the NCAA has made, especially with regard to having more time in the fall, don't be too sure.

"What else can I do, but go with the flow?" he asks. "I want us to take advantage of this new schedule. We're going to play intrasquad scrimmage with Baylor (Oct. 14), for example. They feel as we do."

But on the NCAA, Garrido says, "They have these ideas from time to time and I just adjust to them because I don't have the time to be on the Policy Committee. The NCAA always is going to do what it wants to do. It's up to me to make the best of it.

"You can't play four games in five days (during the season). I think we have some of the best pitching around and we don't have five starters."

The UT coach welcomes back several regulars from last year's positional starters, including outfielders Kyle Russell and Jordan Danks, catcher Preston Clark, infielders Pat McCrory and Travis Tucker and DH Russell Moldenhauer. Infielders David Hernandez and Michael Torres just arrived, transferring from Fresno State and Southern Cal, respectively.

Pitchers Kenn Kasparek and Riley Boening return after missing last year due to injury, joining veterans Austin Wood, Kyle Walker, Hunter Harris and Keith Shinaberry, transfers Casey Whitmer (from Florida State) and Marcus Thackett (Oral Roberts) and others.

"The longer fall will give the players more time to master skills," Garrido said. "The key is to focus on what you are doing on that day at that moment. You can't live in the past. You have to live in the moment.

"I want our guys to come out and embrace every day. I want them to be excited about the chance to play baseball. I want them to learn that a mistake is not a failure, but an opportunity to learn. Failure belongs to our opponents not to us."

This story is from TexasSports.com

For the 2008 Roster go here

Stanford Releases 2008 schedule!

Mark Marquess has put together a very impressive schedule for the 2008 season. It includes home games against big 12 foe Nebraska at the Sunken Diamond as well as CS Fullerton visiting a week later. Then they go on the road to Austin Texas to play against a very talented ball club in University of Texas. Coach Mark Marquess has been at the helm of Stanford Baseball for 32 years. Coach Marquess has always put together a very High Quality product at Stanford and this year will be no different. Look for Stanford to make some noise this year in Pac 10 play as they get closer to Regional tournament time. For the full article click here.

Texas Fall Practice Update!

Texas expects nothing but the best.

So, when the Longhorns failed to reach the College World Series for a second consecutive year in 2007, coaches, players, and supporters alike were severely disappointed.

As the program with six national titles and 32 CWS appearances continues fall workouts, history is on its side.

Even with the psychological edge, they have extra motivation.

"Right now, we're trying to get our feet on the ground. The players are starting to get familiar with their surroundings and the way we practice," Texas coach Augie Garrido said. "I definitely think this team has extra motivation and more focus this fall."

Rivals

Horns baseball slated to play two fall Exhibition games!!

University of Texas baseball head coach Augie Garrido announced the Longhorns will play two fall exhibition games in addition to their annual Fall World Series. The exhibition games and Fall World Series will be played at The Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

The Longhorns are slated to play Big 12 Conference foe Baylor on Sunday, Oct. 14 and Texas State on Sunday Oct. 21. Texas will play the annual best-of-three Orange-White Fall World Series from Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

All game times have yet to be determined.

Texas Sports Release

I will have a complete update of each games as they happen.

LSU Takes 2008 CB Recruiting Title

Coach Paul Mainieri and Recruiting Coordinator Terry Rooney took home the title of #1 Recruiting Class of 2008. The Collegiate Baseball title was unsurprising as Coach M (in his first year at Baton Rouge after a successful stint in South Bend) and Coach Rooney had assembled a massive class including 12 Freshman and 7 JuCos, including several All-Americans.

The future is certainly looking bright for LSU, which is seeking to restore its position as one of the top programs in the country.

This was the 25th ranking of recruiting classes by Collegiate Baseball. The full release can be found here.

The list of top classes goes as follows:

Rank Team Recruits

1. Louisiana St. 19

2. Florida St. 20

3. Oregon St. 16

4. Notre Dame 14

5. UCLA 11

6. Cal. St. Fullerton 16

7. North Carolina 12

8. Arizona St. 17

9. San Diego 18

10. Texas 17

11. Washington 16

12. Auburn 14

13. Virginia 16

14. Oklahoma St. 18

15. Vanderbilt 13

16. Georgia 14

17. Rice 12

18. South Carolina 13

19. Missouri 16

20. Miami, Fla. 8

21. Clemson 10

22. Stanford 13

23. Georgia Tech. 11

24. Arizona 9

25. Mississippi 17

Aggie Baseball Announces 2008 Schedule

The defending Big 12 Champion Texas A&M baseball team will play 39 home games in 2008, including 20 straight to start the year, head coach Rob Childress announced Monday.

Half of the Aggies' games in 2008 will be played against teams who made the NCAA Tournament in 2007, including Ohio State, Arkansas, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Rice, Baylor, Missouri, TCU, Sam Houston State, Nebraska and Texas. All but seven of A&M's opponents return to the diamond off winning seasons.

Texas A&M Release.

Complete Schedule

Texas adds two more Transfers

The University of Texas Baseball squad had two transfers from the West Coast enroll in classes for the fall semester. The pair, both infielders, includes David Hernandez from Fresno State University and Michael Torres from the University of Southern California.

Hernandez will be a sophomore in 2008. He played in 35 games for Fresno State as a freshman, including 21 starts. Hernandez hit .251 (18-of-72) with two doubles and six RBI. The smooth fielder committed just two errors in a 107 chances at shortstop for a .981 fielding percentage.

Torres will be a junior in 2008. He played in 46 games over two seasons at USC, including 27 starts. In 2007, Torres, a left-handed batter, hit .253 (20-of-79) with four doubles, one triple, one home run and 10 RBI as a second baseman and third baseman. He batted .231 (6-of-26) with three runs scored and four RBI in 15 games in 2005.

Both players are California natives. Hailing from Danville, Calif., Hernandez was a three-year letterwinner at Monte Vista HS, playing shortstop and third base. A product of Santa Ana, Calif., Torres was named the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register Player of the Year as a senior at Mater Dei High School, batting .459 with 23 RBI and 19 stolen bases.

TexasSports.com

These two kids are a great addition to the roster for the '08 season. They will come in and immediately compete for starting time. Look for Hernandez to be the Starting short Stop and Torres the 2nd baseman on opening day. This will allow Travis Tucker to slide over to 3rd base. This will shore up the infield. This will also allow Texas to really put the pressure on opposing team defense as these two guys will put the ball down and Run.

Tulane gets three transfers for 2008

The Tulane Baseball team picked up three transfers this summer to hopefully lead the Green Wave back to the upper echelon of college baseball. The first transfer is shortstop Josh Prince (Texas) who hit .371 in 35 games for the Longhorns in 2007. Left-handed pitcher Matt Petition (UNC) heads to New Orleans after appearing in only two games in his freshman season. The final transfer is Josh Zeid from Vanderbilt which the College Baseball Blog reported earlier this summer. Zeid pitched in 18 games in 2007 and 13 games as a freshman. The full release is available here.

Rivals.com Rates Top Returning Draftees

Kendall Rogers, Rivals.com's baseball guru, broke down his top 10 players to return to school despite being drafted.

1. Texas OF Kyle Russell

2. Texas A&M Utility Guy Blake Stouffer

3. Vanderbilt OF Dominic De la Osa

4. Rice Closer Cole St. Clair

5. Creighton switch-pitcher Pat Venditte

6. UGA Closer Josh Fields

7. ASU Starter Josh Satow

8. USC Catcher Phil Disher

9. OKState 3B Matt Hague

10. Auburn OF Mike Bianucci

This writer would probably have flipped a couple of these guys around. It's hard to argue with Russell Stouffer and De la Osa; however, a healthy Cole St. Clair could be the difference between Rice swapping a C-USA ring for a College World Series ring.

And I'm happy to see Venditte return. I've not seen him pitch yet, but he's the guy who will throw lefty to one batter and righty to the next.

Read Kendall's breakdown here.

Texas brings in 16 for 2008

This is the list and below I added some info on some of them.
Name, Pos.; Hometown (School)
Brandon Belt, LHP/OF; Lufkin, Texas (San Jacinto College)
Bobby Buckner, 2B/SS; Boise, Idaho (Boise)
Garrett Clyde, RHP/IF; Humble, Texas (San Jacinto College)
Runey Davis, OF; Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
Kawika Emsley-Pai, C; Bothell, Wash. (Jackson)
Cole Green, RHP; Coppell, Texas (Coppell)
Kevin Keyes, OF; Pflugerville, Texas (Connally)
Lee Johnson, LHP; Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock)
Connor Rowe, OF; Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
Chance Ruffin, RHP; Austin, Texas (Lake Travis)
Cameron Rupp, C; Plano, Texas (Prestonwood Christian)
Tant Shepherd, 3B/OF; Flower Mound, Texas (Flower Mound)
Marcus Tackett, RHP/IF; Tulsa, Okla. (Oral Roberts University)
Stayton Thomas, RHP; Corsicana, Texas (Corsicana)
Casey Whitmer, RHP; Kilgore, Texas (Florida State University)
Brandon Workman, RHP; Bowie, Texas (Bowie)


Runey Davis (OF, 6-0, 178)

-Ranked No. 11 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Clocked at 6.67 in the 60 at the Texas Rangers Area Code Games tryout.

Cole Green (RHP, 6-1, 195)

-Ranked No. 1 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Second-team THSCA Class 5A All-State selection as a pitcher in 2006
-Selected District 6-5A Most Valuable Player in 2006.

Kevin Keyes (OF, 6-3, 205)

-Ranked No. 7 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Selected second-team Class 4A All-State
-Texas Rangers Area Code Team member each of the last two years
-Played in 2006 AFLAC All-American Game.

Connor Rowe (OF, 6-0, 170)

-All-District 15-5A selection as an outfielder in 2006
-All-Centex honorable mention as a junior.

Chance Ruffin (RHP, 6-1, 175)

-Went 5-3 with four complete games, one save, 84 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA in 49.2 innings in district play in 2006
-Earned second-team all-district and Lake Travis HS Big Play Award as a junior
-Garnered all-district honorable mention and LTHS Big Play Award as a sophomore

Tant Shepherd (3B/OF, 6-0, 195)

-Ranked No. 16 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Class 5A All-State honorable mention as a third baseman in 2006
-First-team All-District 8-5A choice as an infielder in 2006
-Hit .454 with 11 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 28 RBI and 22 stolen bases as a junior
-Texas Rangers Area Code Team member in 2006
-Won 2006 AABC-Mickey Mantle World Series title as a member of the Dallas Tigers
-Hit .437 with 14 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 47 RBI and 18 stolen bases for the Dallas Tigers in 2006.

Stayton Thomas (RHP, 6-0, 165)

-Ranked No. 18 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-First-team All-District 14-4A selection as a pitcher in 2006
-Class 4A All-State honorable mention in 2006.

Brandon Workman (RHP, 6-4, 215)

-Ranked No. 24 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Named a Louisville Slugger All-America honorable mention as a pitcher in 2006
-A Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association first-team Class 3A All-State choice as a pitcher in 2006
-Second-team Class 3A All-State selection as a designated hitter in 2006
-Tabbed District 6-3A Most Valuable Player as a junior
-Logged an 8-1 record with a 0.94 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 67.1 innings as a junior
-Selected as a first-team District 6-3A pitcher in 2005
-Named a Class 3A All-State honorable mention by the Texas Sports Writers Association
-Posted a 9-4 record with a 1.39 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 80.2 innings as a sophomore.

Bobby Buckner (2B/SS, 6-1, 175)

-Son of former major leaguer Bill Buckner
-Selected to play in 2006 Mariners Cup
-Washington Nationals Northwest Area Code Team participant in 2006
-Rated the No. 3 Class of 2007 prospect at Perfect Game USA Sunshine West Showcase

Cameron Rupp, Prestonwood. Sr., C

-Rupp hit .654 with five home runs and 53 RBIs for Prestonwood, which finished the regular season undefeated but lost to Dallas Christian in the TAPPS 5A state championship.
-Rupp won the home run derby at the High School All-American Baseball Game in Albuquerque, N.M., this month. Rupp then doubled and had an RBI batting cleanup in the West's 12-1 win.

Lee Johnson, pitcher, Round Rock

-Johnson, a 6-foot-6 right-hander who has signed with Texas, saw only marginal action last year as a spot hitter as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. But opponents saw for the first time this season what he can do on a mound: throw a 93-mph fastball.

-Johnson starred this year as the Dragons' closer — went 2-1, notching five saves, posting a 0.32 ERA and striking out 32 in 212/3 innings. He allowed just one earned run during the regular season.

The University of Texas Baseball roster for the 2008 Season!

For the Roster, I have made some changes for the positional players.

Pitchers (19) Drew Bishop Jr, Riley Boening Soph, Hunter Harris Soph, Kenn Kasparek Jr, Pat McCrory Jr, Alex Posey Soph, Andy Reese Jr, Keith Shinaberry Jr, Juston Street Jr, Kyle Walker Jr, Blake Williams Soph, Austin Wood Jr. Garrett Clyde, Soph, Cole Green Freshman, Lee Johnson Freshman, Chance Ruffin Freshman, Stayton Thomas Freshman, Brandon Workman Freshman(3rd Rd Phillies), Casey Whitmer soph.

Catchers (5) Preston Clark Junior, Todd Gilfillian senior, Russell Moldenhauer Sophmore(OF), Cameron Rupp Freshman, Kawika Emsley-Pai Freshman.

Infielders(6) Travis Tucker Junior, Jeff Bose Junior, Brandon Belt Soph, Bobby Buckner Freshman, Tant Shepherd Freshman, Marcus Tackett Soph.

Outfielders (7) Jordan Danks Junior, Kyle Russell Junior, Kyle Lusson Sophomore, Clint Stubbs Sophomore, Runney Davis Freshman, Connor Rowe Freshman, Kevin Keyes Freshman

Note: I have move Brandon Belt and Marcus Tackett to the infield but they will also pitch. Also please note there 37 players and the Roster can only have 35.

Remember this is only my best guess as how I see it today:

1st Base. Brandon Belt
2nd Base Travis Tucker/Pat McCrory
Short Stop Pat McCrory/ Bobby Buckner
3rd Base Tant Shepherd/ Marcus Tackett
Left Field Kyle Lusson/ Davis/Rowe/Keyes
Center Field Jordan Danks
Right Field Kyle Russell
Catcher Preston Clark/Cameron Rupp
DH Russell Moldenhauer/Cameron Rupp
Friday Starter- Riley Boening
Saturday Starter- Casey Whitmer
Sunday Starter- Austin Wood

Closer- Lee Johnson/Keith Shinaberry/Drew Bishop

Mid-day starter- Brandon Workman/ Kyle Walker/Cole Green

When the schedules comes out later on in the fall you will see more 5 games in a week than in years past. That is also why Augie and staff has more pitchers than in years past.

D-Rays Set Record In Landing Big Fish

Mo Patton of the Tennessean is reporting that David Price will receive a record $11.25 Million package over six years, surpassing the "Prior" record of $10.4 Million over six years between Mark Prior and the Cubs. The son of two Vanderbilt alums, Prior also pitched in Nashville as a Freshman before transferring to USC for the remainder of his NCAA career.

Price will be introduced at a Friday press conference. Congratulations to the Devil Rays and David on coming together for this deal.

In other Signing Day news noted by Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com:

-Texas 3B Bradley Suttle signed with the Yankees

-NC State RHP Andrew Brackman signed with the Yankees

-Texas OF Kyle Russell will return to Austin for another year

-Texas A&M's Blake Stouffer will return to school for a swan song

-Rice signee Carmen Angelini signed with the Yankees

Texas Longhorns Summer League Recap

It was a busy summer for Texas Baseball as 23 current Longhorns and four newcomers stayed active with summer action throughout the country. Twenty-two players participated in collegiate summer leagues, while Jordan Danks spent the summer touring with the U.S. National Baseball Team.

Danks, who struggled early at the plate, rebounded to be one of Team USA's top hitters and helped the squad earn a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Brazil. Playing in a team-high 35 games, he led the team with 37 runs scored, 14 more than the nearest teammate. Danks hit .287 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, five stolen bases and 12 RBI.

TexasSports

The best part of Collegiate summer leagues is being able to go and watch the players that you have watched at the University. I went to several games this summer and was able to get to know the Players better that played at Texas. It is a more relaxed atmosphere and the boys are always more than accommodating to my Son. We were able to get pictures with the players that Played on the Coppell Copperheads team of the Texas Collegiate League. We were also able to get pictures with the pitching Coach for Texas (Skip Johnson) and autographs on a baseball.

My point is go and see a Summer League game.