The last two seasons the Texas Longhorn baseball team has started its season off on the wrong foot, either losing the first series of the season or getting completely swept to start the year. Both were done with coach Augie Garrido in the dugout, and both seasons ended with disappointing departures before Super Regionals.
This year is completely different.
With Coach Garrido sitting out the first series due to his suspension from a month prior, the Horns hosted the University of Illinois-Chicago and proceeded to sweep the Flames.
In a four-game series, Texas allowed only three runs to cross the plate while scoring a combined 20 of their own.
Friday, Texas pitchers allowed only five hits in a 6-1 season-opening victory. The offense was highlighted by a four-run second inning and a two-RBI performance from first baseman Brandon Belt.
On Saturday the Horns and Flames played a doubleheader, with Texas taking both games by the scores of 3-1, 10-1 (seven innings).
The series wrapped up on Sunday with a combined shutout tossed by Brandon Workman (Soph.) and Austin Wood (Sr.), leading Texas to a 1-0 victory.
With the four-game sweep, Texas improved their rankings in Collegiate Baseball from No. 10 to No. 8, No. 4 in Baseball America, and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll to a tie at No. 9.
On Tuesday the Horns will be playing host to the University of Texas-Arlington, a team against which they have struggled against in the past. This weekend the Horns will be hosting the Nittany Lions of Penn State for a four-game series.
The main goal for this Longhorn team this season is improving how they start the season and where they finish. They have not been back to Omaha for the College World Series since winning the National Championship in 2005.
This might just be the start of the season, but a 4-0 start is a good first step to returning to Omaha.
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