Yada Yada - 1996

I thought I'd dedicate a bit of space to a running commentary and some miscellaneous notes as Gusball '96 progresses.

Last updated: May 18, 1996

Jan. 27th ...The alumni game...
The season seems to start earlier every year, doesn't it? The alumni game was great fun...a little chilly but not nearly as bad as most years. Marcus Hendry (who lettered at UT '93-94) sang the National Anthem at the start of the game...just like he did for several games when he was still wearing the orange and white. It was great. Several fans were very vocal toward Roger Clemens and the rest of the Major Leaguers who didn't show up at last year's game due to the strike. It was clear the fans hadn't forgotten. Once the game was underway, however, most of those bad feelings were set aside and just about everyone had a great afternoon.

Feb. 4th ...Texas drops a series to CSUN...
The weather was miserable as Texas dropped their opening series to Cal. State Northridge. Temperatures hovered in the 30's for most of the three game series and I couldn't bring myself to leave the warmth of home so I listed on the radio. I sure hope this series isn't an indication of how Texas will fare this year. It's the first time the team has lost its first two games at home since 1973. CSUN looks really strong and I expect they'll do well this season.

Feb. 6th ...Texas loses to Texas Lutheran College...
This is the first time Texas has ever started 1-3 under Coach Gustafson's leadership. The team did start 2-3 in 1988. They ended that season at 58-11-1 and won the SWC (both the regular season and the tournament) but lost the final game of the Central Regional to California. Not that that means anything.

Feb. 7th ...Texas on the upswing?...
The Horns gave Southwest Texas (coached by Howard Bushong who played at UT in the late 70's) what for! For the first few innings, it looked like it was gonna be Texas Lutheran all over again. But the team finally found their bats and in a big way. Senior Jason Layne had five hits (he couldn't even say if he'd ever done that before). Hopefully this will bode well in UT's series against Pepperdine this weekend. I imagine it's bound to help the team's confidence level. Who knows where they'd be if they went into the series with a 1-4 record? Not a pleasant thought.

Feb. 9th ...Texas back down...
Things sounded good...the starting pitcher (Rad Weaver) left the game tied at 2-2 after pitching 6 complete innings. I was encouraged as I listened on the radio in my office. Alas, the bullpen had nothing to offer as they stepped in at the top of the 7th. 'Had too much traffic into my office so I couldn't keep exact track (I'll upload the box as soon as I get a paper) but I think they went through 4 or 5 pitchers as they struggled to stay in the game. One highlight was Josef Klam's performance. He did well behind the plate (throwing out at least one Pepperdine player attempting to steal 2b) and had three hits. Sadly, this is the worst start Texas has had since Coach Gus took over the reigns. Happily, I'll be at the park cheering the guys on tomorrow. I always feel better about things when I can be there in person...even if they lose. Odd, eh? Hook 'em!

Feb. 11th ...Texas continues to struggle...
The Horns lost the series to Pepperdine...they really seem to be struggling. It's a puzzle. Last year, Texas had the #2 defense in the country. This year, they've returned their starting infield and are making lots of errors. They can't seem to find any consistency in the bullpen, either. That's not to say the starting rotation is doing a great job...they're having a tough time getting anyone to go more than 4 or 5 innings. Everyone seems to really be pressing. I've got my fingers crossed that the team can relax and that things will turn around soon. Hopefully I can get away from the office and take in one or two of the afternoon games this week.

Feb. 16th ...Texas up and down...
I wasn't able to make it to the park this week and had to be content to listen to the games on the radio. The Horns had two big wins but are still making too many errors (3 in the St. Mary's game and 2 in the Lubbock Christian game)...although the starting pitcher situation seems to be improving somewhat. Today, errors continued to plague Texas as they had four more in their loss to Kansas in the first game of this weekend's 3-game series. Texas jumped ahead 1-0 in the 1st but had two or three errors in the 3rd allowing Kansas to take the lead 4-1. Texas got two runs back in the bottom of the 3rd but Kansas scored two more in the 8th (on an in-the-park homerun). Texas again struggled back to make the score 6-5 in the bottom of the 8th (Blake Davis got a 2-rbi double in his first at-bat ever as a Longhorn). Kansas scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth which proved to be enough. I'll try to post the box sometime tomorrow. Here's hoping things go better this weekend...I'm planning on going to both games.

Feb. 18th ...Texas avoids the sweep...
Coach Gus decided to mix things up a bit in the field today and it may have sparked something with the team. The right field position has been up for grabs since Cridland broke a bone in his wrist about a week ago. Loeffler, who was supposed to start in cf this season, is still recovering from surgery. It doesn't seem clear when either player will be back. So, the outfield situation is, like just about everything else on the Longhorn team, rather uncertain. This week, we've seen catchers (Escamilla and Salinas) playing right field for the most part...kind of weird. Today, things were mixed up even further as Byers started in cf and Braswell started at 3b. I think it was mostly just an excuse to get Braswell some playing time but it seemed to work. It'll be interesting to see what Coach Gus does this week against SWT and UTA.

Feb. 20th ...Texas sweeps SWT...
I didn't get to listen to much of the game today...too many people in and out of my office this afternoon. But, I did manage to hear a few highlights and will post the box as soon as I can find one. It sounds like Campbell's bat is coming back to life. He got three hits this afternoon; sadly, he also posted another fielding error. That makes 9 on the season which matches his 1995 total in 54 games. Barker pitched a decent 6 innings and kept SWT to 2 runs. After the game, Coach Gus said he was happy with his overall performance in the game and his development as the season has progressed but that he would like to see some improvement in control. Clements had a disastrous outting in relief...allowing 5 hits to the first 5 batters he faced. Not pretty.

Feb. 24th ...A day for records...
I'm in a bit of a rush but I did want to post a couple of comments since I probably won't have time to post the boxes for the last two games until after tomorrow's game. O'Dell pitched a complete game to get the win yesterday. Today, that turned out to be an even better thing than one would normally think as Texas went through 9 (yes, nine) pitchers. A record in the Gusball era. Another record was the combined number of runs: 44. The pitching simply wasn't there for the Horns today. Offensively, the highlight of the game has to be Jason Layne's back-to-back 3 rbi homeruns late in the game. Campbell didn't play...out with the flu. Texas managed to get 3 errors anyway. I wish I had better news to report but alas...sigh...

Feb. 25th ...Texas finally wins a 3-game series...
The Horns took their first 3-game series of the season. Offensively, today's game was much like yesterday's for the Horns. Layne even managed to hit another 3-rbi homerun late in the game. Barker and Leon combined for a good outing as the team avoided making any errors. If the team could figure out what they did right in Friday's and today's games...and do it again...they may be on the right track. They've definitely got to avoid days like yesterday, though. This weekend's series against Cal State Fullerton should prove to be a very tough test for the team.

Mar. 2nd ...The #1 team in the nation...
Cal State Fullerton didn't pull any punches as they pounded the Horns today. Yesterday's game was close and could've easily gone either way...if it hadn't been for that one pitch Seal took over the right field fence. He helped the Titans out again early today as he hit a 3 run double in the first to help his team jump to an early 6 run lead. Texas went through 5 pitchers again and only managed to get 4 hits (one a solo homerun in the 8th by Salinas). The Horns went down in order in the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th innings as CSF's Billingsley pitched an outstanding game to take the win. I probably won't have time to post the box until tomorrow so check back then if you think you can handle all the gory details. 'Got my fingers crossed that the Horns can avoid the sweep tomorrow. I hate to admit it but...I'm not holding out much hope. Oh, and by the way, Campbell was charged with yet another error today and Harkrider got his first error in more than 30 games...both of those in the 1st inning to help CSF jump to that early lead.

Mar. 3rd ...Calling all pitchers...
Well, things started out great. Texas jumped to an early 6 run lead (sparked by a grand slam by Jason Layne in the 1st) but things fell apart (to put it mildly) in the 6th as CSF almost batted around twice (they sent 17 batters to the plate). It was ugly. Texas used seven pitchers who combined for 17 walks and 2 hit batters. Like I said, it was ugly. There were several complaints about umpire David Wiley's small strike zone but that can't possibly account for the sad showing by the Longhorn pitchers...especially since the strike zone seemed pretty consistent for both teams and CSF only walked four Texas batters. Part of the problem this weekend may have been that Texas pitchers Weaver and McKinney were both out with sore arms. But, that's no excuse for the rest of the bullpen's inability to get strikes across the plate. Clements did come in at the beginning of the 7th and effectively shut CSF down. So, if you're gonna second guess Coach Gus, you have to wonder why he didn't bring Clements in earlier. But, then again, this was the first time Clements has actually been effective in relief this year so who was to know it would work today? Sigh...regroup. Again. Conference play is just around the corner and things are not looking good for the Horns this year.

Mar. 8th ...Win #1400...
Coach Gus got his 1400th career win today and kept Texas over .500. Maine, fell to 0-13. Joe Luis Lopez pitched a complete game which should serve the team very well as they will be playing four more games this weekend. Jason Layne again provided the offensive highlight of the game as he came up to bat facing a bases-loaded situation with 2 outs in the 6th...he hit a 2-rbi single. I'll try to post the box sometime tomorrow.

Mar. 9th ...Going strong...
The Horns looked very good today as they beat Oklahoma (ranked 15th or 16th depending on which poll you read) by a score of 11-2. It was very cold...the temperature started out at 45 (degrees F) and dropped to 39. The sun came out late in the game and the temperature limped back to 42 but it didn't feel any warmer as the wind continued to blow in from cf. I'm very encouraged for the team's chances as the weekend wraps up since the Horns have only used three pitchers for these first two games of the 5-game weekend. (In contrast, OU looked more like the Horns have much of this season as they went through 6 pitchers this afternoon.) O'Dell pitched a solid 7 innings and got into a bit of trouble during the 8th. French came in with the bases loaded, no outs, and one run already across and got the next three batters down in order on a pop up to 3b, a strike out, and a line drive to 2b. The Sooners went down in order in the 9th. I probably won't have time to post the box until very late tonight as I've decided to brave the elements and take in the Oklahoma/Maine game. If I can hold out against the cold for the whole game, I'll post that box as well. (I ended up missing the first 2-1/2 innings of the OU/Maine game so I couldn't keep score but I did get the line.)

Mar. 11th ...Getting ready for SWC play...
I'm feeling much better about the team's chances as they head over to Houston this weekend. I have to think they're feeling better as well. They looked very comfortable all weekend in all facets of their game. O'Dell is set to be the starting pitcher as they open against Tech on Thursday. Sadly, I won't be able to attend any of the games but I'll listen on the radio and post as much info as I can.

Mar. 14th ...SWC win #1...
I didn't get to hear much of the game...just the last inning. Clint Bryant came up to bat for the Red Raiders with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the top of the 9th (after hitting a homer in his previous at-bat). He went down swinging and Texas won their first SWC game of the season. Among the Texas highlights mentioned by the radio announcers: Salinas went 2 for 4 with 2 homers (solo and 3-rbi), Byers hit a 2-rbi homer, and O'Dell went 8 innings to get the win (French closed out the 9th). I'll post the box if I can find one...they tend to be hard to find for out-of-town games.

Mar. 15th ...Back off track...
I only managed to hear the last three or four innings of the game which lasted almost four hours...and no extra innings. Wells got the win for Baylor while Leon took the loss. The line looked like:

    Baylor   12 15 1
    Texas     9  9 5

Mar. 16th ...Still down...
I missed hearing much of the game since I was babysitting for a friend. Texas made 3 errors (all of them in the 1st, I think) as the Aggies jumped to a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st. They never looked back. Loeffler left the game in the fourth...apparently re-injuring his right knee chasing down a fly ball to cf. He left the park on crutches. Barker took the loss and also left the game in the 4th...with a sore shoulder. Adare came in and kept the Aggies scoreless for the rest of the game but it wasn't enough as the Aggies made 3 double plays against the Horns. The offensive star of the game for the Horns was Harkrider who went 4 for 4 with 3 singles and a solo homerun in the top of the 9th.

Mar. 23rd ...Injury update...
The Horns have been rather plagued by injuries this year. In the outfield, Cridland is probably out for the season with a broken bone in his hand although he may be able to come back late in the year. Loeffler is out for the season after breaking his left foot during the SWC First Pitch Tournament in Houston. On the mound, Barker, McKinney, and Weaver are all out with soreness or strains but should be back at some point during the season. Senterfitt is out for the duration.

Mar. 26th ...Here comes the rain...
Well...I show up at the Disch this evening with about 30 other people. It's cold...37 degrees cold. We're prepared for the weather...heavy coats, blankets, etc. Just as I reach the stands, I notice the team rolling out the tarp to cover up the infield. Hmmm...not good. We settle in and are told it'll probably be a 30 minute delay. We catch MacGregor Byers counting the people in the stands...he looks like he thinks we're all insane. We just laugh and wave. Brrr...the wind is starting to pick up as the clouds break open. Hmmm...not good. We notice Coach Gus headed through the rain toward the 1b dugout. He reappears shortly. The announcer breaks the news. Game postponed. And...y'know...the teams were originally scheduled for a double-header today. But, they decided to cancel the early game so UT could get under the 56-game NCAA limit. I guess they cancelled the early game thinking they'd get a bigger crowd at an evening game. It didn't quite work out that way.

Mar. 31st ...An important sweep...
The Horns swept the Owls this weekend. This was important stuff because it keeps Texas even with Tech and TCU in the loss column...all three teams have two SWC losses. Cool. As for the weekend, I was thoroughly unimpressed with the officiating. Yeast was behind the plate during the 1st and 4th games and he has one of the most (if not the most) inconsistent strike zones I've seen all year. He didn't really seem to favor either team but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. I can't begin to imagine how frustrating it was for the players and coaches. This was the first time I've seen this umpire (as far as I can remember) and I hope not to see him again for a very long time.

Apr. 7th ...Leading the SWC...
I'm really glad I was able to make it to Houston for the double-header yesterday. The weather was great...the new facility is very nice...my seats were great...Texas won...etc., etc. Top that off with the fact that Texas now leads the SWC and this weekend's upcoming series against Tech ought to be pretty exciting. The Horns continue to struggle with injuries but they seem to have hit their stride. And, speaking of injuries, I haven't heard much except that Chad Smith may be back in the rotation in the near future.

Apr. 15th ...The streak comes to an end...
The 13-game winning streak was brought to an end by Dallas Baptist. I couldn't get to the game and only managed to hear about a third of it. What I did hear didn't sound very good. It's hard to say if Texas was simply outplayed...or if the team was a bit down after the tremendous high they must've hit after sweeping Tech...or if it was just an off day. From what I did manage to hear, it sounded like Dallas Baptist played extremely well...particularly on defense. As usual, I'll post the box as soon as I can find one.

Apr. 20th ...Avoiding the sweep...
Texas avoided a sweep by Baylor this evening by winning the second game of today's double-header. With the win this afternoon, however, Baylor wins the regular season series between the two teams 3-1. I drove up to Waco for last night's game and had an eerie feeling of deja vu as I watched the Horns make costly mental errors that let Baylor stay in the game and eventually win it. Texas was ahead 4-1 in the 4th when a thunderstorm blew through to delay the game for over an hour. When it resumed, Baylor scored four quick runs and the lead see-sawed for the rest of the evening. Baylor eventually won...the game winning shot being a pinch hit homerun by Reitmeier in the bottom of the 8th. In this evening's double-header, errors continued to plague the Horns in the first game. In the nightcap, however, Scott Leon stepped in and pitched a fabulous game. French came in with 1 out in the 9th to get his 5th save in as many appearances by striking out Martinez (who hit a 3-run homerun last night as part of Baylor's 4-run rally after the rain delay) and getting pinch hitter Reitmeier to ground out to 2b.
Meanwhile... in other conference action, Rice swept A&M in their 3-game series this weekend and Houston did likewise in their series against TCU. This left the conference with Texas and Tech being the only two teams with winning records in conference play and moved Baylor up from 5th place to 3rd in the conference race.

May 3rd ...another SWC title...
Texas came back from a 6-1 deficit to beat TCU 9-6 this afternoon to clinch at least a share of the final SWC title. The two teams meet again tomorrow afternoon in the Rangers' stadium (The Ballpark at Arlington) for a double header. I'm driving up as soon as I post this and will post boxscores for the games as early as possible after I return home on Sunday afternoon. Congrats to the team on the SWC title. Hook 'em!

May 18th ...the SWC tourney...
Texas was in the driver's seat going into the tourney this weekend...by virtue of getting a bye in the first round due to their regular season conference title. But, Rice dominated the tournament as they beat A&M on the first day, Tech on the second day, Texas on the third day, and Texas again for the championship on the fourth day. I hope the sloppy play demonstrated by the Horns in the final game isn't indicative of what we can expect in the regional. The Horns have to stay sharp in order to win it. They've shown they've got what it takes to win big (beating Tech five times this year was no simple feat) so I really think they can do it. Go Horns!
By the way...I've got tickets to the regional tournament so I won't be able to do the "live" updates I've been doing lately. I will do my best to update the tournament results in a timely fashion, though. My office is only about 8 blocks from the stadium but it's often difficult to get away from the field between games so I may only be able to update things each evening. And, I do plan to attend all of the games. If any of you will be there and would like to stop by and say "hi"...drop me a line and I'll tell you where my seats are located. Hook 'em!

Joanna's Gusball page | Joanna L. Castillo
Email: joanna@mail.utexas.edu