| Stanford Cardinal(3-1) | UFCU Disch-Falk Field Austin, Texas Tickets | No. 23 Texas Longhorns(2-1) |
| Longhorn Network | KZSU 90.1 FM | Live Stats | Game Notes Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Snapchat | ||
| Probable Starters | ||
| LHP Kris Bubic (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 SV) | Thursday 4 p.m. (PT) | RHP Nolan Kingham (0-0, 0.00 ERA) |
| RHP Tristan Beck (1-0, 0.00 ERA) | Friday 4:30 p.m. (PT) | RHP Kyle Johnston (0-0, 2.25 ERA) |
| LHP Chris Castellanos (1-0, 1.50 ERA) | Saturday 1:30 p.m. (PT) | LHP Ty Culbreth (1-0, 1.80 ERA) |
| RHP Brett Hanewich (1-0, 0.00 ERA) | Sunday 10:30 a.m. (PT) | RHP Connor Mayes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) |
Off to its best start since 2012, Stanford continues its season-opening barrage of eight games in nine days with a trip to Texas to take on the Longhorns. The four-game set begins Thursday and each game can be seen on the Longhorn Network or heard on KZSU radio.
Series History
Overall (first meeting in 1981): 34-31-1 (.523) | Streak: Texas, 2
Last Series: W, 5-4; W, 5-3; L, 3-1; L, 12-4 at Sunken Diamond (March 5-8, 2015)
Stanford dropped two of three in their last visit to Austin in 2014.
These two teams are 6-6 all-time against each other in the NCAA Tournament with the last such meeting coming in 2006—Stanford won the Austin Regional which included a 12-8 win over Texas.
Coaching Matchup
Texas head coach Augie Garrido is college baseball’s all-time wins leader with 1,952 career victories.
Stanford’s Mark Marquess is third among active coaches and fourth all-time with 1,557 career wins.
In Garrido’s tenure at Texas, Marquess holds a slight head-to-head advantage, 31-28-1.
Garrido has won five national championships to Marquess’ two (1987-88).
Stanford Start
Stanford won its season-opening series for the first time since a three-game home sweep of Vanderbilt in 2012.
At 3-1, this is the best start for the program since winning the first eight games of 2012.
Stanford Starters
In the team’s three wins this season, the Cardinal starters have each gone at least six innings and allowed one run or fewer.
In those three wins, the starters gave up just one earned run in 19.1 innings (0.47 ERA), surrendered just 10 hits, walked one and struck out eight.
Starters were credited with each of the three wins due to a strong bullpen which has allowed just one run in 11.2 innings (0.77 ERA) this season and struck out 13 compared to just three walks.
As a staff, Stanford went 25.1 innings without a walk until two in the eighth on Monday.
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week
Tristan Beck earned the conference honor on Tuesday—the first Stanford hurler to win the award since 2013 MLB first overall pick, Mark Appel, did so in May of 2013.
Beck became the second Stanford freshman to start Opening Day since Mike Mussina in 1988 (teammate Cal Quantrill was the other in 2014).
A video posted by Stanford Baseball (@stanfordbsb) on Feb 23, 2016 at 9:40am PST
Early Impact
Several freshmen are off to a hot start, including Nico Hoerner, who has started all four games and collected two hits in his collegiate debut.
Kris Bubic induced three easy ground balls for a 1-2-3 inning and picked up a save in his collegiate debut at UC Davis on Monday.
☑ groundout
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) February 23, 2016
☑️ groundout
☑️ groundout
☑️ VICTORY!@KrisBubic w/a 1-2-3 inning in his collegiate debut to pick up the save! #GoStanford
2016 Schedule
54 regular season games, 30 at Klein Field.
More than half of the schedule (30/55, 54.5%) is against 2015 tournament teams.
Cal (5), Texas (4), Cal St. Fullerton (3), UCLA (3), USC (3), Oregon (3), Oregon State (3), Arizona State (3), Vanderbilt (3).
Though the Top 25 rankings vary, each has included at least 20+ games for Stanford against Top 25 opponents.
11-day break from March 7-17 for finals.
Longest homestand is seven games and 20 days long (March 1-20).
Longest road swing is four games (four times).
First eight games are in 10 days.
Last Weekend
Stanford played four games in three days due to an Opening Day rain out. The Cardinal swept a doubleheader on Saturday. Tristan Beck became just the third Cardinal freshman to start on Opening Day since 1988, joining Mike Mussina and teammate Cal Quantrill. In 6.1 innings, he gave up just two hits, struck out a pair and walked just one. Mikey Diekroeger hit a solo shot in the fourth and Stanford took the first game, 2-0.
Chris Castellanos held the Titans to one run over six innings in the nightcap. Jonny Locher scored on Jack Klein’s RBI groundout in the second and Diekroeger registered his second GW RBI of the day with a two-out single in fifth. Colton Hock retired all nine batters he faced for a 2-1 win.
Cal State Fullerton scored three runs on five straight hits in the second inning and held off a Stanford rally—which included a three-run sixth—to top Stanford, 4-3 in the series finale on Sunday.
Stanford rebounded on Monday when Tommy Edman tied a career high with three hits and was knocked home all three times by Quinn Brodey. Brett Hanewich pitched 7.0 innings and allowed an unearned run en route to a 5-2 win at UC Davis.
Up Next
Stanford returns home for all but two mid-week games between March 1-April 5.
The Cardinal hosts St. Mary’s on Tuesday before a three-game set with 2015 national runner-up Vanderbilt at Sunken Diamond, March 4-6.
Stanford’s next overnight trip will be in 38 days—at UCLA, April 7-9.