Longhorns Baseball 2023 Schedule Breakdown: Can Texas Take Advantage of Easier March?
We move one day closer to the start of baseball season, and one day closer to the Texas Longhorns embarking on their journey for a 39th College World Series appearance.
As we've discussed multiple times since the end of last season, where they came up short in Omaha, the Longhorns will look much different this season. Gone are the anchors of the lineup in Ivan Melendez and Murphy Stehly, as well as staff ace Pete Hansen.
Those who are returning, though, as well as the talented transfer additions and recruiting class should have the Longhorns right in the thick of contention for Omaha.
Right out of the gate for Texas is a fairly loaded February schedule with three Top 10 teams, but if they can navigate February then March itself will have a lighter schedule.
After taking an in-depth look at February's schedule, we now take the same approach for Texas' March schedule.
Mar. 3-5 - @ Cal State Fullerton Titans
2022 record - 22-33
2022 RPI - 186
2022 Team Avg. - .278
2022 Team ERA - 5.20
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - 1B/OF Caden Connor
Caden Connor, a four-year junior, will likely play first base or the outfield. He was the Titans best hitter last season, recording an impressive .327/.414/.440 slash line with four home runs and a team-high 37 runs driven in.
Mar. 7 - Sam Houston Bearkats
2022 record - 31-25
2022 RPI - 115
2022 Team Avg. - .305
2022 Team ERA - 5.22
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - OF Carlos Contreras
Contreras is the reigning WAC Player of the Year, and it isn't hard to see why with his 2022 numbers. He was far and away the Bearkats best hitter, slashing .400/.468/.713 with a team-high in home runs and RBIs, recording 14 and 89 respectively.
Mar. 8 - Mercer Bears
2022 record - 40-18
2022 RPI - 60
2022 Team Avg. - .285
2022 Team ERA - 5.08
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - 1B Eric Toth
The Bears are not lacking for returning experience, but the addition of Eric Toth from Presbyterian via the transfer portal is a big get. He slashed .317/.390/.481 over two seasons and was a two-way player in 2021 when he recorded a 3.15 ERA to help lead the Blue Hose to their first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Mar. 10-12 - Manhattan Jaspers
2022 record - 24-26
2022 RPI - 214
2022 Team Avg. - .285
2022 Team ERA - 6.51
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - P Kyler Lesler
While the Jaspers were far from a dominant pitching staff, they did have guys that flashed talent. One of those guys was right-handed pitcher Kyler Lesler, who finished the season 4-2 with a team-high 4.26 ERA. 11 of his 15 appearances were starts, and he could give a young Texas lineup trouble.
Mar. 14-15 - North Dakota State Bison
2022 record - 31-19
2022 RPI - 145
2022 Team Avg. - .276
2022 Team ERA - 4.65
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - P Cade Feeney
The pitching staff was a strong suit for the Bison last season, and two of their top three arms are set to return. The better of the duo is Cade Feeney, who sported a 7-3 record and 4.54 ERA with a team-high in strikeouts and innings pitched at 62 and 79.1 respectively.
Mar. 17-19 - New Orleans Privateers
2022 record - 30-23
2022 RPI - 140
2022 Team Avg. - .288
2022 Team ERA - 5.80
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - INF Kasten Furr
While the Privateers lose their two top hitters from 2022, their third best hitter in Kasten Furr is set to return. He managed a .317/.405/.396 slash line and recorded hitting streaks of 14, 10 and eight games last season.
Mar. 21 - Incarnate Word Cardinals
2022 record - 21-31
2022 RPI - 182
2022 Team Avg. - .276
2022 Team ERA - 6.49
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - INF Roberto Gonzales
The Cardinals were not an elite offense by any measure last season, but they did have their share of talent in the lineup. Among those was Roberto Gonzales, their leading hitter with an impressive .327/.372/.495 slash line, adding five home runs and a team-high 37 RBIs.
Mar. 24-26 - No. 24 Texas Tech Red Raiders
2022 record - 39-22
2022 RPI - 42
2022 Team Avg. - .290
2022 Team ERA - 4.97
2022 outcome - Statesboro Regional
Player to watch - P Mason Molina
While Molina only made nine starts for the Red Raiders last season he still logged 20 appearances. In those 20 appearances he produced a 2-5 record with 3.90 ERA in just 57.2 innings pitched.
Mar. 28 - @ No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies
2022 record - 44-20
2022 RPI - 8
2022 Team Avg. - .291
2022 Team ERA - 4.68
2022 outcome - College World Series
Player to watch - 1B Jack Moss
The Aggies were arguably the biggest surprise team of the 2022 season after reaching the College World Series. Now, they return a plethora of talent, including first baseman Jack Moss. Moss was the Aggies' best hitter with a .380/.437/.520 slash line while launching six home runs and driving in 49 runs.
What to expect in March
Where February is a compact, gauntlet schedule for the Longhorns, March is much lighter. They face only two Top 25 teams and that isn't until the end of the month, with one being a home series to open conference play. With 14 straight road games, don't be surprised if the Longhorns reel off an impressive winning stretch heading into April.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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