Longhorns Baseball 2023 Schedule Breakdown: How Will Texas Manage Tough February?
We are officially less than three weeks away from the start of college baseball season, and the Texas Longhorns are preparing to make it back to Omaha once again.
If they manage to do so it will be their 39th College World Series appearance, breaking their own record of 38 appearances which they set just last year. Doing so, though, will be much easier said than done with the roster turnover they're facing.
The talent is there for the Longhorns though, and if they can navigate a tough schedule then don't be shocked if they make it to Omaha in three straight seasons for the first time since they went for four straight seasons from 2002-2005.
While they don't play many games in February it is a rough start to the season, with three Top 10 teams on the menu.
Speaking of their tough schedule, over the rest of the week we will examine the Longhorns' schedule month-by-month to provide an in-depth look at who Texas will be playing.
Feb. 17-19 - College Baseball Showdown (Arlington, TX)
Feb. 17 - No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks
2022 Record - 46-21
2022 RPI - 20
2022 Team Avg. - .276
2022 Team ERA - 4.07
2022 outcome - College World Series
Player to watch - OF Jared Wegner
The Razorbacks added outfield Jared Wegner via the transfer portal from Creighton, and he will likely bolster their lineup. For the Bluejays last season Wegner slashed .343/.459/.635 while launching 11 home runs and driving in 53 runs. He also went 11-for-12 on stolen base attempts.
Feb. 18 - Missouri Tigers
2022 record - 28-23
2022 RPI - 56
2022 Team Avg. - .284
2022 Team ERA - 5.58
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - INF Trevor Austin
With the Tigers losing their top two players from their 2022 lineup, they will look to those who are returning to pick up the slack. Among those returning is Trevor Austin, who was third on the Tigers with a .297 average. If he can replicate his success, or take the next step, he could be the engine that makes the Tigers offense go.
Feb. 19 - No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores
2022 record - 39-23
2022 RPI - 11
2022 Team Avg. - .286
2022 Team ERA - 3.95
2022 outcome - Corvallis Regional
Player to watch - P Carter Holton
From Jack Leiter to Kumar Rocker, the Commodores have had their fair share of elite pitchers over the years. Their ace this year will likely be Carter Holton, with a fastball that sits at 92-95 mph and offspeed pitches that can be thrown for strikes. He finished his freshman season with an 8-4 record, sporting a 3.14 ERA and 97 strikeouts to just 28 walks.
Feb. 21 - Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders
2022 record - 27-28
2022 RPI - 185
2022 Team Avg. - .291
2022 Team ERA - 5.96
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - OF Tre Jones
The Longhorns and Islanders faced off last season, with Texas sweeping the two-game midweek series. Leading the way for a strong Islanders' lineup was outfielder Tre Jones, who slashed .354/.441/.743 with 11 home runs and 37 runs driven in.
Feb. 24-26 - Indiana Hoosiers
2022 record - 27-32
2022 RPI - 108
2022 Team Avg. - .278
2022 Team ERA - 7.04
2022 outcome - Missed NCAA Tournament
Player to watch - OF Carter Mathison
The Hoosiers have their share of returning talent, and among them is sophomore outfielder Carter Mathison. As a freshman, Mathison slashed an impressive .273/.393/.608 while hitting an Indiana freshman record 19 home runs and driving in 58 runs.
Feb. 28 - No. 1 LSU Tigers
2022 record - 40-22
2022 RPI - 21
2022 Team Avg. - .289
2022 Team ERA - 4.32
2022 outcome - Hattiesburg Regional
Player to watch - P Paul Skenes
LSU, like Texas, is one of college baseball's blue bloods and as such, will always be College World Series contenders. To bolster that fact, the Tigers added Air Force's two-way star Paul Skenes via the transfer portal. The likely weekend starter went 10-3 with a 2.73 ERA and 96 strikeouts, while slashing .314/.412/.634 with 13 home runs and 38 runs driven in.
What to expect in February
All in all, the February schedule for the Longhorns is a mix of relatively easy. Three Top 10 opponents mixed with three opponents coming off of down years in 2022. If Texas can leave February with even a 5-3 record, which would include dropping all three Top 10 games, it would set them up for a solid run of winning in March.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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