Porter Brown Headlines Longhorns' Eight All-Big 12 Selections
Coming into the 2023 season expectations were modest surrounding the Texas Longhorns. No one knew if they could make it back to Omaha again, and even if they were a middling Big 12 team it could have been a successful season.
After all, they lost a lot of talent to the draft. Four First Team All-Big 12 members, the Big 12 Player of the Year and Golden Spikes winner and their staff all moved on to their professional careers, leaving massive shoes to fill.
So, as a result, the question became how would the Longhorns fill those shoes? Well, after 56 games in the 2023 regular season, it is safe to say they did not miss a single beat.
As a team they recorded a .302 average, which was good for third best in the Big 12. Even better, they were downright dominant on the mound en route to a league-best 4.06 team ERA.
The Longhorns relied on a mixture of young talent, proven stars and transfer portal additions to go 38-18 (15-9) and win a share of the conference title - and eight All-Big 12 First Team selections.
Not only did Texas land eight players on the All-Big 12 teams, it landed a league-high five on the first team.
Leading the charge on offense was a pair of transfers in Porter Brown and Garret Guillemette, anchoring the Longhorns' potent offense from the No. 4 and 5 holes in the lineup to earn First Team All-Big 12.
Brown slashed .337/.440/.580 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs, while swiping 10-of-13 bases, and was one of two unanimous selections for Texas. One spot behind him, Guillemette was a doubles machine. He finished the regular season slashing .317/.416/.593 and a team-high 58 RBIs, while tying Dylan Campbell for the most doubles with 17.
Speaking of Campbell, he joined Brown and Guillemette with first team honors of his own. Ending the season scorching hot, riding a 33-game hitting streak, the dynamic right fielder hit .343/.443/.620. His slugging percentage topped the team, while his 24 stolen bases did as well.
Rounding out the rest of the first team selections were Lucas Gordon and Lebarron Johnson Jr., the dynamite duo for the Longhorns on the mound.
Gordon sported a 6-1 record in his 14 starts, recording a sparkling 2.48 ERA was second the Big 12. He joins Brown as the other unanimous selection to First Team All-Big 12, as well as being named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year.
As for Johnson, when he was on he was one of the best pitchers in the conference. He finished the regular season with a 7-2 record, and a 2.81 ERA that was right behind Gordon for third in the conference, while racking up 84 strikeouts.
Alone on the Second Team All-Big 12 was Peyton Powell, whose emergence both at the plate and on defense was key in Texas winning the conference. He hit a staggering .369, best on the team, while displaying elite glove skills at the hot corner.
The final two selections for the the Longhorns were Eric Kennedy and Jared Thomas, who were named honorable mentions. Kennedy put it together at the plate in a big way in his final season, hitting .313 and launching a team-high 16 home runs.
Thomas struggled mightily to start the season but eventually found his groove at the plate, earning honorable mention honors as well as Big 12 All-Freshman team. His .341 average was third best on the team, while he was second in stolen bases with 10.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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