Facing arguably its toughest three games of the season and possible preview to the road to Omaha, No. 8 Texas baseball flexed its muscle in the final two games of the series, with its best day coming in the final game.
Stubbing No. 2 LSU for the second day, the Longhorns assembled the perfect combination of pitching on the mound and hitting prowess at the plate to take the series with a 6–2 victory Sunday afternoon over the Tigers.
“Great weekend for baseball, great weekend for (Southeastern Conference) baseball,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “Excited that Texas fans got to show up and be a part of that, super grateful for their energy (and) passion, players can feel it.”
Working with two runners on base, junior outfielder Max Belyeu stepped up to the plate for the second time of the afternoon hitting a ground ball straight to LSU redshirt junior infielder Tanner Reaves, throwing Belyeu out at first. His sacrifice hit allowed sophomore outfielder Tommy Farmer IV to come home for the second inning’s second run.
Leading off, sophomore infielder Ethan Mendoza was sent to first, walking on the full count. But the quick-footed infielder did not need to do much work, as Belyeu came up to bat for his third time of the game.
Banking on his first pitch of his at bat, Belyeu came up big once again, crushing the ball deep into his natural habit of right field for the out of the park home run tacking on a two RBI home run extending the Longhorns 5–0 lead.
“Just had to kind of change my sights,” Belyeu said. “All weekend I was kind of out in front in the first and second. So had a conversation just about hitting and got right back on track after that.”
Already feeling out what the Tigers were dishing at him, Belyeu fired his second hit of the game towards LSU freshman outfielder Derek Curiel. Rushing up toward the ball, Curiel was unable to reel in the routine out, falling on his stomach as the ball bounced to the warning track.
Rounding the bases, Mendoza scored all the way from first base for the Longhorns final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Working with the extended time Belyeu found his way to third, beating the ball to the third baseman’s glove for the triple and his fourth RBI of the game.
Making his first start on the mound since UTSA’s opening weekend last season, junior transfer pitcher Ruger Riojas shined against one of the best hitting teams in the nation in his first start on the mound for Texas.
Locking down the Tigers, Riojas only allowed seven hits and two runs. Topping out at 87 pitches, Riojas threw 62 strikes, striking out six Tigers on the day. After 5.2 innings on the mound, Riojas’ start would come to an end, as he walked into the dugout, fans at the stadium stood to celebrate the pitcher.
“It was amazing being able to have that loyal fan base is truly unreal,” Riojas said. “I’m grateful for all of them, that reaction — I couldn’t have thought it up.”
Getting the nod to close out the game for the second day in a row, freshman pitcher Dylan Volantis continued where Riojas left off, shutting out the Tigers in the game’s final three innings.
The young pitcher was not phased at the spotlight, keeping the Tigers at bay holding them hitless while striking out five batters notching his fifth save of the year.
Texas will stay at home to face off against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas.
