Ivan Melendez blasts Texas baseball back into top 25 this week
Following a nice bounce-back week for head coach David Pierce and the Texas baseball program in four games played, the team finds itself back in some of the major polls this week. Last week, Texas was bounced from essentially every major poll for the first time this season.
That was an abomination given the fact that the Longhorns were nearly the unanimous No. 1 ranked team in the country heading into this season. Texas had a rough run in Big 12 play so far as it seems like they falter any time they come close to gaining traction.
Yet, last weekend might be a time where the Longhorns can look back on a real turning point for the season. Texas downed an underrated Big 12 foe in the West Virginia Mountaineers last weekend with two wins in a three-game series on the road in Morgantown.
Texas took care of business with back-to-back wins in a doubleheader against West Virginia on May 7. And while the Longhorns fell short in the series finale on May 8 against the Mountaineers, they were still able to claim their first Big 12 series victory of May.
Pierce and the Longhorns came up with their bounce-back week in the last few days largely thanks to the efforts of star Ivan Melendez, who is having a historic season thus far. The junior leads the entire country in home runs so far this season, with a whopping 25.
Ivan Melendez powers Texas baseball back in the top 25 this week
Melendez came up with three home runs in the four games for the Longhorns last week.
Moreover, the Longhorns also downed the Houston Baptist Huskies in a one-game midweek series at home by a convincing 10-run margin to bring their win total last week to three games. That was enough to get the Longhorns back into the D1 Baseball Top 25 rankings, specifically at No. 22.
The RPI also had the Longhorns jump up a few spots in this week’s rankings. Texas rings in at No. 16 in this week’s RPI, up six spots from No. 22 last week.
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Melendez and the Longhorns are now sitting on a record of 34-17 (11-10 Big 12) following their loss to West Virginia on May 8. Next up for the Longhorns is a meeting with Texas Southern at home at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on May 10, with the first pitch time set for 6:30 p.m. That is one of five games remaining in the regular season for the Longhorns.