Texas baseball pummels Air Force to start Austin Regional

Head coach David Pierce and No. 9 Texas baseball got off to quite the start in the Austin Regional to begin the weekend on the afternoon of June 3. Texas faced the four-seed Air Force Falcons at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on June 3, in a game that many fans on the Forty Acres felt could be a dangerous one for the men in burnt orange.

Yet, Piece and the Longhorns were able to stave off any upset talk almost right from the very start of this game. Texas led this game at the end of every single inning. After the first inning, there was only one point where the Falcons were able to tie this one up.

Texas got a big offensive effort in this one, which largely came thanks to the play of Skyler Messinger and Murphy Stehly, who combined for a whopping seven hits. Messinger, in particular, came up with a team-high four hits, three runs batted in, and two runs scored.

Meanwhile, Stehly gave the Longhorns three hits and a team-high three runs scored.

Skyler Messinger and Pete Hansen lead Texas baseball to an 11-3 win over Air Force

Messinger’s bat was the one that would drive in both the game-tying and game-winning runs. He managed one RBI on a single in the third inning and two on a single in the fifth inning.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the effort from the Longhorns’ offense that got them this win over Air Force. Ace pitcher Pete Hansen didn’t have his best start, but he was good enough to get the win and then some.

In 6.2 innings of work on the mound, Hansen allowed three earned runs, eight hits, two walks, and put up five strikeouts. Hansen remained on the mound for more than long enough to claim his 11th win of the season so far.

This type of performance out of Hansen is steady enough to provide the Longhorns with plenty of support when the offense is producing at this level. Texas was also getting some run support from some players that can be catalysts to this team’s success in the postseason in Stehly and Messinger.

It also helped the Longhorns that Air Force committed three errors on the day. Meanwhile, Texas was spotless on defense with no errors to help Hansen on the mound.

This win over Air Force moves the record on the season for the Longhorns to 43-19 (14-10 Big 12). Next up for Messinger and the Longhorns is a meeting with the winner of the other opening-round game in the Austin Regional between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Dallas Baptist Patriots.