Texas Baseball: Way-too-early look ahead to 2023 season

Key Returners

Every good ball club is going to have departures from their program. Luckily in the Longhorns’ case, they also have key cogs from the 2022 College World Series team that will likely return to the Forty Acres in 2023.

Douglas Hodo III was the centerfielder and leadoff hitter for the 2022 Longhorns. He took both positions in stride after spending the 2021 season as the right fielder and a bottom third of the order guy.

Hodo hit .319 with 10 homers while sporting a .419 on-base percentage. He also swiped nine bags and is currently a finalist for the Rawlings CF Gold Glove Award. Hodo has a chance to be one of the best overall centerfielders in the country next season.

The pro hype has been swirling around Trey Faltine since he stepped on the Forty Acres due to his elite fielding ability. This past season Faltine finally put it together with the bat, hitting .282 with 15 home runs and 56 RBI.

It will not shock me to see Faltine drafted in the later rounds of the upcoming MLB Draft. With that said, the Horns’ everyday shortstop bleeds burnt orange and could use another year working on his approach at the plate.

Sophomore pitcher Tanner Witt underwent Tommy John surgery after just two outings in 2022. The Houston native has arguably the highest professional upside of anyone on the roster and was poised for a breakout season in his first year as a starter.

So long as all goes well in his healing process, I expect Witt to come out and dominate in 2023. He has an incredibly live arm with a devastating curveball to match.

Other likely returners that will be key to Pierce’s 2023 squad include Silas Ardoin, Mitchell Daly, Pete Hansen, and Eric Kennedy.