Texas Baseball: Two Longhorns named preseason All-Big 12

On Wednesday, Texas baseball pitchers Lucas Gordon and Tanner Witt were named to the All-Big 12 preseason team. The honor was given by Big 12 coaches who made up the collection of voters.

Last year as a sophomore, Gordon turned himself into a bonafide starter, and a guy head coach David Pierce turned to on Saturdays throughout the season. Gordon was named to the All-Big 12 second team. He finished the year with a 7-2 record and a 3.05 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched.

The lefty combines a high-80s fastball with a put-away changeup and a devastating 12-6 hook to keep opposing hitters off balance. He will likely be Coach Pierce’s Friday night starter this upcoming season.

Witt was sidelined for most of the 2022 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The 6-5 right-hander would have been Texas’ Sunday starter last season and would have likely already moved on to the next level had he been healthy.

Texas baseball standouts Lucas Gordon and Tanner Witt get All-Big 12 preseason honors

As a freshman in 2021, Witt dominated in a setup man role out of the bullpen. He finished with a 5-0 record, five saves, a 3.16 ERA, and 73 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched. Witt was named a Freshman All-American and Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Selection.

Witt had Tommy John surgery in mid-March of 2022. While Coach Pierce has not explicitly stated Witt will be healthy to start the season, it is widely expected he will be a factor for this Texas team on day one.

Texas opens its season at the third annual State Form College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Feb. 17-20. The Horns open against No. 11 Arkansas, followed by a Saturday matinee showdown with Missouri, and a Sunday morning contest against No. 6 Vanderbilt.

This will be a strong gauge for Coach Pierce and his team to see where they stack up against some of the best teams in the country. Despite coming off its collegiate-best 38th trip to the College World Series, Texas is not ranked in either of the college baseball preseason polls.