Texas Baseball: 3 freshmen poised for a breakout

Texas baseball is upon us as the Longhorns embark on a 2023 campaign where they will look to reach their collegiate record 39th College World Series.

Head coach David Pierce has led the Horns to three trips to Omaha in his six seasons as the head man of the Texas baseball program. 2023 may be his most challenging managerial job yet as Pierce flips over a roster and coaching staff that sees him lose six starting position players, two weekend starters, his hitting coach, and his pitching coach.

Despite the attrition, the expectations for the Longhorns are still high because, well, this is Texas baseball.

Pierce has a plethora of young talent littered throughout his roster that will get their chance to shine this season. He has not been afraid to use true freshmen in his lineup or on the mound. 2023 will be no different as this Texas team will need multiple freshmen to step up if this team wants to play meaningful baseball in June.

The Longhorns open their 2023 campaign this weekend at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field. Here are the three freshmen I expect will make an immediate impact on Coach Pierce and the Horns.

Three Texas baseball players poised for a breakout freshmen campaign

No. 1: Jalin Flores, 3B

With the departure of Skyler Messinger, Texas has a significant void to fill at the hot corner. The onus has seemingly fallen on true freshman Jalin Flores.

Flores stands at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, and was ranked as the 10th-best prospect in Texas last cycle. The freshmen can absolutely bring it from the plate. He sports raw power that is hard to find at his age. He puts his size to good work, spraying the ball to all parts of the field.

He pairs that power with a very veteran approach inside the box. Flores is a guy who is not afraid to work pitchers, dictating at-bats on his terms. Expect the youngster to hit for average and power during his first season in Austin.

Flores had a terrific Fall camp and was referred to as “one of the nation’s top freshman sluggers” by Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.

The one knock on the talented freshman is his ability in the field. Texas did not have to worry about fielding at the hot corner last season, as Messinger was elite at his position. Flores, however, can look a bit clunky at third. This, however, is to be expected from a young player at a premier position.

It was confirmed today that Flores would be the starting third basemen for Texas to open the season. I expect Coach Pierce to allow him to ease his way into the season toward the back half of the lineup before he inevitably pushes his way into the middle of the order.

No. 2: Jared Thomas, 1B

Replacing the best player in college baseball is no easy task, but that is what true freshman Jared Thomas will be tasked to do as he takes over first base for the Longhorns after the departure of 2022 Golden Spikes Award Winner Ivan Melendez.

Thomas was considered one of the best first basemen in the state last cycle and was a key signee for Coach Pierce and the program. He sports a lanky 6-foot-2, 185-pound build with a lot of room to grow into his frame.

The Waxahachie, Texas native has a very pure stroke from the plate and will be an instant impact player in the Longhorns lineup. The Fall did him wonders as Thomas has seemingly added 10 pounds of muscle which should allow his body to hold up over the 60+ game season.

It was confirmed today that Thomas would be the starting first baseman for Texas to open the season. He will have his fair share of ups and downs in 2023, but if Texas is to reach its record 39th trip to Omaha, Thomas will have to be a consistent force in the middle of this lineup.

No. 3: Kobe Minchey, RHP

On a Texas pitching staff with more questions than answers, Coach Pierce will have to find innings wherever he can get them. Freshman right-hander Kobe Minchey is as good of an option as any.

Minchey stands at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. He was homeschooled in high school and had a bit of late development, leading to recruiting rankings that do not reflect the juice he has in his arm. Minchey has gained 6+ MPH on his fastball over the past year.

His four-seamer sits in the low 90’s and can creep up to 95. He supplements that with a slider and changeup, the latter of which he is comfortable using in any count.

Coach Pierce noted that Minchey pitches with a ton of confidence. This is a must at the high D1 level and is a trait that is hard to instill in some pitchers.

I do not expect Minchey to be a weekend starter for the Longhorns, at least not yet. Coach Pierce and first-year pitching coach Woody Williams will likely deploy him as a mid-week starter and/or out of the pen on the weekend. If he holds up to start the season, Minchey could force his way to that Sunday starter role by the season’s end.