Texas baseball proves it’s the nation’s hottest team after Texas A&M win

In the last few weeks, there literally has not been a hotter team in college baseball than No. 21 ranked Texas baseball. Texas and head coach David Pierce currently own the nation’s longest winning streak, at a whopping 15 games, following the 5-2 win over the rival Texas A&M Aggies on the road in College Station on March 28.

After starting the regular season with a record of 4-7 (0-0 Big 12) through the first 11 games, Pierce and the Longhorns have really turned a corner in the last three or four weeks. Texas has taken care of business every step of the way since March 7, now boasting a record of 19-7 (3-0 Big 12) following a host of impressive wins since last weekend.

The latest RPI also has Texas all the way up to No. 14 this week.

Not only was Texas able to take down a preseason top-25 ranked team in Texas A&M on March 28, but it was also able to sweep the Big 12 opener last weekend against the No. 14 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Longhorns surprisingly controlled the entire series against Texas Tech at home at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin over the weekend, including two walk-offs to cap the conference opener.

In the last few weeks, the Longhorns were able to get the job done with a nice combination of run support and mostly solid performances from the starting rotation. Texas actually has the 11th-best team earned run average in the country this season, at a mark of 3.35.

Texas has also dramatically improved its offensive output during this winning streak. During the 15-game winning streak, the Longhorns have averaged an impressive 9.1 runs per game.

Yet, in the 11 games prior to the current Longhorns’ winning streak, this squad was averaging just north of four runs per game.

Porter Brown and Eric Kennedy spearheading Texas baseball to a 15-game winning streak

This amazing offensive turnaround was sparked by the play of the transfer senior outfielder Porter Brown, redshirt senior outfielder Eric Kennedy, and redshirt junior Peyton Powell. This trio is leading the way for the Longhorns’ bats of late, as each has registered at least five home runs, 19 runs batted in, and an OPS of at least 1.000, on the season thus far.

Brown, in particular, is red-hot of late for the Longhorns. The former TCU Horned Frog just claimed the Longhorns’ first Big 12 Player of the Week honors of the season. Brown had an insane week for the Longhorns last week, claiming a whopping eight RBI, two home runs, and six runs scored.

Brown also gave the Longhorns two of the game-winning runs in the series sweep of Texas Tech last weekend.

To put the cherry on top for Brown’s standout performances in the last few weeks for the Longhorns, he also knocked in three runs and had two hits in the three-run win over the Aggies on March 28. He truly has helped to lift this team to new heights as we approach the halfway point of the regular season.

Kennedy has also done really nice work at the plate of late for the Longhorns. He’s registered five home runs and 16 RBI over the course of this 15-game winning streak. Kennedy keeps making plays in the field as well, ranking third on the team in putouts among non-catchers.

All in all, not only does Texas currently sit on the nation’s longest winning streak, but there is also ample reason to believe that it is the hottest team in the entire country.

Some might say that just because Texas has the nation’s longest winning streak at the moment that it isn’t necessarily the hottest team in the last few weeks. I would refute that argument by saying that Texas has got the job done recently against a high level of competition.

Texas just swept a top-15 ranked team last weekend in Texas Tech. And it had a decently-comfortable win on the road in the middle of this week over a quality SEC foe in Texas A&M.

A good way to look at Texas’ progress in terms of its ranking on the national scene following the wins over Texas A&M and Texas Tech since last weekend is its movement in the RPI. According to D1Baseball, Texas gained a whopping 33 spots in the last seven days in the latest RPI. That is a bigger gain (by a large margin) than any of the other top 30 teams.

Pierce and the Longhorns will have another shot to prove themselves in the three-game series against the No. 17 Oklahoma State Cowboys on the road in Stillwater this coming weekend. If Texas can at least take two of the three games against Oklahoma State on the road this weekend, that would allow it to continue ascending up the national polls.

Texas is currently sporting a record of 19-7 (3-0 Big 12) following its 5-2 win over Texas A&M on March 28. Pierce, Brown, and the Longhorns will put their 15-game winning streak to the test next on March 31 in Stillwater against Oklahoma State.