-----Original Message-----
From: TruOrange@aol.com <TruOrange@aol.com>
To: TruOrange@aol.com <TruOrange@aol.com>
Date: Monday, June 12, 2000 11:02 AM
Subject: True Orange, June 12, 2000, Part 2


Part 2 - True Orange

Texas Loses to LSU in World Series, Plays FSU Tonight

The Texas baseball made a huge leap from fourth in the Big 12 to no worse
than a tie for seventh in the country and it could be even better than that
by the time you read this newsletter.
The Longhorns won their way into the College Baseball Series in Omaha by
winning a sub-regional, then a super regional in the last two weeks.
No. 2 seed LSU, which won four national titles in the 1990s, burst the No. 7
seed Longhorns' bubble, at least temporarily, with a 13-5 thumping Saturday
night in the first round of the World Series.
That threw Texas into the loser's bracket and the Horns were to play Florida
State, a 6-4 loser to Southern Cal Saturday, in an elimination game at 6
p.m.
tonight (Monday).
If the Longhorns lose, their season is over. If they win, they will play the
loser of the winner's bracket game between LSU and USC. If they win that
game, then they would have to beat the unbeaten team twice to win their
division and set up a championship game against the winner of the other
four-team bracket.
That is a tall order because it means the Longhorns would have to win win
five straight games to capture their fifth national title.
But, whatever happens tonight or later in the tournament, coach Augie
Garrido
and his Longhorns are back in Omaha for the first time since 1993 and UT
baseball is back on track.
They did it by snapping out of a late-season slump that saw them get shut
out
three times in their last six regular season games, then go 1-2 in the Big
12
Tournament.
Because of their slow finish, they were sent to a tough sub-regional in
Tempe, Arizona, where the host team, powerful Arizona State, was a big
favorite to advance.
The Longhorns opened by beating Creighton, 5-4, but then they fell to ASU,
3-1, to drop into the loser's bracket. It was a waste of an outstanding
pitching performance by Beau Hale, who held the powerful Sun Devils at bay
for most of the day.
The Horns had to come back and play again that same day, May 27, and
freshman
Ray Clark saved the season by pitching a three-hitter in an 11-1 romp past
Miami of Ohio. It was an amazing performance by a true freshman and it also
was a breakout game for the Longhorn hitters, who had snoozed through most
of
May.
That meant Texas had to beat ASU on the Sun Devils' home field twice on May
28 after playing two games on May 27 to advance.
But Clark's complete game gave Texas a chance because it kept the Horns from
depleting their pitching staff before even getting to the final day.
Phil Seibel, who missed almost the entire season with a sore arm, allowed
just five hits and one earned run in 6 1/3 innings and Ben Emond drove in
two
runs and scored two more to power Texas to a 6-4 win in the first game.
Freshman Ryan Hubele hit a three-run homer and Beau Hale put down a threat
in
the ninth to give the Horns the championship game by a 9-7 score.
Hubele was the tourney MVP after hitting .529 and batting in six runs.
Second
baseman Tommy Nicholson, shortstop Todd West, outfielder Matt Rosenberg and
pitchers Hale and Seibel made the All-Tournament team.
The championship in Tempe earned the Horns a host spot in a super regional
against Penn State.  Texas won the opener, 7-3, behind the pitching of D. J.
Jones, then mauled the Lions, 10-0, behind Hale's three-hit, 12-strikeout
performance.
By the time most of you read this, the Longhorns' season might be over, so
let's look to the future.
Most of the key pitchers on this team will be gone next year, but a few of
them will return, and Garrido and his staff have signed some great arms to
replace the guys who are leaving.
They also have signed some big sticks that should enable the Horns to start
winning a few slugfests.
They have rounded up an outstanding 26-man recruiting class that gives them
an excellent chance of being able to reload instead of undertaking a
complete
rebuilding job next baseball season.
They had a 25-man class that was really good, but they added No. 26 last
weekend and that really was the frosting on the cake because he is Ben King,
a slugging, hard-throwing lefthander from Grapevine who is leaving Alabama
and coming to Texas after an outstanding freshman season.
After getting the Longhorns into the College Baseball World Series this
year,
nothing would be sweeter than doing it again next year, and this group of
recruits just might help them accomplish that feat.
Of the 26 recruits, only two great prospects seem likely to sign. They are
catcher Scott Heard of Rancho Bernardo High School in suburban San Diego and
first baseman Jason Stokes of Coppell.
Heard, 6-2, 190, hit .303 last season with 10 homers, but he is more famous
for his defensive prowess. The pro scouts think he is the best overall
catching prospect in several years, and that prompted the Texas Rangers to
draft him in the first round.
Stokes, 6-5, 235, is an incredible power hitter who batted .567 and blasted
25 home runs last season and was chosen by the Florida Marlins with the
first
pick in the draft's second round.
Both are expected to receive offers that will be very difficult to pass up.
Both families say negotiations with their pro teams are in the early stages.
They also say, contrary to published reports, that no firm offers have been
made.
Let's take a quick look at the other 24 UT recruits. Most of them signed in
the early period, but this is an up-to-date look at how they performed in
the
just-completed baseball season.

Late Transfer Bonus Baby (1)
Ben King, 6-1, 195, will be eligible next season as a sophomore because you
don't have to sit out a year in baseball when you transfer. He was one of
the
state's top recruits last year and picked Alabama over Texas. He was an
honorable mention freshman All-America at Alabama after hitting 13 home runs
and batting .294 as a designated hitter. But King was a dominating pitcher
in
high school and he wants to pitch, too. He only pitched  four innings at
Alabama, and that, in a nutshell, is why he will be a Longhorn next season.
As a lefty with good control and a 91-mile-an-hour fastball, he'll get to
pitch more than that at Texas in 2001. The Horns can use that powerful bat,
too. With the low scholarship limits in baseball (11.7 total, chopped into
various sizes), pitcher-hitter combos give double value.

Pitchers (10)
Albert Montes, 6-2, 205, is a righthanded pitcher from El Paso who was the
ace of the National JC World Series champs from Grayson JC in Denison. He
went 11-3 and Grayson coach Tim Tadlock said, "Albert Montes should have
been
the MVP of the national tournament. He won the opening game for us, then
came
back to win two other games. He has a fastball in the 90s to go along with a
good curve, but the thing that makes him so good is that he changes his arm
angles a lot and gives the batters a lot of different looks. He's a real
bulldog on the mound." Montes pitched the championship game on two days'
rest
and gave up three hits and one run while striking out 13. He was the
national
tourney's Most Valuable Pitcher in 1999 and 2000 and won the title game both
times.
Justin Simmons, 6-3, 200, is a lefty with great control who led Duncanville
to the Class 5A State Tournament for the third straight year. He had a
losing
outing against The Woodlands in the state semifinals, but wound up 12-3 for
the year. In 94 innings, he gave up 75 hits, walked 19 and struck out 126.
He
has three pitches he can throw for strikes on a consistent basis ) a
changeup, a curve and a moving 85-mph fastball. In addition to being the
dominant pitcher in the Dallas area, he also was one of the leading hitters
with a .479 average and eight home runs. He plays first base when he isn't
on
the mound.
Tim McGough, 5-11, 170, is a righthander from Fort Worth Nolan who went 7-0
last season with a 0.48 ERA. He pitched a 7-0 shutout against Houston St.
Pius in the State TAPPS semi-finals and struck out 78 batters in 40 innings,
while walking only eight batters. He has been clocked as high as 94 mph, and
consistently throws in the 90-92 range, and he also has an outstanding curve
ball. He also averaged 14 points a game as the shooting guard on the Nolan
basketball team.
Bankston McMath, 5-11, 165, is from Corsicana and he played the last two
years at Navarro JC. He is a righthander who was the team's closer last
season. He notched 10 saves and averaged two strikeouts per inning. He has a
consistent 93 mph fast ball, and has been clocked as high as 96. He also
played shortstop for Navarro and batted .300 with five home runs.
Chris Neuman, 6-2, 190, is a lefthanded pitcher-slugger who could be the
comeback kid of the year. As a junior, he had a live fastball in the low
90s,
struck out 91 in 42 innings and had an 0.83 ERA. But he hurt his shoulder
late in the season and had arthroscopic surgery. He did not pitch his senior
year, but hit .485 with six home runs. His father, Harvey, told me the
doctors think his shoulder is fine now and he should be able to resume
pitching at Texas with no ill effects from the surgery. If he does recover
completely, a lefthander with good control and a live 90-mph fastball is a
thing of beauty when he plays for you and a terror to behold when he plays
for the other team.
Gerrit Simpson, 6-3, 195, is a righthanded pitcher-first baseman from
Claremore, Okla., who played the last two years at Connors JC in Oklahoma.
He
was 8-2 as a pitcher last season who averaged more than 1 1/2 strikeouts per
inning and allowed only two walks per game. His fast ball is consistent
around 90 and has been clocked as high as 93. He also has a good curve ball.
He hit .400, too.
Derek Denman, 6-3, 225, is a righthander from Euless Trinity who was the
closer on Grayson's JC title team. He had eight saves. In addition to a live
fastball that ranges from 88 to 91 miles per hour, he also has a very good
curve and an improving slider to go along with excellent control.
Derrick Grigsby, 6-0, 195, is a righthander who led Marshall deep into the
Class 5A state playoffs. He went 11-1 with a 1.5 ERA and pitched a 2-0
shutout against the eventual state finalist team from The Woodlands in the
state playoffs, but the Mavericks lost the other two games in the series.
"Yeah, they beat us twice by one run," Grigsby told me. "That really hurt."
His fast ball has been clocked as high as 93 miles per hour and he is
consistently in the 89-90 mph range.
Eugene Espineli, 6-4, 170, is a lefthander who went 10-2 with a 1.90 ERA for
Katy Taylor. He struck out 110 and walked only 22 in 75 innings. His best
pitches are a changeup and a fastball in the mid 80s.
John Zamora, 6-3, 205, is a native of Campbell, Cal., who played the last
two
seasons at Cabrillo JC in California. He is a righthander who has a good
slide and a fastball in the low 90s. Despite playing with a fractured thumb
on his throwing hand last season, he still posted a 6-4 record with a 2.5
ERA. He was drafted after his freshman year in JC, but was not drafted this
year. He signed with Texas last month, turning down offers from LSU, USC and
others.

Catchers (1)
Ben Anderson, 5-9, 180, is from Temalpais High School in Mill Valley, Cal.
He
hit .550 with 4 homers last season and has fine defensive skills.

Infielders (6)
Tim Moss, 5-11, 170, is a three-sport star who played second base and
shortstop at Lancaster. He hit .450 as a junior, but began working as a
switch hitter this season and hit .390 with five home runs. He was such an
outstanding point guard that he also received some basketball scholarship
offers and he ran a 10.6 100 meters for the track team. He has been clocked
at 6.4 in the 60.
Chase Lambin, 6-2, 185, is from Houston Cypress Falls and he played third
base the last two years for the two-time national JC champion Grayson team.
He batted .370 and blasted 11 homers last season.
Wayne Stone, 6-1, 185, is a second and third baseman from Riverside JC in
California. He originally is from Rialto JC. He hit .395 with four home runs
last season.
Omar Quintanilla, 5-9, 175, is a power-hitting shortston-second baseman from
el Paso Socorro. He hit .548 and belted 14 home runs as a senior.
Cooper Vittitow, 6-0, 180, played at Lubbock Monterey and has been playing
second and third base at Hill JC in Hillsboro for the last two years. He hit
.345 with six home runs last season.
Kasey Baker, 5-9, 170, played second and third base for Houston Langham
Creek
and batted .295 with six home runs last season. He has tremendous defensive
skills.
Outfielders (6)
Vincent Sinisi, 6-1, 190, led The Woodlands to the Class 5A State
Championship game. He pitched the 11-1 semifinal victory over Duncanville,
running his record to 9-2 this season, but he is first and foremost a
hitter.
Despite a nagging sprained ankle that had his batting average lagging below
.300 early in the season, he went on a hitting tear in the late season and
playoffs and raised the average to .400 while hitting 10 home runs.
Gerald Napoleon, 5-9, 175, is from Aurora, Colo, and he played at New Mexico
JC in Hobbs for the last two seasons. He hit .477 and blasted nine home
runs,
and he also is an oustanding defensive centerfielder who has excellent
speed.
He signed last month.
Jake Duncan, 6-0, 180, batted .461 and hit 11 homers for Marshall's powerful
team and was named co-MVP in the district. His father, Doug, an Marshall
physician, was the catcher on UT's 1975 National Championship team. Jake's
younger brother, Zach, a pitcher-outfielder, was the district's Sophomore of
the Year.
Eric Sultemeier, 6-2, 180, is a fleet outfielder from New Braunfels. He hit
.417 with nine homers last season. He was the MVP in his district in
baseball
the last two years and was the Co-MVP in football last season after making
second-team All-State as a wide receiver. He was drafted by Cincinnati in
the
14th round.
Stephen Ripper, 6-5, 210, was on the outfielders on the Houston Bellaire
team
that went 66-4 during the last two seasons, winning state in 1999 with one
of
the best hitting teams I ever saw. He hit .413 with six home runs last
season.
Cody Roy Andre', 6-1, 195, is a native of Greely, Colo., who played the last
two seasons at Seward County JC in Liberal, Kan. He hit .401 with 15 homers
as a freshman, and batted .313 with six home runs as a sophomore.

Carlisle Honored

Duke Carlisle, who led the Longhorns to their first National Championship in
1963 and followed it up by throwing  two long touchdown passes in a 28-6
victory over No. 2 Navy in the 1964 Cotton Bowl, has been selected to the
Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.
Ironically, Roger Staubach, who won the 1963 Heisman Trophy and was the Navy
quarterback, also was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame with
Carlisle.
The Longhorns took the No. 1 ranking in 1963 when they trounced top-ranked
Oklahoma, 28-7, and they held the top spot for the remainder of the season.
Carlisle played when freshmen were ineligible, but he still played in the
Cotton Bowl eight times ) three times against powerful Oklahoma teams, twice
against SMU and three times as the SWC champ. He had a 7-1 record, with the
only loss being to LSU in the 1963 Cotton Bowl Classic.
Carlisle was recruited out of Athens. He now lives in McComb, Miss.
He is the fourth Longhorn legend chosen for the Hall of Fame, joining his
coach, Darrell Royal, and two other Texas quarterbacks ) Bobby Layne and
James Street.

Next Issue July 17

The next issue will be e-mailed on July 17 and will have some interviews
with
the assistant football coaches. It will have a lot of recruiting news, which
probably will include some more early commitments.
It will also have a lot of news about pre-season football practice, which
will begin in early August, plus lots of other UT sports news.

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