Texas extends its winning streak as Travis Sthele shifts role, shuts down New Orleans

Texas stayed hot on a chilly Saturday afternoon, but a blowout win over New Orleans was as much about the future as it was about the present.

Texas got a strong start from Travis Sthele and then blew past New Orleans in the middle innings of a 15-1 win at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The victory was UT's ninth straight. Texas (13-7) has now recorded a nine-game winning streak in each of the last four seasons.

"I guess we got a little win streak going," Sthele said.

For Texas, this is the final weekend before Big 12 play gets underway. And with the Privateers in town, UT tinkered a bit with its pitching rotation.

Lucas Gordon is still the staff ace. In Friday's 3-1 win over New Orleans, Gordon improved his record to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.37 over a two-hit, six-inning outing.

Then things get interesting.

Zane Morehouse, who had been UT's Saturday starter over the first month of the season, secured the save on Friday with a two-strikeout effort in the ninth inning. Morehouse also earned the save against North Dakota State on Wednesday.

With Morehouse working out of the bullpen this week, Texas moved Sthele up a day in the weekend rotation. Texas coach David Pierce said that redshirt sophomore Lebarron Johnson, Jr., (2-1, 3.05 ERA) likely would start on Sunday.

"We're trying to get LBJ in the mix in the weekend. He's one of our more dominating pitchers and we're trying to get him in that mix and Zane has a lot of flexibility," Pierce said. "It's not set. We're still tinkering with it as we get closer and closer, but really just trying to get our best eight guys in a rotation that's going to benefit us in conference."

Over six innings on Saturday, Sthele subdued the Privateers. He struck out nine batters, allowed two hits and did not issue any walks. The workload and strikeouts were career-high totals for the redshirt sophomore from San Antonio. He allowed baserunners in the second and sixth innings, and New Orleans only tagged him for a run when Texas catcher Rylan Galvan sailed a throw into left field while attempting to prevent a stolen base.

On his last pitch of the day, Sthele struck out Tristan Moore to strand a runner at second.

"When I'm good, I feel like my fastball command is good," said Sthele, who is now 2-2 with a 4.07 ERA. "It was good again today."

Offensively, Texas hit three home runs at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The Longhorns built an early lead on Dylan Campbell's two-run shot in the first inning and then blew the game open with an eight-run outburst in the sixth. Texas sent 11 batters to the plate during the sixth. The Longhorns twice scored on bases-loaded walks, but the notable highlights were Peyton Powell's two-run homer and Eric Kennedy's grand slam.

Key play: Facing a full count and two outs in the sixth inning, Kennedy smacked a Trey Usey pitch into right field. Texas took a 10-1 lead on the first grand slam of Kennedy's five-year collegiate career. Texas last hit a grand slam during a late-season game against Kansas in 2021.

Kennedy also led off the sixth inning with a bunt single.

Notable number: 27. As part of its ongoing TraDISCHions series, Texas honored Adrian Alaniz throughout Saturday's game. Alaniz won 27 games while pitching at UT from 2005-07. During the national championship season in 2005, he threw a no-hitter against Oklahoma and won two games at the College World Series.

Alaniz now coaches at Sinton High — his old high school — and his Pirates won a Class 4A championship at Disch-Falk last June. And Galvan, a freshman and former standout at Sinton, started on Saturday and was on the receiving end of Alaniz's ceremonial first pitch.

Up next: Texas and New Orleans will close out their series at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Junior Collin Horton (2-1, 5.75) is the scheduled starter for New Orleans.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas extends winning streak in baseball with New Orleans blowout