Vaqueros beat Longhorns for first time in over 50 years
Former UTRGV first baseman Jacob Sanchez extends to get former Longhorn outfielder Austin Todd out during the April 2022 game against the University of Texas at Austin at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. THE RIDER FILE PHOTO
The Vaqueros (18-15, 7-8 WAC) accomplished something that was long thought to be impossible by beating the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns (22-16, 9-8 Big 12) Tuesday with a final score of 17-9 at the UFCU Disch-Faulk Field in Austin.ย
This marks the first time that UTRGV, or its legacy baseball program, have beaten the Longhorns in nearly 53 years. The last win over UT was a 5-4 Pan American victory in Austin during the 1971 NCAA Regional Championships.
The last time they beat UT, the school was known as Pan American University, gas in Texas cost 36 cents a gallon, and โBridge over Troubled Waterโ by Simon and Garfunkel was the song of the year at the Grammys.
The Longhorns pitching staff struggled against the Vaqueros. They allowed 17 earned runs on 11 hits, walked 11 batters, hit nine batters and threw three wild pitches across nine innings of play.
UTRGV Baseball head coach Derek Matlock said taking advantage of bad pitching by UT was a big part of the victory, which he described as โexciting for the [Rio Grande] Valley, and exciting for us.โ
โAnytime you can do something that hasnโt been done in 53 years I donโt think youโre gonna be, you know, not excited,โ Matlock said. โBut, they did a bad job on the mound and we hit the ball on the screws and got hit by pitches, took pitches and didnโt swing at balls.โ
Redshirt junior first baseman Martin Vazquez (2-5, two home runs and one walk) set the tone for the Vaqueros offense by clubbing two home runs in his first two plate appearances.
Vazquez said he was โreally happyโ with the teamโs result and his performance in Austin.
โI think it was really fun playing in Texas and beating them,โ Vazquez said. โWe had support from some of our fans who drove up to Austin, so I think it was amazing to make history and contribute the way I did yesterday.โ
Redshirt junior starting pitcher Francisco โPacoโ Hernandez (3-3) started the game for the Vaqueros. He earned the win after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing three earned runs, striking out seven Longhorns and earning praise from Matlock, who said he had a โgreatโ start.
Hernandez was commanding his fastball effectively and mixed in his slider and change-up, which he said was โthe best [change-up] Iโve had so far.โ
โIt was a good start,โ he said. โI felt good and the team gave me a good start coming into the game, and it felt great.โ
Hernandez also said the team was โhypedโ after their victory, and โeverybody has a smile on their face.โ
After their historic win, the Vaqueros will look to use the momentum gained and carry it into the crucial stretch of upcoming conference matchups.
