40 Acres Sports

Nice summary of Game 1 of the CWS.

A collection of links to the Google Maps of almost all the Big XII football stadiums.

I’ll be live blogging Texas’ first game of the College World Series. Updates on the game as well as my thoughts on how things are going. The game is on ESPN TV or you can follow along online at NCAASports.com.

The Omaha song this year sucks. Back Home to Omaha was catchy and had good lyrics, this year’s version blows.

Top 1st

People leads off with a solid base hit. Stubbs moves him over with a sacrifice bunt. Runner in scoring position with only one out, good start. The Horns have lost to Baylor four times already this year and it’s important they start off well.

Home run Seth Johnston. That was a monster shot. Baylor’s pitcher, McCormick, left a meat ball right over the middle and he crushed it. Texas is up two quickly and easily.

Walk to Round Rock’s Chance Wheeless. I bet he weighs 30 more pounds than he did as a senior in high school, he was a skinny sucker. Runner on first and one out. Texas needs to jump on the Bears now before they get settled in.

2 outs. McCormick just about broke his leg but he got the curve ball across to strike out Crouch. Carson Kainer up to bad. Grounds out to second to end the inning.

After half an inning, the Horns are up two. Good to get a fast start but they’ve got to keep the momentum. The games Texas lost in the CWS last year were almost all full of wasted chances by the Horns. Texas must play good fundamental baseball and take advantage of their scoring opportunities.

Bottom 1st

Adrian Alaniz on the mound for Texas. Been solid all year long. Throw strikes and take advantage of this lead.

Infield hit for Baylor’s Griffin. Maroul should have let that one by. No way he throws out a speedy runner on a play like that, a third baseman is supposed to get every ball he can but in that case he’s got to let Johnston get it and see if he can make a play.

Baylor plays a little small ball like Texas did and sacrifices the runner to second. Ford grounds out and the runner advances to third.

Pretty generous outside corner from the ump, both pitchers should pound it in there over and over again if he’s going to call that all night. Maroul ran about a mile and almost made a good play on a foul pop, lots of area in foul ground here.

I don’t know where Peoples was playing Dillon, but he had to run forever to catch a soft fly ball down the right field line. Barely got there in time but made the catch and Baylor strands a runner at third.

(more …)

The rumors are no longer rumors, [tag]Kevin Durant[/tag] has officially committed to play for the Texas Longhorn basketball program.

This is the biggest commitment ever for the Longhorns. T.J. Ford was a highly sought after recruit nationally and did much to turn the program into what it is now. Ford made it okay for Texas high school prep stars to stay in state to play college basketball. Durant will do that on a national scale. He’s the highest rated player to ever commit to play for the Horns. The 6’9″ small forward has drawn comparisons to Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady with his ability to shoot from the outside, handle the basketball, and drive to the hoop. His offensive game is more polished than other player coming out of high school this year and should make an immediate impact at Texas.

But if Kevin Durant is so talented and polished, will he ever actually step foot on campus in Austin or is he headed straight for the NBA? Well right now it’s looking pretty good for the Longhorns. Durant appears to be excited about the opportunity to play at Texas. He has said he hopes to win a national title for the Longhorns and hopes to convince fellow blue chippers Darrell Arthur and D.J. Augustin to join him.

Another factor in Texas’ favor is that the proposed NBA minimum-age rule looks more and more like it will be part of the next collective bargaining agreement. A minimum age of 19 would mean Durant would have to spend at least one year in school. Though the league and the players’ union are at odds in several areas, this appears to be one area where both side are in some agreement.

With Rick Barnes pulling off the biggest recruiting coup in program history, the football team coming off a Rose Bowl victory and already reeling in 21 commitments with eight months to go, baseball and softball teams making it to the world series, and a recent track national championship, Longhorn sports teams are having a fantastic first half of 2005. Hopefully they finish the year off as well as they’ve started.

Scout.com is reporting that Kevin Durant, the nation’s top SF prospect, will commit to play basketball at Texas tomorrow. Stay tuned…

Longhorn b-ball commit CJ Miles‘ dad is saying he will remain in the NBA draft and not attend Texas.

Texas plays Baylor Saturday at 6pm.

The Longhorns are off to a blazing start on the recruiting scene this season, now they’ve added a much needed QB in Arlington’s Sherrod Harris.

Former Longhorn closer Huston Street is keeping a diary of his first year in the big leagues for ESPN.com. Be sure to check out the archives.

They’re finally replacing the ancient scoreboard out UT’s Disch-Falk Field.