3 Longhorns earn Freshman All-America honors
The No. 2 Texas baseball team got two pieces of great news to start the week: not only did the Longhorns knock off Tennessee, 8-4, to eliminate the Volunteers and advance to face the winner of Virginia and Mississippi State, but Aaron Nixon and Tanner Witt were named to the Perfect Game Freshman All-America team.
Monday’s announcement raises to three the number of first-year Longhorns to receive national recognition; redshirt freshman pitcher Pete Hansen earned Freshman All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
Witt, who threw 5-2/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win over Tennessee and improve his record to 5-0, was named to Perfect Game’s First Team. His appearance against the Volunteers was his team-leading 27th of the season. His 2.75 earned run average is fifth-best on the UT pitching staff, and his five saves this season trail only Nixon’s team-leading eight. His 73 strikeouts rank fourth on the team, trailing Hansen by one and starter Tristan Stevens by two, and opponents are batting just .195 against him.
Nixon’s work out of the Texas bullpen landed him on Perfect Game’s Second Team. He has a 3-3 record this season, and a 2.35 ERA, which ranks third among UT hurlers. He has 34 strikeouts and has surrendered just eight walks in 30-2/3 innings this season, and opponents are batting .216 against him.
