AS ANOTHER season of promise turned into one of disappointment — with the Longhorns missing the NCAA tournament for the second-consecutive season — the baseball team dis- covered a silver lining.
Freshman infielder C.J. Hinojosa is the building block for Texas’ future. His .298 average was the third-best on the team this season, with two walkoff hits by mid-March.
And while Mark Payton and Erich Weiss (who hold the team’s top two averages, respec- tively) determined whether…
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to pursue profes- sional careers, Hinojosa will remain on campus for two more years.
“C.J.’s an old baseball soul,” head coach Au- gie Garrido said. “He knows the game, knows how to play and has good instincts.”
Hinojosa committed to Texas during his sophomore year of high school, with plans to graduate early and join the Longhorns in spring 2012. But because the additional academic work- load was too much to handle, he returned to Klein Collins High School to play out his senior season.
That was the plan until a shoulder injury shut him down midway through the season.
“It was a life-changing experience,” Hino- josa reflected. “I was a down-to-earth guy be- fore, but [not being able to play] humbled me. I learned that things can be taken away in the blink of an eye. And in this case, I had baseball taken away from me.”
A clean bill of health gave Hinojosa clearance to play as a freshman. As the Longhorns struggled to put runs on the board, he hovered around the .300 line all season — one of three full-time starters who regularly delivered at the plate.
“As soon as I knew I could return to the field, I set my goals high — so high some thought they’d be unreachable,” he said. “This season, and to play at this level, has been a blessing.”
Now Hinojosa will work toward matching — and improving — his numbers.
As Weiss can vouch, that’s a difficult task, giv- en the added pressure of serving as the run-creator in the heart of the order.
“The first few weeks I was hitting .200,”Weiss said of his sophomore season. The junior led the team in hitting during his freshman campaign. “It was a learning experience. I was afraid I wouldn’t have a repeat year; I thought I had to carry the team.”
Hinojosa has a different approach, one that might help him swat away rising expectations.
“We’ve got guys coming in next season who could easily take my spot,” he said. “I have to work on every part of my game — everything.”
In Garrido’s five most recent trips to Omaha, the shortstop carried the team. Bran- don Loy hit .342 in 2011 and .288 in 2009. Seth Johnston hit .278 in 2005 and .296 in 2004. Omar Quintanilla batted .344 in 2003. The Longhorns will need Hinojosa and his bat to bring them back to the College World Series.
“I’m training to be the best shortstop in col- legiate baseball,” Hinojosa said. “And it’s going to be fun.”
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