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Diagnosing the Disch: Get to know Ethan Mendoza

by:EvanVieth•about 9 hours
Ethan Mendoza
Ethan Mendoza

Texas baseball has had one glaring issue on their depth chart for the majority of the David Pierce era: finding a long-term starter at the second base position.

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After the Covid-shortened season, Pierce had a plan at second. Mitchell Daly was one of the best infielders in the state of Alabama in the class of 2021, and Pierce mostly gave Daly the keys to the position as a true freshman. This 2021 team eclipsed 50 wins and made a run at the College World Series title, and Daly was solid. A .924 OPS in conference play was fourth on the team, and his glove was quality as well. He seemed like a true hit in recruiting for Pierce.

But as 2022 came around, Daly slowly began to struggle. The middle infielder continued to consistently see the lineup, but his inconsistent bat led to him being stuck at the nine spot in the order for most of the season. By the time the East Carolina regional came around, Daly’s duties had been almost completely nullified in favor of Murphy Stehly, a better bat but someone who was mostly a right fielder in his time at Texas.

By 2023, Daly had been moved to shortstop with Jack O’Dowd sliding into the starting second base role. The illusion of choice defined these two second baseman. O’Dowd was a .222 hitter in Big 12 play, the worst starting batter outside of Daly himself. After that season, Daly transferred to Kentucky, and O’Dowd competed with Dee Kennedy in 2024. Neither of those players eclipsed a .700 OPS, and with O’Dowd graduating and Kennedy transferring, the second base position from 2023 was completely gone.

But there is a silver lining to this conundrum on the right side of the infield. With the hiring of Jim Schlossnagle, Texas was able to hit the rest button at the position. Rising junior Jayden Duplantier stuck around and will provide great depth and pinch running threat, but the starter this season will be Arizona State transfer Ethan Mendoza.

Mendoza joins a group of players including Easton Winfield, Kade Bing, Thomas Burns and others that explain the philosophy Schlossnagle took in the portal in his limited time to recruit players after his hiring. Mendoza, like the aforementioned group, is a true sophomore who was a key contributor on his team as a freshman, starting 49 games with a .315 average and an OPS north of .800 for the Sun Devils. Mendoza heads east to Texas with big game experience, but also three more years of eligibility.

With Mendoza, Schlossnagle hopes to avoid what persisted in Austin the four years prior. Mendoza is the penciled-in starter from day one, and will give the Longhorns consistency and speed from the nine spot in the order, where he is likely to bat.

The Southlake Carroll product was one of the more under-the-radar signings of the process for Schlossnagle, at least compared to Winfield and starter Jared Spencer, but Mendoza may be one of the most important players Schlossnagle has brought in. With Jalin Flores likely gone after this season, Texas needed a long-term plan for the middle infield. With Mendoza and freshmen infielders Carson Luna and Adrian Rodriguez, the Longhorns should have a solid plan in place for the future at past positions of need.

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