Pete Hansen received run support vs. KU. Was it his last start at the Disch?

Considering his draft-eligible status, there is a chance Thursday’s contest was Texas left-hander Pete Hansen’s final start at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, though neither Hansen nor Texas head coach David Pierce seemed to notice.

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Pierce said he didn’t even think of that being the case until he was asked about it after Texas’ 12-4 win over the Kansas Jayhawks. That was evident when he brought in Travis Sthele with little fanfare to replace Hansen for the seventh inning. Pierce had little time to put together impromptu yet gracious thoughts on what Hansen meant not to just the 2022 Longhorns, but his teams in 2021 and 2020.

Why hadn’t either paid the topic much attention? Both believe Texas can earn an opportunity to play games this postseason at the Disch, and the win over the Jayhawks was step one in the process of keeping that hope alive.

“I definitely believe we have a great chance,” Pierce said. “I think we have to take care of business the next two games and I do think we have to make a little run in the tournament just for RPI reasons. And where we finish, I think you can host as the No. 4 in the Big 12. I really do.”

Hansen, who improved to 9-1 on the year with his 6.0-inning outing where he allowed four earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk, admittedly wasn’t at his finest. He surrendered all four runs scored by the Jayhawks in the game. The first came from three-straight two-out singles in the third, the second from a sac fly in the fourth, and the last two via a two-run bomb crushed by Nolan Metcalf in the sixth.

Though he wasn’t at his best, he pitched in a way fairly reminiscent of his previous two seasons at Texas. His low 90s fastball was spotted with his typical consistency. His changeup drew weak half-swings. His curve confused batters up and down the lineup.

Hansen was set to move into the third starter role in 2020 before COVID-19 ended the season. Then in 2021, his own bout with COVID and other injuries limited his opportunities to simply throw a baseball during important preseason build-up time. He worked his way back to being effective, never lighting up the radar gun with high velocity.

“I’m a pitcher where I’m going to keep my velo and be pretty consistent,” Hansen said. “I’ve designed that with my strength coach, especially just to keep my figure, keep my shape, and we’ve obviously done that the past couple of years with Tristan (Stevens) and Ty (Madden) not missing a single start last year. I think it shows the work we put in and the care our support staff gives us.”

Said Pierce: “I think he’s done everything you could ask from a starting pitcher up to this point. He’s been great at the Disch. I think the fans have been great for him and to him, and I think he really appreciates that.”

Similarly, Hansen got everything he could ask for from the Texas offense on Thursday.

The Longhorns scored four runs in the third on RBIs from Austin Todd, Silas Ardoin, and Mitchell Daly. After Kansas’ fourth-inning sac fly, Ivan Melendez responded with home run No. 27, one short of the program record. A few batters later, Daly knocked a grand slam out of the park to give Hansen plenty of run support.

“It’s a really long lineup, and I think a lot of teams respect that,” Daly said. “We pride ourselves on grinding out ABs and having good ABs, so it’s cool to see.”

That long lineup has helped Hansen at several junctures throughout his career, whether he was regaining strength in a Tuesday night role, pitching in relief, or serving as Texas’ ace. Though he believes Texas will play postseason baseball in Austin, he was fully appreciative of the Texas fanbase.

“If it is (my last home game), it’s a tough feeling just because I love this place and I love these fans,” Hansen said. “But I think we will host a regional and get one more chance here.”

In relief of Hansen, Sthele struggled mightily before Tristan Stevens stranded the bases loaded via two strikeouts to end the Jayhawk seventh. Jared Southard and Aaron Nixon each recorded scoreless innings to close out the game one win for the Longhorns.

Texas sends Lucas Gordon to the mound tomorrow to attempt to take the series with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.