Skyler Messinger surges into No. 2 Texas' first conference series

It hasn’t been the smoothest of rides this season for Texas third baseman Skyler Messinger. After electing to transfer from Kansas to Texas, Messinger earned a spot at the hot corner for the Longhorns at the very beginning of the season. While his defense was stout, he didn’t find much success in the batter’s box.

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Entering March, Messinger was batting .238. That mark dipped below .200 after the series loss to South Carolina in Columbia. His approach never changed during that time.

And now?

“He’s hitting .315 out of nowhere all of a sudden,” Texas pitcher Pete Hansen said Wednesday.

Messinger is playing more like the 2021 All-Big 12 second-team selection Longhorn head coach David Pierce landed from the transfer portal in mid-July. Entering the No. 2 Longhorns’ first Big 12 series at No. 16 Texas Tech this weekend, Messinger hopes his consistent approach will help Texas get conference play started on the right foot.

Originally from Niwot, Colo., Messinger rides a six-game hitting streak into Lubbock. He recorded multiple hits in four contests during that streak, including a 4-for-4 night in Texas’ most recent outing versus Central Arkansas. He’s slashing .315/.354/.425 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with 15 RBI for the season. He has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage when he’s not at the plate.

His season arc looks similar to 2021 center fielder Mike Antico‘s at this juncture. Antico, a St. John’s transfer, struggled mightily out of the gate before becoming an all-around threat at the top of the Texas lineup. For transfers, Pierce noted there is a sense of pressure to perform right away in order to prove they belong. He felt Messinger experienced that at the beginning of the year.

“Older guy,” Pierce said. “Been there, done that, but hasn’t been here and probably put some added pressure on himself. The one thing I really liked about him from day one is he’s working and he’s played great defense. As he’s struggled through the season, up to the last week, his character has shown to be really strong. I think that’s why you’re starting to see him come out of it.”

That pressure is something Messinger acknowledged on Wednesday.

“You want to come in, especially as a new guy on a team, and contribute,” Messinger said. “It’s tough to not do that. Just the desire to help the team and all that was definitely there.”

He mentioned he reached out to shortstop Trey Faltine and utilityman Murphy Stehly when he first committed to Texas. Those two helped him acclimate to Texas’ culture, and it’s a process his teammates said he went through successfully.

“He’s positive, and he comes with it each and every day,” catcher Silas Ardoin said. “He’s elite out there at third base. It’s very comfortable having him at third base and at the plate. He had a rough start, obviously, but he’s just getting better and better each and every day, and that’s because he puts in the work.”

Now, after adjustment periods in the fall and early spring, he’s become a player Pierce pencils into the lineup without hesitation.

Messinger said he came to Texas for several reasons. The first? To play in Omaha and have a chance to win a national championship. “No better place in the country to do that than here,” he said.

The second? To work with one of his childhood heroes in UT volunteer assistant Troy Tulowitzki.

“Growing up in Colorado and watching him play as a young kid, he was always who I tried to model my game after,” Messinger said. “Wanting to come here and work with him and learn from him was a huge factor for me.”

Work with Tulo, assistant coach Phillip Miller, the rest of the Texas staff, and his teammates has helped Messinger play his best ball as a Longhorn of late, and at no better time than at the start of Big 12 play.

“Just simplifying things and started to see the ball better,” Messinger said. “It’s been good.”

Smart pitching at Texas Tech

In recent years, Texas Tech baseball has posted gaudy hitting statistics during one of the most successful runs in program history. Talented Red Raider hitters like Jace Jung have graced the South Plains, but Tim Tadlock‘s club does benefit from a homefield advantage.

As Texas heads to Rip Griffin Park for a three-game set this weekend, the Longhorns know they’ll have to keep the ball down in the zone.

“We know Tech’s a good hitting team,” Hansen said. “For us, it’s always been just keep the ball down, keep it on the ground, and stay ahead of them. It’s really what we try to do every weekend. We’re not going to switch it up too much.”

TTU is batting .290 as a team, with Jung, a 2021 consensus All-American, leading the way slashing .388/.538/.650. Four other Red Raiders with at least 60 at bats are batting north of .300, and three players have already accounted for at least four home runs apiece led by Parker Kelly’s six.

But the way Rip Griffin Park is sized and situated does play a role. The West Texas wind blows steadily, with 20+ mph gusts expected over the weekend. That wind helps the 330-404-330 ballpark play much smaller than its dimensions, especially when it’s blowing south or west toward the outfield.

On Wednesday, Pierce said he wants his team to attack the zone and make the Red Raider offense earn their runs. In his mind, the solo home run won’t break his team’s back. Rather, walks and pitching behind in the count is the thing to avoid.

That sentiment was echoed with a pearl of wisdom from Pierce’s catcher.

“I’ve never seen a ground ball go over the fence,” Ardoin said.

The matchup at Texas Tech begins a week filled with rivalry games. After the Lubbock trip, Texas plays Texas A&M in Austin on Tuesday, then travels to Arlington, Texas for the baseball edition of the Red River Shootout at Globe Life Field.

They know they’ll face tough environments, and are ready for whatever comes their way.

“I look at it as an advantage of us growing together, and kind of just ‘us against the world,’” Pierce said. “And this group tends to feed off of that. They’re excited. I know they won’t back down from it.”

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

FRIDAY–Texas LHP Pete Hansen (4-0, 2.57) vs. Texas Tech RHP Andrew Morris (2-0, 4.84)

SATURDAY–Texas RHP Tristan Stevens (4-1, 1.17) vs. Texas Tech RHP Brandon Birdsell (3-1, 1.80)

SUNDAY–Texas LHP Lucas Gordon (1-1, 1.61) vs. Texas Tech LHP Mason Molina (1-2, 2.70)