UTRGV beats Texas Longhorns after 5 decades
Victoria Gonzalez | Vaquero Radio
The UTRGV Baseball Team won against the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns last Tuesday for the first time in 53 years at the UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
This victory breaks a 48-game losing streak for the Vaqueros against UT Austin, being the first time the Longhorns fell against UTRGV since May 30, 1968.
UTRGV surpassed their previous record high of 12 runs documented on May 27, 1973, paving the way to reach a peak mark of 17 runs.
UTRGV baseball head coach Derek Matlock expressed how every time the team goes against UT Austin, he makes sure he has the best strategies available to try to win.
“And to beat, you know, one of the most historical college baseball programs in the country, you know, it’s always hard to do,” Matlock said. “And it’s always a good feeling when you do it.”
Matlock said this victory was good for the Rio Grande Valley because this puts UTRGV on the map in the baseball world.
With the pressure of success taking over the team’s mental state, Matlock said the mindset he teaches his players is, “It’s not who you play, it’s how you play.”
“You really need to focus on yourself,” he said. “And not worry about the other team and what you can’t control.”
Redshirt junior infielder Issac Lopez helped guide the team to prevail with a 2-run home run during the sixth inning to make the score 15-1.
Lopez said the only difference separating both teams is who can play the game better.
“You just take every team with the same approach and just try to play the best baseball you can play,” Lopez said. “And [you] can’t control the results, but you can only control like the work you put in and the effort you put in.”
Before the game, UTRGV faced a lot of media backlash on various social media platforms with people underestimating the team’s ability to walk away with a victory.
Even after emerging as champions, the media still kept downplaying the Vaquero’s success.
Matlock shared that he does not care about the negative comments made by the media.
“I care about my team,” he said. “That’s my priority, worrying about our guys and our program. I don’t give one second or one thought of what they say about us.”
This is Victoria Gonzalez for Vaquero Radio.
