Through the 8.2 innings he was on the mound, junior Aaron Garza sported a focus normally associated with tasks much more serious than college baseball. The tall and lanky junior right hander put up a career-high seven strikeouts through his longest effort of the season on the elevated stage at Minute Maid Park.
The 9-0 win against No. 26 Texas Tech in the opening match of the 2014 Houston College Classic puts UH at 8-0 for the season and highlights another performance by a UH pitching staff that has its fifth shutout in eight games. Behind the shutout pitching of Garza and senior righthanded reliever Tyler Ford, UH is off to their best start since 1993. Garza’s performance, numerical quality aside, is something he prides himself on given what how he classified his early career
“The first couple of year I wasn’t that competitive,” said Garza. “I was just kind of out there and almost just going through the motions.”
Now sitting at 3-0, there is little doubt that the managerial ministrations of head coach Todd Whitting and assistant coach Frank Anderson have helped raise Garza’s competitive metabolism.
“He was outstanding on the mound,” said Whitting on Garza’s effort. “He’s been extremely consistent this year, he’s pounding the zone with all his pitches and he’s extremely competitive.”
Garza, who did not issue a single walk, credited his slider with his success.
“Once early in the counts when I commanded my slider for strikes, I was able to blow them away later in the count,” said Garza. “Most teams might not want to sit on a slider unless it’s for a strike, but I was throwing it for a strike, after that it was two-seam (fastball) in.”
With the pitching staff a so-far potent weapon, the UH offense took the opening game as a chance to step up, particularly with sophomore outfielder Ashford Fulmer, who hit his first homerun of the season and redshirt senior Jacob Luenenerb, the game’s designated hitter who put in three RBIs on three hits. UH batters put up eight runs in the seventh inning.
“I thought early in the game we were having good at-bats and we going to cash in on them at some point,” said Whitting. “Today was won on hustle. Hustle plays win games.”
With two games left in the tournament, Saturday at 3:35pm against Texas and TCU at 5:05pm on Sunday, the team is focused on the baseball axiom of one at a time.
“We’re only looking forward to the next game and that’s it,” said Lueneberg.
