Longhorns Country

Pair of Longhorns Earn Weekly Big 12 Baseball Honors

The duo carried the Longhorns to an undefeated week with their performances.

Connor Zimmerlee

The Texas Longhorns (6-1) entered their second weekend series of the season against the Cal Poly Mustangs with a couple simple goals in mind. Sweep all three games in dominant fashion to extend their winning streak and get closer to firing on all cylinders.

Well, both of those goals were accomplished and then some, thanks in large part to the performances of Friday night starter Lebarron Johnson Jr. and third baseman Peyton Powell. For their efforts they were named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week, respectively. 

Starting the series off on the mound for the Longhorns and looking like the staff ace he is, Johnson twirled a gem in the opener. Keeping the Cal Poly lineup guessing and off-balance all night long, the powerful right-hander was a forced to be reckoned with. 

LBJ CP '24

He allowed only two hits and three free passes (two walks and a hit by pitch), striking eight across eight shutout innings. His dominance on the mound set the tone for the rest of the staff to sweep the Mustangs without allowing a single run.

Offensively, a heavy portion of the load was carried by Powell and his continued red-hot start to the season. Practically seeing a beach ball at the plate, the third baseman was dialed in from the first game. 

Kicking off his week in a midweek contest against the Houston Christian Huskies, he went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and his second home run of the season. He kept that momentum rolling into the series against Cal Poly and went 6-for-13 with a pair of home runs in the finale and five total RBI. 

These honors were the first of the young season for both Johnson and Powell, however they certainly won't be the last. The duo will play a key role in the Longhorns' success in 2024 as they aim to make it back to Omaha for the school's 39th College World Series appearance. 

Longhorns Notebook: No. 16 Texas Blanks Cal Poly in Three-Game Sweep

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Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media. 

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