The University of Texas is a constant fixture in the College World Series, qualifying for the tournament six of the last ten years. Due to the Longhorns’ often-extended seasons, waiting several weeks for the UT players’ first appearance in a Santa Barbara Foresters uniform has become tradition.
Foresters’ head coach Bill Pintard and Longhorns’ coach Auggie Garrido are longtime friends. Garrido has the most wins of any coach in NCAA Baseball history, and is the first to win National Championships with two different teams. A California native, Gorrida won titles with both Cal State Fullerton and Texas. He has said that he sends his best talent to Santa Barbara because that is where his players get better.
The Foresters have a long list of Texas standouts who have seamlessly made the transition from Austin to Santa Barbara. Sam Stafford, the Foresters’ ace last summer, and Brandon Loy, the starting shortstop, both had stellar seasons for Texas this spring and will play professionally next year. Stafford was drafted in the second round by the Yankees and Loy was taken in the fifth round by the Tigers.
This year’s group of Texas talent has created a buzz in the clubhouse upon their arrival.
Christian Summers is a shortstop coming off his freshman year where he saw limited playing time behind Brandon Loy. Summers is Loy’s heir apparent at the position for next spring in Austin. A stand out in high-school in San Angelo, Texas, Summers batted .429 his senior year and was named the All-West Texas MVP.
University of Texas pitcher Austin Dicharry tossed a pair of scoreless innings for the Foresters in his Santa Barbara debut.
Summers was thrown immediately into the line-up upon his arrival, playing his first game as a Forester this past Tuesday. Summers had an immediate impact on defense with a spectacular leaping grab in his first outing, and had his first home run for the Foresters in the next game against the MLB Academy Barons.
Austin Dicharry is a junior right-handed pitcher from Spring, Texas. Dicharry was Stafford’s high school teammate and Team MVP at Klein Collins, a school with a storied baseball program. After having two productive seasons in his freshman and sophomore years, Dicharry was sidelined for much of his junior season due to shoulder tendonitis.
He made his first appearance for the Foresters Wednesday night against the MLB Academy Barons, where he allowed just one hit and no runs in two innings of work.
Kirby Bellow is a freshman left-handed pitcher from Nederland, Texas. Bellow earned All-State honors from the Texas Sportswriters Association as both a pitcher and first-baseman at Nederland High School. He was productive in the little time he saw on the mound in his first season as a Longhorn, and pitched three innings of shut-out ball in his first start.
Bellow also made his Foresters debut Wednesday night against the Barons, coming in to relieve Dicharry. Bellow struck out three batters and allowed one run on three hits in two innings of work.
Hoby Milner is a sophomore southpaw from Fort Worth, Texas. In his senior year at Paschal High School, Milner had a 9-2 record as a pitcher and hit .559. Exclusively a pitcher at UT, Milner had a breakout year in his second season as a Longhorn. He was 7-4 with a 2.45 ERA in 32 appearances during the 2011 season.
Milner has yet to join the Foresters and is currently playing with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
