Episode 350: Rally at the Disch with Ty Harrington, A Deep Dive into College Baseball's Return and Future Prospects

As the scent of fresh-cut grass and the crack of bats signal the return of college baseball, Ty Harrington and I, Shawn Clynch, bring you heartfelt tales and expert analysis straight from Arlington, Texas. We begin by strolling down memory lane at the historic Globe Life stadium, reminiscing on the exhilaration of the Shriners College Classic. Ty, with his dual expertise as a coach and commentator, shares his experiences, including his recent role as an emcee introducing baseball luminaries at a UT baseball preseason banquet. Our discussion then pivots to the raw unpredictability of baseball, underlined by the dramatics of UT's previous season's end.

The anticipation of opening day is unlike any other in sports, and we unwrap the emotions and traditions that make it so special for players and fans alike. We spotlight the University of Texas's lineup, where the likes of Peyton Powell and Porter Brown hold the promise of shaping the upcoming season. We delve into the psychology of the game, analyzing how a player's resilience, such as JT's, can turn initial challenges into pivotal moments of victory. The excitement is palpable as we dissect the preparation and mindset required to excel when the pressure mounts.

Zooming out to the collegiate baseball landscape, we examine the burgeoning potential of teams like Duke and Texas State, ready to etch their mark on the season. We dissect the strategic shifts caused by the transfer portal, the vitality of a robust bullpen, and the fresh dynamism brought by newcomers to programs like UT San Antonio. Finally, I can't hide my enthusiasm for an upcoming tournament brimming with top-tier teams, where coaches like Frank Anderson are set to weave their tactical magic. It's a celebration of the sport we adore, and as your hosts, Ty and I are thrilled to share our passion for baseball's vibrant community and the joyous arrival of a new season.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Hi, this is Sean Clench, the host of Stories Inside the Mankay Podcast, and this episode is brought to you by friends at Shoal Creek Saloon, your unofficial home to UT men's and women's basketball. And it's only well, some will argue. This is the best time of year. We are in the month of February. College baseball this is season opening week and you know he's my go-to guy on a lot of things, but Ty Harrington living the great retired life as a former successful college baseball coach, great players, well, from the University of Texas. But, ty, as you can hear, there is no comparison to the sound of that, a ping of those bats in college baseball. You and Arlington right now, tell us a little bit about what you're about to witness over the next three days.

Speaker 2: 1:17

Well, let's start with a couple things first, when you say I'm your go-to guy about something, I'm not really sure what that means. At some point I'm hoping it means baseball. So I'm going to stick with that Baseball, only strictly.

Speaker 2: 1:29

It's a story. It's a story. I'm sticking to it and then the other piece of it is and I'm going to show you where I'm at. I'm going to turn this around. You can hear it, you can see it, you can almost feel it, because it is really close to opening days. I'm going to show you a picture of what Globe Life in Arlington, texas, looks like today. Although you're practicing right now, you can see that it's getting starting to get that feel for baseball and you certainly can hear the metal bats, without any doubt. And the last time I saw this stadium well, first time for me in person, but the last time I saw this stadium, the Rangers were winning a world championship and you can see they've done a good job addressing it up around here. You know you win a world championship or national title. You're going to let everybody know about it, as you show.

Speaker 2: 2:15

And they're doing a great job with it. I'm so happy to be here and excited to be here with Flow Sports and doing a college Shriners College Classic I probably hold I might be the only one that can say this, so if I am, I'm going to say it anyway is that I'm probably the only one that has ever coached in it and then also done the announcing and or color commentating on it. So I'm going to stick with that and say that I am Now. If you know something different, I don't want to hear it right now, but go ahead, you point your finger at me.

Speaker 1: 2:46

That. No, that's a. I was just going to say you should put that on your resume under the list of accomplishments and achievements and, if you notice, on your name slug below. I also added MC talent. You just MC'd for the first time, which I find shocking. Don't let him fool you, it's just a natural. He MC'd the preseason dinner banquet show for UT baseball and he crushed it.

Speaker 2: 3:12

Well, I appreciate that those are kind words. I was kind of nervous. It was the first time I've ever done it and of course, my job that night was easy. You get to introduce, you know, one of the most quality coaches and most successful coaches and David Pierce and coach from UT. Now the next one I got to introduce was my college roommate.

Speaker 2: 3:31

Now, the fun part would have that would have been I'll get really stayed up there for about an hour and really gotten good with it and, but certainly getting the chance to you know, introduce one of my all time favorite people, greg Swindell, roommate and person who I've had a long time friendship with and then, last but not least, one of the greatest long horns of the ball. And so it wasn't necessarily that you know the MC did a great job. What he was doing. Introducing was pretty easy and you know when you start reading off accomplishments and stories and historic stories about, you know their greatness was easy and fun, but I appreciate the kind words I did.

Speaker 2: 4:11

After that, a week later, I went and did. I spoke at the leadoff dinner at University of Mary Harden-Baler, where one of my former teammates, todd Haney, is an assistant coach, and went and spoke to her at a great time and they've got such a beautiful campus right now. Oh my God. I mean Freddenburg Field football stadium was just gorgeous, and so it was exciting and fun. But I appreciate the kind words about the MC 100%, man.

Speaker 1: 4:42

If I have a banquet of any sort, if I'm on some committee, I'm going to the go to guy Ty Herrethin.

Speaker 2: 4:51

As long as it's not your funeral, my friend, I'm in.

Speaker 1: 4:53

No, no, no 40 years, brother, that's right. Hey, we got to give a quick shout out room. You see, on the upper left Show Creek Saloon the mud bogs have been affected by the drought but the volume of them are increasing weekly. They will boil them until they sell out. Sometimes they sell out after lunch. Go visit our friends at Show Creek Saloon and for honest plumbing and air.

Speaker 1: 5:19

It's a great time right now to get your HVAC and the maintenance done, or even purchase a new one, because you can get it for a cheaper rate than you would in the sage the lie. So color guys at honest up, ut baseball starts at home and for people who didn't follow it, this is a hard piece of video to watch how the season ended last year and I literally almost threw up on the floor. And what's going to show you about the eight seconds of how this season ended at the Stanford regional last time. And they don't spot it. Kennedy looking forward to the drops. Stanford wins. We love you all. You've seen a lot of bizarre things, but you've also seen some great moments in baseball. That has to be one of the most gut wrenching examples of how cruel baseball can be.

Speaker 2: 6:21

Yes, look there's when you're a baseball fan, a baseball coach you've been in this business. You're going to find a lot of ways to win games and those you remember. And then you're going to find bizarre ways, which happened, unfortunately, that night at the sunken diamond, that we get beat and unfortunately, in this business, as a coach, you end up remembering the ones we got beat a lot more than the ones that we won with. That are bizarre and just a tough thing. The game can be cruel. We all know that. We don't want to admit it sometimes, we don't want that to expose itself to us, but it's there and it can happen Anything. Things like that do happen. We'll happen again. That's not the last time that's ever going to happen to somebody you're pulling for. And I can remember sitting on my couch watching it and I was watching it, but listening to Craig Way on the radio and just broke my heart from all my mother and those players and for the coaches. And because I've said this before, I thought that last year, halfway through the season I think a lot of people were like man, are they going to be good enough to get even being an illegal? Are they going to be good enough to host a regional? Are they going to be able to do all the same? I thought the players the way they responded the second half of last year. And then they have to go win a champion, get a chance to win a big club championship at home against West Virginia, and they're able to somehow tough their way through it right With a great opponent and they find a way to be a part of the championship. And then, you know, then they get to a regional and win it and then they get to that point where they were.

Speaker 2: 8:05

I thought it was a tremendous coaching job. I thought it was a great effort by those young men and so many guys that had to be replaced, sean. And look, winning is hard, winning and succeeding is hard. It's expected at Texas. I totally get that, but it is hard. And when you got to replace, like they had to, so many from the year before and you know, I thought it was a sign of resiliency for those guys to play so well down the stretch and for something like that to happen at the end. You kind of, once in a while, look at the game. You go really.

Speaker 1: 8:37

Wait a minute what?

Speaker 2: 8:38

But it can happen and it just. It certainly can. And you stick around this game long enough. It's not if it's when something like that's going to happen and that kind of and you're not wrong because you and I both see it as a game.

Speaker 1: 8:45

It's not a game.

Speaker 2: 8:46

It's not a game. It's not a game. It's not a game.

Speaker 1: 8:47

It's not a game. It's not a game. It's not a game. It's not a game. And you're not wrong because you and I have both seen a lot of unique things in this game. But it's also really a rewarding game that when you're riding a high, you know it's very streaky and as you enter this season you alluded to it and I'll say the same thing I thought last year was the best coaching job by David Pierce, who enters his eighth season at Texas, and you said it at the kickoff or the first kickoff of the season. You know this man deserves nothing but praise for what he's done Followed a legend and they are still as relevant as they ever have been.

Speaker 1: 9:26

The Bender Cow's World Series three time they could have went last year with perhaps the biggest project, meaning putting all these pieces together. You look at these bullet points eight season you've got nine longhorns who are at least six feet four inches and you look and then they got the first eight games of the dish. They're not going to Arlington this year. Clearly you're there and maybe that's a good thing.

Speaker 2: 9:54

I don't know. You know every year they come here they don't play as well as they'd like to, but for the end results seem to be pretty good for them. And so you know I thought obviously we're here in Arlington too, but the reality is I get the key. You know you want to open it home here once, while they got a great opponent in San Diego this weekend that obviously, from a weather perspective, you're not getting a big team who hasn't been outside yet, you're getting a team that you know the weather is better than maybe ours at times, and so I think it's going to be an unreal series. I'm looking forward to it and I'm not doing games here and being able to, you know, put on Craig Way or the Longhorn Network and pay attention to what's going on there and at Texas State this weekend It'd be the first time for me to not be at a Texas State or Southwest Texas game opening days for the first time in 23 years. Wow and uh. That's almost as good as you are, almost.

Speaker 1: 10:55

Almost.

Speaker 2: 10:58

And so this is, you know, kind of a different you know timing for me, but again, I'm so excited to to the number of teams that are here at this thing. I'm going to tell you what. You draw a circle around this tournament here and you're going to find some sprinklers of Omaha teams that are going to be on this weekend, that's that one, and even at the minute made uh Astros classic.

Speaker 1: 11:23

They do a great job of, you know, trying to make sure it does a great job.

Speaker 2: 11:29

And you know, look, and and I gotta be honest with you, I'm sure there's probably some Longhorn fans which there are thousands of them that go to dishball field. You know every game, every time that gate opens up, they, you know, at a game, and, because that's what it's been like there historically for a long time, right and uh, is it? They're going to play at home? Yeah, ain't nothing wrong with that.

Speaker 1: 11:54

I didn't I didn't.

Speaker 2: 11:56

And I'm going to tell you something. I was just talking to one of our producers just a minute ago here and he was like well, what does opening day mean? And as a coach, you try to go well, it's just another game, right, it's just another day. That ain't true. As much as we would tell our players hey, it's opening day. There's more high fives, there's more handshakes, more hugs given out before the game.

Speaker 2: 12:21

On opening day, than any other game except playing for a national championship or a championship of some sort. And it's opening day. It's different, it just is different, and it's the sign of the beginning of a new season, the sign of an opportunity to get the season started. For all the effort that you've put in over the past year, year and a half, preparing for the new season, it's a time to see who are those guys are going to step towards this moment, who are going to be the guys that maybe don't embrace it just yet, but will in the future, and so you'll start to see a lot of different things in opening day. That creates this hey, this is what we've got to go work on, this is what we've got to go get better at. But more importantly, my friend, we've got to put on our stinking, your freaking uniform for real and put their name on the back of our shirts and let's go play for Key. And it's just a special day tomorrow.

Speaker 1: 13:15

It's opening day in baseball is just different than any other season opener in any other sport. In my opinion, and as we look at the audience, they look at this graphic and I'm going to pick out a few of the. I just made some bullet points. Preseason for UT you look at Peyton Powell and Porter Brown combined for 22 home runs. But the team has, in my opinion and you know a little bit more because you've been around it, you and I both friends with Coach Pierce, but you've had some conversations with him. Is this team leaning toward with the freshman from California and even Odell Thomas? Do they have a heavy presence of power in this lineup? Well, maybe.

Speaker 2: 14:10

Time's going to tell that. I don't know that answer right now. I would tell you that Peyton Powell, to me, is one of the most complete hitters. Porter Brown same way, jt the same way.

Speaker 2: 14:25

Now, all of them obviously left handed hitters and what they do a really good job of is they. Whether it's a left handed pitcher, right handed pitcher doesn't really matter. This splits are pretty good because those guys truly love the middle of the field. They have long at bats. They have the barrel stays in the hitting area really long time, which allows them to hit breakers or something running away from them A tremendous flexibility in the box to be able to reach stuff running down away from them. And they just they like the hit right. They like to be that guy that gets to put in spikes in between those white lines of that batter's box and big mullage. Go back and look at what they did over the year with RBI chances. These guys are a high number, high leverage hitters. I thought one of the most impressive ones with JT last year, even though he was a president, was struggling Ever since. February was rough on him.

Speaker 2: 15:25

And then we got to about mid-March, early March, and all of a sudden that barrel was staying in there longer. He started landing on some balls, striking balls back to the middle of the field, but all along that young man was absolutely attacking, attacking his defense, attacking, running the bases, attacking other ways to help contribute to his team winning. And he showed you a winning spirit about him. Instead of, you know, dropping his eyes and dropping his chin and putting his hands on his hip. He showed you a championship phase when he was struggling a little bit. And then, baby, here it came right. I mean, he got hot and, oh boy, say what now? From April on, that dude was just on fire.

Speaker 2: 16:05

And then again, those three left-handed hitters are guys that you can count on to have good at bats and good moments and can change a game, change a season, change a moment for you, because then they just grind at bats off of you and they don't chase, they don't get, they don't get out of the realm too much historically, and so it'll be. That's a great place for them to start, I think, in the middle of the field, trying to figure out the defense and perspective, and I think it's going to be creating great value for them too in their infield. And so they've got some questions, but that's the excitement of it and it's really, I'll say, questions. They've got some places they've got to refuel at and they certainly have done it. I think if you listen to their conversations, they're positive, they're excited, they're anxious, and when coaches and players sound like that, sean, that means they feel like they've got something going. They feel like they've got an opportunity to go do some great things.

Speaker 2: 17:08

And certainly you hear that and see it right and you sense it. You've got some young guys two California kids and you know the gas grino and farmer and guys that are high-talented guys. Right, need some maturity in those barrels. You know much like what JT had to do, yeah, right. And so you got to have some maturity in those barrels, getting them out there, getting them into those game situations and getting them used to 93 to 95 on a regular basis, which is what you're going to see in the big 12.

Speaker 2: 17:36

And, yeah, they've got every chance in the world to have a great club. And then, obviously, the returning LBJ was such a huge thing, and Hurley, with his experience, and you know, if you listen to them they'll throw you bits and pieces about they feel good about their bullpen and having some choices in the bullpen and being able to match up right and left. Got some guys back here, some other guys back that were out last year that are now back, and so it is. It should be exciting for them and there's opportunity out there, that's for sure, because you can see it, you can kind of sense it from them that they got a chance to go do some great things this year.

Speaker 1: 18:13

Let's take a leap away from Austin and the Longhorns. Who do you think if you were to guess right now? Not the jinx, anybody, because baseball is a very superstitious sport. If there's a program that you think anywhere in the country in Division I that could make a major leap this season, I'm going to say do. But people say that's not a major leap. I mean they were close to Omaha last year.

Speaker 2: 18:41

They were.

Speaker 1: 18:42

And, but they still have their pitching core, if I stand corrected.

Speaker 2: 18:46

Yeah, they do for the most part. Yeah, they do. I think it's a great choice. Well, I mean, you know, trying to trying to wade your way through the portal and the impact it has on some team and along with the new, you know, the incoming guys and freshmen, and weighing that, I mean it's always hard for me to say I, you know, I've been listening to Coach Wise talk about, you know from Oregon and they really, you know they were one out of way a year ago to go to Omaha and old Roberts upset them in Oregon and so you know I'm listening to him. The other day on the pre-interviews, he feels like 13,. He's in a great spot right now. Tony Vitello, the other day in his interview from Tennessee, you know he's got a great energy about him and you know what he thinks and how he thinks his club's going to be. And you know Cadlock was the same way. So beginning of the year, you start to hear these changes, and I'm saying those because I got to do interviews with those guys right, so I got to hear some of their. You know what they feel like the team's going to be like that. There's always that team in mind.

Speaker 2: 19:52

One of my favorites, you know, 30 miles down a road in San Marcos in Texas State, but I feel like they feel like they got a chance to be really good man I was, if they're lead off dinners. I'm so proud of Stephen Trout and you know his energy and what he does. I mean such an unreal man and great baseball guy staff. You know Chad Massagill, who played for me as well, and Jerry Cervantes, and those guys are just truly, I mean I couldn't be any more excited and proud of them, and particularly for Stephen, and he's got such an unbelievable energy about him and knowledge and they feel like they got a chance to be really good and they did.

Speaker 2: 20:33

The other day they said they got more pitching depth than they've ever had down there and they've had some portal plus happen for them. Are they able to get some guys and place some of the guys maybe even get better in the handful of spots, and so they feel really good about what they've got going on. So I think they've got a chance to be one of the teams that you were just talking about, to make another jump. You know, from that magical season they had a couple of years ago that ended at Stanford too. We've got to get them to send us somewhere else. That's it. I'm getting on a committee and I'm not allowing Texas and or Texas State to get sent to Stanford. I'm going to make that my commitment this year and we got to get us sent somewhere else.

Speaker 1: 21:08

You got to figure this out because the lighting there is different at night, you know. Just for a reminder for people Ty's not just saying that, because that was his employer for two decades and he helped build what that is that program is. Two years ago, Texas State was this close, this close to being an Omaha team and down the road, UT, San Antonio. They got another program which is trying to reach where Texas State has been. Yeah, and it's just on the I-35 corridor amazing baseball on the college level.

Speaker 2: 21:47

Well, let's just grow that and let's just say the great state of Texas, great, state of Texas in general.

Speaker 1: 21:54

That's right.

Speaker 2: 21:55

It's one of the greatest baseball high school baseball, travel baseball, select baseball, however you want to word it. I'm so proud of our state and you know and look, take this right way I'm truly a football guy. It just happened to go to baseball and I grew up. My dad was a high school college football coach. So I understand, appreciate football and the great state of Texas and let me tell you something this state and the type of baseball, amateur baseball players, improved baseball it's got in it is unbelievable and as a state as a whole, with our high school coaches, our newly coaches, our slight coaches, everybody that has such an impact on a college, such an impact on these young people and making them better, the end product that you're seeing in the great state of Texas is second to nobody in my opinion. Now, I'm biased, obviously, and will always be that way, but I'm sitting in here right now in road life and I'm watching, you know these teams get ready to play a game. I'm looking up the stands just probably 60, 70 scouts, and so you know the great state of Texas is a baseball state as well and I'm excited, proud to have been a part of it for a long time in my life and certainly look forward to trying to extend it by doing what I'm doing now on the media side or on the TV radio side of it, and it's fun. I'm going to tell you what man. You go, put together an all-star team, come into this state and you could travel around here and play some great baseball with these guys. Oh, my God, you know. And so I'm excited for the state of baseball and the state of Texas, and I'm going to tell you this right now. I've got a few more minutes in here and I got to get back to work Real work. This is the fun part. And now all of the Texas ones made quite a breakthrough. I mean I'm listening. Let me tell you what my day's been like.

Speaker 2: 23:47

I walk into global life. The very first person I see is Darren Thomas, who used me to echo, to ETR, and then, you know, mitch Thompson walks in behind him. I get to hug both those guys and I'm looking out here right now watching one of my longest friends in baseball and Skip Johnson and throw BP. He's still got a good arm. I said didn't know it was kind of slowed over to lean over a little bit, not quite as high as it used to be on top, and so there's hey. So, man, look at this guy right here. I mean Todd Butler, who's a long time head coach and assistant at Arkansas, and his backwood Skip staff, and I'll see Rob Childress later on tonight and back on the staff at Nebraska, and so this is like you know, I'm like sitting at a family reunion and with a beer in my hand, just listening to everybody and watching everybody. So that is where I where my current situation, I'm thinking is on people on social media, I'd like to put it and, and so I'm, I'm enjoying myself.

Speaker 1: 24:51

All right, that's, that's good company. All those names you tell Skip. We said hello, he's. He's had the invitation to become, he's tried to become a member of the Mankay VIP alumnus club. Yeah, we're just our schedules have crossed, yeah.

Speaker 2: 25:08

I think he's busy. He's a little busy.

Speaker 1: 25:10

He's a little busy and he's done a good job at Oklahoma. With what they have, he has done a fantastic job.

Speaker 2: 25:20

Hey man, they're playing for the national championship.

Speaker 1: 25:23

They did.

Speaker 2: 25:24

They were playing on this. And you know that's not everybody gets to play the national championship game.

Speaker 1: 25:30

my friend, you got to win a lot of games to reach that championship series and you got to win two more. That's correct. It is, that's correct, my brother. We're going to let you enjoy it and get paid to have fun and catch, catch, go, subscribe to the Globe Life Classic. I think it's a little sport. Yeah, close sports.

Speaker 2: 25:52

It's an Austin company and, um, get on there, man.

Speaker 2: 25:56

I met some of the crew, some of the producers what Lucas has to use producer used to produce at Texas State, which is how I got involved with this. And, man, I've gotten a chance to know some of the other just Matt, you know, and people they're going to be directing and putting it down for Nona and some other people putting this together. I'm fired up to be here. I'm proud to be here, truthfully and truly feel excited and lucky to be here amongst his baseball stuff, which is what I grew up doing, and it's going to be a great tournament. You're looking at Oregon, Nebraska, ou, fader, texas Tech and Tennessee, and so it's just going to be an exciting tournament, obviously, and a lot of great baseball and, like I said, I'm going to be excited to be a part of it. But the best thing about tomorrow or tonight at midnight am my friend. It is college baseball and it is here and we're ready to roll and we're going to roll all the way almost till July, and so I'm excited.

Speaker 1: 27:01

Yeah, you got to give. You got to give a hug to old Frank Anderson too, the pitching coach. I can do that my own. Let me tell you one.

Speaker 2: 27:08

He's special and he's a special guy and a special pitching guy and I'll tell you what I'll tell you. Right now I'm at two of the two of the best pitching guys in the modern era time of college baseball. Frank Anderson's give down.

Speaker 1: 27:24

And they're right there.

Speaker 2: 27:25

They're better ones, I'm sure, but in my opinion, for the guys of modern era that I was coaching and playing and these guys were two of the top ones in college baseball and they're going to be here this weekend- and they are both coached at UK under August.

Speaker 1: 27:44

Amazing. But, brother, have fun, stay hydrated and they're in room temperature.

Speaker 2: 27:53

I can do that I will do my best and I'll tell you what when I get back with me and it's so treat we're going to have a beer let's go, we'll break down the weekend, my friend.

Speaker 1: 28:03

It's on me. It's on me, of course, my friend. Hey, and don't let anybody tell you differently. Man, I don't know whether you're a better coach or a better announcer. It's 50-50. I don't know. I'll tell you what I'm going to do?

Speaker 2: 28:17

I'm just going to take it anyway. I want to take that and I'm going to just burn off for that, to feel good about it. I want everybody else to decide how they want to take it.

Speaker 1: 28:25

So anyway, all right, happy opening day, hey, happy opening day, opening weekend. And for the Ty Harrington, the OG, man cave boys that being hardball hards, big mic and coach Mo, we are out.