Is it worth laying the big wood with this guy??
Simmons to start Wednesday for Texas
Longhorn pitcher will face winner of today's Georgia-Arizona game
By Cedric Golden
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
OMAHA, Neb. -- With a myriad of pitching options after a 2-0 start at the College World Series, Texas pitching coach Tom Holliday did not hesitate when asked who would start in Wednesday's Bracket One final.
"It will be Justin," he said.
It has been nearly three weeks since Justin Simmons last pitched, and nearly a month since he and teammate J. Brent Cox were arrested on public intoxication charges in Arlington, then subsequently suspended and reinstated by Coach Augie Garrido.
Add to that the revelation two weeks ago that Simmons had been named as a defendant in a civil suit that alleges he raped a 16-year-old girl when he was 18 (four years ago, before he enrolled at Texas), and it's been a turbulent postseason off the field for the Texas senior.
His legal issues notwithstanding, Simmons said he is ready to do what he does best: pitch.
"All those other things aren't affecting me," Simmons said Monday. "Those are things you deal with at the time and I've put all of that behind me."
The senior left-hander has come back strong this year after suffering through a 5-6 campaign as a junior. Two years after the consensus All-American led the Longhorns to a national championship with a 16-1 record, Simmons put up a 10-3 record and a 4.21 earned run average as the No. 3 starter behind J.P. Howell and Sam LeCure.
"(Simmons) has had a tough last few weeks," teammate Curtis Thigpen said. "His experience and maturity have allowed him to stay focused and confident, and I know he'll be ready for this."
With Texas awaiting the winner of today's elimination game between Georgia and Arizona, Garrido and Holliday are just hoping Simmons can give them four or five solid innings, then let a deep bullpen take over late.
That would allow Texas to save Howell and LeCure for the best-of-three championship series that begins Saturday. That strategy, however, is dependent upon a Texas victory on Wednesday.
If Texas loses, Howell likely would get the start in Thursday's elimination game, and LeCure would start the championship opener if Texas makes it.
"If you look at the structure of the tournament, this game is a turning point," Holliday said. "Whoever survives (between Georgia and Arizona) will have to start their No. 1 guy against us. Then, if they won, they would have to come back the next day with their No. 4. They're playing an extra game and we're going with a 10-game winner who pitched in the national championship game two years ago."
Simmons said he does not expect to be rusty given that his last real game action came on June 4, when he threw seven innings of eight-hit ball in a 10-3 win over Youngstown State at the Austin Regional opener.
The former Duncanville star has fared well in past CWS games, including a win in the 2002 title clincher against South Carolina. Last year, he gave up three earned runs over four innings of a 12-2 loss to eventual national champion Rice.
Simmons said he has stayed sharp by pitching in scrimmages against his teammates, and is excited about his return to the mound.
"It's still 60 feet and 6 inches from the mound to the plate," he said. "It's what I've done all my life."
Simmons to start Wednesday for Texas
Longhorn pitcher will face winner of today's Georgia-Arizona game
By Cedric Golden
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
OMAHA, Neb. -- With a myriad of pitching options after a 2-0 start at the College World Series, Texas pitching coach Tom Holliday did not hesitate when asked who would start in Wednesday's Bracket One final.
"It will be Justin," he said.
It has been nearly three weeks since Justin Simmons last pitched, and nearly a month since he and teammate J. Brent Cox were arrested on public intoxication charges in Arlington, then subsequently suspended and reinstated by Coach Augie Garrido.
Add to that the revelation two weeks ago that Simmons had been named as a defendant in a civil suit that alleges he raped a 16-year-old girl when he was 18 (four years ago, before he enrolled at Texas), and it's been a turbulent postseason off the field for the Texas senior.
His legal issues notwithstanding, Simmons said he is ready to do what he does best: pitch.
"All those other things aren't affecting me," Simmons said Monday. "Those are things you deal with at the time and I've put all of that behind me."
The senior left-hander has come back strong this year after suffering through a 5-6 campaign as a junior. Two years after the consensus All-American led the Longhorns to a national championship with a 16-1 record, Simmons put up a 10-3 record and a 4.21 earned run average as the No. 3 starter behind J.P. Howell and Sam LeCure.
"(Simmons) has had a tough last few weeks," teammate Curtis Thigpen said. "His experience and maturity have allowed him to stay focused and confident, and I know he'll be ready for this."
With Texas awaiting the winner of today's elimination game between Georgia and Arizona, Garrido and Holliday are just hoping Simmons can give them four or five solid innings, then let a deep bullpen take over late.
That would allow Texas to save Howell and LeCure for the best-of-three championship series that begins Saturday. That strategy, however, is dependent upon a Texas victory on Wednesday.
If Texas loses, Howell likely would get the start in Thursday's elimination game, and LeCure would start the championship opener if Texas makes it.
"If you look at the structure of the tournament, this game is a turning point," Holliday said. "Whoever survives (between Georgia and Arizona) will have to start their No. 1 guy against us. Then, if they won, they would have to come back the next day with their No. 4. They're playing an extra game and we're going with a 10-game winner who pitched in the national championship game two years ago."
Simmons said he does not expect to be rusty given that his last real game action came on June 4, when he threw seven innings of eight-hit ball in a 10-3 win over Youngstown State at the Austin Regional opener.
The former Duncanville star has fared well in past CWS games, including a win in the 2002 title clincher against South Carolina. Last year, he gave up three earned runs over four innings of a 12-2 loss to eventual national champion Rice.
Simmons said he has stayed sharp by pitching in scrimmages against his teammates, and is excited about his return to the mound.
"It's still 60 feet and 6 inches from the mound to the plate," he said. "It's what I've done all my life."
