Jonah Williams was given his first start for the Texas Longhorns on Friday night, and the two-sport star delivered in grand style. The 27-year-old finished the game with a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs in a win.
Jonah Williams Delivers in Debut, Earns Starting Role and Sparks Hope in Left Field for Texas
Williams’ impressive performance has quickly endeared him to the heart of coach Jim Schlossnagle, who stated that the left-handed hitter and thrower will remain in the starting lineup going forward. Williams was instrumental in the 8-3 victory against a strong Auburn team, and coach Schlossnagle said after the game that the 27-year-old was “fun to watch.”
The two-sport athlete was the No. 1 recruit in the Texas Longhorns’ 2015 football class, and fans had been looking forward to seeing the 27-year-old in action. The fans finally got their wish on Friday night as Williams earned his first start of the season against Auburn. Williams was slotted into the eighth spot in the batting order and occupied left field, which is widely believed to be the Longhorns’ weakest position on the diamond this season.
Fans will no doubt be delighted with Williams’ performance for several reasons. The left field spot has been Texas’s weakest link since Max Belyeu sustained an injury during the Missouri series. Easton Winfield, Jayden Duplantier, and to an extent Adrian Rodriguez have been a total black hole offensively but they’ve also been a liability on defense multiple times. The left field spot appeared like a spot that no one could occupy as fans looked forward to Belyeu’s return in the postseason.
However, Williams’ performance seemed to have reignited hope that someone could fill the left field void. His first at-bat (AB) was a strikeout looking, but he managed a seven-pitch plate appearance and took a close pitch for strike three. Williams stepped up with RF Tommy Farmer IV in his ensuing AB. Tommy had a great game himself, standing on second with one out. Williams looked to have hit an RBI extra-base hit (XBH) down the first base line; however, a controversial foul ball kept him in the batter’s box. Williams was not fazed and went on to deliver a screaming line drive up the middle, scoring Farmer.
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The 27-year-old’s next at-bat came in the sixth inning with two runners in scoring position. He then battled back from an 0-2 count to deliver a similarly strong swing into center field, scoring two runners and bagging his third RBI of the game.
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