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New Aces In Hand for the Horns?

Updated: Thursday, February 16 2012, 11:11 PM CST
Sam Stafford has opted to undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder, which means UT's entire weekend rotation from a year ago is gone. But the Horns arms are still in good hands.

Hooten.  Wortham.  Swindell.  Clemens.  Schiraldi.  Kieschnick.  Dressendorfer.  Jungmann.  The tradition of starting pitchers at The University of Texas runs deeper than an Augie Garrido moment of zen.

"When given an opportunity, young men have the opportunity to amaze," says UT's 16th year head coach.

2012's number one starter, sophomore Nathan Thornhill, might be majoring in Communications, but he's well-versed in history.

"I remember being a little kid and coming out to the Disch and watching those guys pitch," says Thornhill.

As a freshman last season, the Cedar Park product appeared in 22 games.  20 of those appearances were out of the bullpen.  Friday, Thornhill will make just his third career start as the Horns open up their 2012 season against Duke.

"There will be nerves," says Thornhill.  "But Coach Garrido tells us not to confuse nerves with fear.  It's just baseball.  I'm just going to treat it like any other game on any other day."

Thornhill isn't the only converted reliever bouncing from the bullpen into the starting rotation for Texas in 2012. Hoby Milner, who has 50 career appearances, but only 12 starts, is UT's new Saturday starter. And the lefty says as he steps into his bigger job, in a way, it's actually a reduced role.

"Now on Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday, I'm just there to support the team," says Milner.  "Last year, every day I'd come to the park, I had to be ready to throw."

With the season-ending injury to Sam Stafford and the departures of Taylor Jungmann, Cole Green, Andrew McKirahan, Kendal Carrillo and Stayton Thomas, Texas’ current staff only accounted for 13 of the team's 68 starts in 2011.

The Longhorns open the 2012 season this weekend when they host Duke for a three-game series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.New Aces In Hand for the Horns?