College Park’s Trahan is beast on the mound

Luke Trahan is committed to Dallas Baptist baseball. Photo by yourconroenews.com

Originally appeared on Vype.com.

Stealing the headlines at College Park has been super-hooper Quentin Grimes, who is committed to Kansas. As the basketball season moves into baseball, the Cavs have another star in Luke Trahan. The 6-foot-3 pitcher is one of the top aces in the city and makes College Park a tough opponent in the competitive District 12-6A.

VYPE caught up with Trahan before the season. Getting the inside scoop on the talented righty.

VYPE: When did you realize you could make a career out of baseball?

Trahan: I realized it at Orwall at 12 years-old, when I had a leg up on everyone else. I hit 75 mph and hit most of the home runs.

VYPE: What are the goals for your team in the upcoming season?

Trahan: We need to grow as a team, so that we don’t fall short or get out early in the playoffs like the two previous years. The ultimate team goal is to go to state and I feel we have all the tools to do that. The pitching, fielding and hitting all needs to come together as one for us to be confident in the playoffs.

VYPE: Where do you think you will be playing in the field this year?

Trahan: Sophomore year, I started at third base and moved to right field junior year. This year I am going to play wherever they need me to lead my team. I’ll be the ace of our pitching staff.

VYPE: What was your most memorable moment in your baseball career at College Park so far?

Trahan: During sophomore year Kingwood, College Park and The Woodlands were at a three-way tie to be in the playoffs. I went in to pitch with bases loaded last inning. I struck out the last batter to win the game and secured our spot in playoffs.

VYPE: What led up to you committing to Dallas Baptist University?

Trahan: I went to DBU to play in a showcase with my travel team—Twelve baseball. I pitched one inning before it got rained out and the DBU recruiting coordinator invited me to come to team practice. I fell in love with campus and how welcoming the other players there. Also DBU has done very well in the past and I think I can be a part of helping them improve and ultimately get to Omaha for the College World Series. I’m very excited to go there and grow my relationship with Christ and grow as a baseball player. Coach Heefner and Coach Fitzgerald are amazing and know the game very well as well as Coach McCarty improving me individually as a pitcher.

VYPE: What is it like playing with your twin brother?

Trahan: I always pitch better with him behind the plate, he knows what I want and I know what he wants. Our connection is unmatched. I don’t know if he will play baseball in college but I believe he wants to.

VYPE: What is something no one knows about you?

Trahan: I love to fish I started when I was young with my grandpa, and now it just brings back the good memories with my family.

Mackenzie Malatesta is a student at The Woodlands High School and a part of the VYPE U Internship Program. To learn more about how you can become a VYPE U Intern, click here!

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The Longhorns host Georgia on Saturday night. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.

The Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. They are top 10 in first downs allowed, tackles for loss and passing yards. Much of that is built against opponents starting former walk-on quarterbacks ( Michigan ) and freshmen ( Mississippi State and Oklahoma.)

But the level of quarterback play Texas will face, in both talent and experience, is about to get much better over the second half of the season.

Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night in the first matchup of top five teams in Austin since 2006, before playing the next week at Vanderbilt. Bulldogs senior Carson Beck was a preseason first team Associated Press All-America pick, and standout Vanderbilt transfer Diego Pavia has carried the Commodores to a surprising 4-2 start, including a historic win over then-No. 1 Alabama.

Quite simply, Texas hasn't defended this caliber of quarterback all season.

Beck is a player on the doorstep of the NFL, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“There's nothing in the throw game (Beck) can't do,” Sarkisian said. “He's played enough football now, too. It's kind of hard to confuse guys when they've played that much football.”

Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC) has allowed just one team to pass for more than 200 yards this season. Beck passed for 459 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions last week in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. His 36 completions set a Georgia record.

Even when Beck struggled early in Georgia's loss to Alabama, he rallied the Bulldogs to a late fourth-quarter lead. He finished with 439 yards in the loss where Georgia's rally ended with an Alabama interception in the end zone in the final minute.

Sarkisian recruited Beck when the Texas coach was an assistant at Alabama. Beck had initially committed to the Crimson Tide before switching to Georgia.

Beck is 18-2 in his career as a starter, and 6-2 against top 20 opponents.

The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1) will need another exceptional game from him Saturday. A second SEC loss could threaten any chance of playing for the SEC championship, and raise the alarms on the College Football Playoff as well.

Texas has all but overwhelmed opposing quarterbacks so far.

In last week's 34-3 thrashing of rival Oklahoma, the Longhorns sacked Sooners freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. five times, and held him to 27 yards on 20 carries. Texas allowed just 225 total yards.

Hawkins was the first Sooners freshman to start at quarterback against the Longhorns in the 120-year history of the rivalry and was quickly swallowed up by a relentless pass rush.

By the numbers, the Longhorns program is on pace for a historic season. Sarkisian has said his favorite stat is points allowed, which is not many.

Texas has surrendered only three touchdowns all season. Opponents have snatched four turnovers inside Texas territory, but none have produced points.

That ability to snuff momentum can drain an opponent, Sarkisian said.

“We're so composed as a defense,” Texas safety Michael Taaffe said. “We're so confident, that no matter what happens, everything is going to be alright.”

The only time Texas has trailed this season was a 3-0 early deficit against Oklahoma. Several Longhorns starters were still on the field when the Sooners' final drive stalled at the Texas 6-yard-line as the game ended.

The stars emerging for the Longhorns have been second-year linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons.

Hill leads the team in total tackles (42), sacks (4 1/2) and tackles for loss (8 1/2). His sideline-to-sideline speed and move this season from the edge to the middle of the Texas defense has drawn comparisons to former Longhorns All-American Derrick Johnson 20 years ago.

Simmons has four sacks and 7 1/2 tackles for losses, second on the team in both categories.

“Size, speed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in summing up the Texas defense.

“They’re the complete package on defense," Smart said. "The consistency you watch them play with, it reminds me of some of our best teams here.”By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.