Texas-Sized Dream

Cy Ranch pitcher Ty Madden's Longhorn dream a reality

Cy Ranch pitcher Ty Madden's Longhorn dream a reality
Entering the month of April, Madden has thrown two shutouts. Vype

Sometimes dreams come true.

Madden always wanted to play for Texas, so he jumped at the opportunity when coach David Pierce called him last summer.

“Texas was a dream school of mine whenever I was little,” Cypress Ranch senior ace Ty Madden said. “It was surreal that this was an actual possibility.”

The opportunity came at the perfect time because he had reopened his recruiting after a few coaching changes at Rice.

“Coach Pierce is a great guy, and I loved all the coaches up there [in Austin],” Madden said. “They made me feel really welcomed, and it’s one of the most winning programs in college baseball, so I didn’t think there was a better place for me to go.”

Madden’s spent most of his life playing the sport, and there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing.

“Baseball is what I love,” he said. “It’s always been my favorite thing to do.”

As comfortable as the 6-foot-4, 210-pound flamethrower looks on the mound, he wasn’t always a pitcher. Madden was a catcher until his sophomore year, when he got hit in the shoulder by a foul ball. The change of position was also caused by growth spurts, whether it was the eight inches between his freshman and sophomore seasons or the 40 pounds between his junior and senior year.

The move sold college programs on his abilities and kept the winning tradition alive at Cy Ranch. In helping preserve that winning tradition, Madden has produced memorable performances like his no-hitter against rival Cy Woods in his varsity district debut.

As great as his career has been, he wants to have an even better finish. He’s one of the double-digit, college-bound seniors on his team’s roster, so he sees an opening for the Mustangs’ third state title since 2012.

“If I play my game, focus on myself, and take care of my job, then I have enough faith in my teammates,” Madden said. “We have some hot bats in the lineup, and we have so many pitchers in our rotation that this could all come together.”

In seven appearances and six starts in 2018, the senior is 5-1 with a 0.64 ERA. Madden has given up three earned runs on 11 hits in 32 2/3 innings. He has struck out 41 and walked just 18. Entering the month of April, opponents are batting .100 against Madden, and he has thrown two shutouts.

_This article appears in the April Issue of VYPE Magazine. Pick up your copy at any one of our _locations_ today!_

 

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Christian Walker got on base twice in the opener. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros return to action Wednesday night with a chance to get back on track and even their three-game set against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

White Sox continue to have Houston's number

After falling 4–2 in Tuesday’s opener, the Astros now trail the season series 3–1 and will turn to Ryan Gusto (3-3, 4.78 ERA) in hopes of steadying the ship and reinforcing their grip on first place in the AL West.

Houston enters the matchup at 36–30 overall and 22–13 at home, a mark that reflects just how comfortable they've been playing in front of their fans. Though the offense has been inconsistent at times, the Astros are an impressive 19–4 when they manage to keep the ball in the yard — a stat that will be key with Gusto on the mound. The young right-hander has had an up-and-down season, but he'll be tasked with limiting a White Sox offense that did just enough to sneak away with a win in the opener.

Chicago, meanwhile, continues to play with a bit of unexpected edge despite sitting in last place in the AL Central. At 23–44, the White Sox have struggled most of the season — particularly on the road, where they’re just 7–26. Still, they've now won four of their last five games and will hand the ball to Sean Burke (3-6, 4.03 ERA), a righty who’s shown flashes of command and competitiveness in his rookie campaign.

The Astros will once again lean on their veterans to lead the way at the plate. Jose Altuve continues to be a consistent presence at the top of the lineup with nine home runs and 24 RBIs on the year. Yainer Diaz, who’s 10-for-39 with three home runs over his last 10 games, has started to find his swing again and could be a factor in the middle of the order. Houston will need more of that timely hitting if they want to avoid dropping their second straight at home — something that hasn’t happened often this year.

On the other side, Chase Meidroth has quietly become one of Chicago’s more reliable bats. Hitting .293 with five doubles and a pair of homers, Meidroth’s emergence adds some much-needed spark to a lineup that’s lacked consistency. Andrew Benintendi, hitting .257 over his last 10 games with four doubles, has also begun to warm up at the plate.

Both teams come in with nearly identical offensive production over their last 10 games — the Astros hitting .227 to the White Sox’s .226 — but Houston holds the edge in ERA at 3.44 compared to Chicago’s 4.04. That said, the Astros have been outscored by five runs over that stretch, and will need to clean up a few things on both sides of the ball to avoid falling into a mini-slide during this six-game homestand.

First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET from Daikin Park, with Houston looking to reassert itself against a team it hasn’t solved yet this season. A win would not only even the series — it would also be a reminder that the Astros remain very much in control of their own narrative heading into the summer grind.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -181, White Sox +150; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.

Here's an early look at Houston's lineup for Game 2

Jacob Melton is hitting last and remains the left fielder with Altuve back at second base. Diaz is once again in the cleanup spot as Walker is hitting fifth. Victor Caratini will hit behind Walker and serve as the DH. Otherwise, a pretty typical lineup for Joe Espada's club.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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