Texas-Sized Dream

Cy Ranch pitcher Ty Madden's Longhorn dream a reality

Thomas Bingham
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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Houston will have to lean on Altuve and Paredes with Peña on the IL. Composite Getty Image.

Fresh off their 50th win of the season, the Houston Astros begin a three-game series in Colorado on Tuesday night, looking to stay hot against a Rockies team still searching for answers.

Houston enters the matchup atop the AL West with a 50–34 record, having won seven of its last 10 games. Though the Astros haven’t been as sharp on the road — just 18–20 away from home — their pitching and power-hitting combo continues to give opponents fits. Isaac Paredes leads the team with 17 home runs, and when Houston clears the fences multiple times in a game, the results speak for themselves: an 18–5 record when hitting two or more homers.

Victor Caratini has quietly chipped in during this recent stretch, going 8-for-33 with three home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games, helping make up for some offensive inconsistency. Houston’s team batting average over that span sits at just .225.

Left-hander Colton Gordon takes the mound Tuesday, carrying a 3-1 record and 3.98 ERA into his ninth start of the year. He’ll face a Colorado offense that’s scuffled all season, particularly at home. The Rockies have managed just eight wins in 40 games at Coors Field and are riding a 2–8 skid. Rookie righty Chase Dollander (2-8, 6.06 ERA) gets the start for Colorado as he looks to slow down a Houston team that has found different ways to win.

While Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak have provided some spark for the Rockies at the plate, the team has been outscored by 26 runs over the past 10 games and owns one of the league’s worst pitching staffs, a troubling combo against an Astros club that doesn’t need many openings to take control.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. For Houston, it’s a chance to keep momentum rolling against the team with MLB’s worst record. For Colorado, it’s another test in a season full of them.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -173, Rockies +144; over/under is 11 1/2 runs

Astros news

Shay Whitcomb has been recalled from Sugar Land to take Pena's place on the roster.

Here's a preview of the Astros lineup for Game 1.

So what stands out? With Peña unavailable, manager Joe Espada is once again using Paredes to leadoff, followed by Jake Meyers in the two-spot. Caratini is hitting fifth and will serve as the DH. He's followed by Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker. Cooper Hummel will hit eighth and play left field, as Jose Altuve is playing second base. Mauricio Dubon will hit ninth and fill in for Peña at shortstop.


Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.

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