IT Today: Steve Sarkisian on Justice Finkley and Aaron Bryant, Ivan Melendez slugs

On3 imageby:Joe Cook04/26/22

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Welcome to Inside Texas Today! Every weekday, Inside Texas Today will provide the latest on Texas Longhorns sports from around the Forty Acres. This morning, what Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said about freshmen linemen Aaron Bryant and Justice Finkley, plus Ivan Melendez’ torrid streak earns several honors

Here’s the Tuesday, April 26, 2022 edition.

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“I think both guys have a bright future for us”

It wasn’t just Kyle Flood’s O-line class that was star studded. Bo Davis signed seven prospects in the 2022 class that are ranked in the top 400 of the On3 Consensus. Following the spring game, Steve Sarkisian was asked about two early enrollees from that group, Justice Finkley and Aaron Bryant.

Finkley has worked more on the edge, while Bryant is working with the interior defensive line that often finds three of its members on the field at the same time.

“Both Justice and Aaron I think are really coachable kids,” Sarkisian said Saturday. “That’s the first thing that I love. I love the fact that they come in there, they put in work, they try to do what you ask them to do, and by doing that I think both really improved this spring.

“Justice really took a leap in my opinion in the last 10 days here of spring ball. I mean, he was a physical player. He had a presence. Now, I’ve got to look at the tape and see how tonight went.

“Aaron is unique in that, man, he is a powerful guy. Low to the ground, quick, pretty good instincts. He’s just got a little bit more of a logjam at his position as to what Justice is playing, but I think both guys have a bright future for us.”

Melendez named national player of the week

Texas first baseman Ivan Melendez was named Collegiate Baseball’s national player of the week on Monday. He was also named the Big 12 player of the week. It is his third conference player of the week award this season.

Melendez was honored for a stretch of five games where he hit .500, recorded 11 RBI, scored nine runs, and slugged five homers. Versus Baylor on Sunday, he was 3-for-4 with two homers, finishing a .600 weekend at the plate.

The El Paso native joined rare company in Texas baseball history over the weekend, hitting his 20th and 21st home runs of the season. He joins Kyle Russell, Kody Clemens, and Jeff Ontiveros as the only players in school history to slug 20 or more homers in a season. Russell holds the single season school record with 28, set in 2007.

Texas viewing for 4/26

No. 6 men’s golf – Big 12 Championship – Whispering Pines Golf Club – Trinity, Texas – 8 a.m. – live stats

No. 10 baseball – at UT-Rio Grande Valley – UTRGV Baseball Stadium – Edinburg, Texas – 6:30 p.m. – ESPN+

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