OMAHA, Neb. -- Texas slugger Jeff Ontiveros is something of a Longhorn rarity. He is a power-hitter on a team noted for pitching, defense and speed.

Monday night, in an 8-7 win over Stanford, Ontiveros hit his 19th homer of the season, matching the school record set by former All-American and college player of the year Brooks Kieschnick in 1993.

"It feels great to tie him,'' Ontiveros said. "Me and Brooks are good friends. I didn't even know about the record until somebody told me after the game.''

Kieschnick was a first-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs that summer. Ontiveros, on the other hand, was not drafted in the recent major league selection process, and that bothers the big first baseman.

"I don't know why nobody drafted me,'' he said. "Nobody has told me why. I wish somebody would. It bothers me, but it doesn't mean I won't get a chance. It just means I'll have to work harder and prove myself.''

Ontiveros has been proving himself to Texas fans, players and coaches for four years. Power-leader is not a new title for the senior. He and catcher Ryan Hubele tied for the team lead in homers last season at seven each. Ontiveros had a team-high 14 in each of the two seasons before that.

"There has not been a lot of power here at Texas,'' he said. "Texas is known for playing small ball. This year is different. We have one of the more powerful teams around. That's something that has not happened before. We have a lot of young guys who came in and are playing like they are juniors or seniors. It's really been fun being part of that.''

Ontiveros has been a big part, hitting .303 with 55 RBIs coming into the College World Series. In the CWS, he is 2 for 6 with a homer and two RBIs. He also has been hit twice.

He is performing for the Longhorns with his glove, too. While he may be known for carrying a big bat, he has been solid with his defense at first. After a 10-error sophomore season, he has committed just four in each of the past two years. He is errorless at the CWS, while his team has uncharacteristically committed six in two games in Omaha.

"You've got to realize you're at the College World Series. You get nervous sometimes playing in front of so many people,'' he said. "I worked really hard in the fall on my defense. I have improved that part of my game a lot.''

Now, the senior hopes to show leadership that will help carry the team to a national title.

"I'm the oldest on this team,'' he said. "I think people around Austin know me and look up to me. I try not to show when something bothers me or upsets me. I know what it takes to get here and do the job. There are some others on this team who were here when we were sophomores who know, too. I just hope I can help the team get the job done.''