Jung brothers' hilarious way to stay in touch during first MLB game as opponents

It is a special weekend for former Texas Tech baseball players Josh and Jace Jung. On Saturday, as Josh's Texas Rangers and Jace's Detroit Tigers met for their first series this season in Detroit, the brothers got the chance to share a Major League Baseball field for the first time and, as brothers will do, they found an extra way to have an individual competition during the game.

With both Red Raider alums playing third base for his team, there was a unique opportunity for Josh and Jace to keep in touch. During the game, the television cameras showed that the Jungs were playing a game of Tic-Tac-Toe in the dirt near third base.

With their family in the stands, including their mother Mary, who wore a custom-made jersey featuring both brothers' uniforms, Josh and Jace reminded us that brothers will always find a way to compete, even in the smallest of ways.

"He had put down twice, and I had only put down once," said Jace, who drew the grid in the top half of an inning and let Josh make the first move in the bottom half of the inning. "But it was going to be one of those games that no one wins because he played in the middle."

It was the first time that the brothers ever faced off as opponents. Ultimately, it was older brother Josh who got the last laugh as his Rangers won 10-3.

Unfortunately, it was a quiet day at the plate for each Red Raider great. Both hit ninth for their respective team with Josh going 1-4 and Jace going 0-3.

Josh is by far the more established Major Leaguer, having played in 225 games for the Rangers since making his debut in 2022. A 2023 All-Star starter for the American League at third base, he has a career .257 batting average with 38 homers and 110 RBI to his name. This season, he's hitting .257 with three homers and 10 driven in.

Meanwhile, Jace is getting his feet wet in the show. He's appeared in only 49 games since debuting last season. Thus far, he's hitting .198 with no homers and six RBI in the show. That includes an average of just .108 with three RBI this season.

Of course, both were dominant for Texas Tech. As a Red Raider from 2017-19, Josh hit .348 with 33 homers and 138 RBI on his way to being named the Big 12 Player of the Decade.

Meanwhile, Jace was in Lubbock from 2020-21. During that time, he hit .328 with 39 homers and 147 driven in.

Now, both have worked their way to the Major Leagues, and their teams are meeting this weekend as America celebrates Mother's Day. And though they are all grown up, Josh and Jace seem to still be boys at heart who want to compete in every way, even if it is at Tic-Tac-Toe.