The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Lamar
Baseball preview: Lamar
10.02.2025 | Baseball
LAMAR vs. TEXAS
Date: Sept. 27, 2025
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Time: 6:30 p.m.
THE MATCHUP — After opening up their fall slate at Dell Diamond on Sept. 27, the Texas Longhorns return to their home turf to host the Lamar Cardinals in an exhibition contest at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday evening. Texas boasts a 36-7 advantage over Lamar in the all-time series. The Longhorns have won five straight games over the Cardinals, including a 9-3 victory on May 6.
LAST TIME OUT — In a 12-inning contest, Texas scored seven unanswered runs to cruise past Texas Tech, 9-3. The Longhorns plated six tallies across the fifth and sixth innings, highlighted by a pair of two-run doubles from Aiden Robbins. Robbins also kickstarted the offensive outburst with a run-scoring single in the first, finishing 3-for-4 with five RBI. Following a standout freshman campaign, Adrian Rodriguez picked up where he left off reaching safely four times. Rodriguez tallied three hits and drove in two runs across the nearly five-hour affair. After yielding two tallies in the third, Texas held Texas Tech scoreless over the next eight frames, including four straight hitless innings. Freshmen Brett Crossland, Brody Walls, Sam Cozart and Brady Westphal combined for five strikeouts over that stretch. Overall, the Longhorns used 13 different hurlers, with the first 11 arms all tossing one frame apiece, as scheduled.
SEASON TO REMEMBER — In its inaugural campaign under head coach Jim Schlossnagle, Texas mounted its best record in 15 years, finishing with a 44-14 mark. The Longhorns became the first team to win the SEC in their first season since the league's inaugural campaign in 1933. Texas — which was picked eighth in the conference's preseason poll — won the league by two games. The Longhorns' 22-8 ledger in SEC action marked their best record in conference play since 2010. Texas was the lone SEC team to win eight series in league play. Prior to their three-game set at Arkansas, the Longhorns notched 13 conference series victories in a row, their most consecutive series wins since a stretch from April 1987 - April 1989. Overall, Texas won 38 of its first 43 contests. After an extra-inning defeat on Opening Day, the Longhorns rattled off 17 straight victories from Feb. 15 - March 16. The 17-game winning streak marked the longest since the program won 21 in a row in 2010. Texas also posted a 10-game winning streak to finish off a 15-2 month of April.
NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES — The Longhorns welcome 23 newcomers, with 14 freshmen and nine transfers, joining the 16 returning letterwinners. According to Baseball America, Texas' recruiting class ranked first nationally, claiming the top spot for the first time in five years. Eight different Longhorns were mentioned in Baseball America's top 500 draft prospects in July, headlined by No. 164 Jack McKernan, No. 180 Brett Crossland, No. 191 Cooper Rummel, No. 210 Anthony Pack Jr. and No. 230 Michael Winter. Texas' class was also tabbed second in the country by Perfect Game, which was its highest mark since the organization began ranking recruiting classes in 2011. Five players garnered recognition in D1Baseball's transfer rankings. Carson Tinney was slotted as the No. 4 hitter, while Haiden Leffew was listed as the No. 4 pitcher. Aiden Robbins also made the top 10 on the offensive side, checking in as the No. 7 hitter. Ashton Larson and Cal Higgins rounded out the group, as the No. 38 hitter and No. 49 pitcher, respectively. As a whole, Texas' newcomer class was slotted at No. 8, per Baseball America.
HUM YOU, DV — Dylan Volantis made a name for himself in his first year on The Forty Acres, collecting Baseball America National Freshman of the Year distinction. Volantis became just the fourth Longhorn to earn the prestigious honor in program history, joining Greg Swindell (1984), Kirk Dressendorfer (1988) and Brooks Kieschnick (1991). A consensus All-American, the 6-foot-6, 212-pound left-hander led all rookies nationally in WHIP (0.88) and saves (12), while ranking second in ERA (1.94) and B/AVG (.185). Volantis totaled 74 strikeouts and only 12 walks over 51 innings. Amongst Division I hurler, he tied for 10th in saves, while his 11 saves in conference action are the most by an SEC freshman ever. In league play, the SEC Freshman of the Year paced all pitchers in ERA (1.59), WHIP (0.85), B/AVG (.160) and saves (11).
HITTERS HIT — A lifelong Longhorn fan, second baseman Ethan Mendoza returned home after one season at Arizona State. An NCAA Div. 1 Central All-Region Second Team selection, Mendoza tallied a team-best .333 average with five homers and 35 RBI as the Longhorns' leadoff man. The second baseman paced Texas in average, hits (75), triples (4) and multi-hit games (25), while tying for the club lead in stolen bases (15). Mendoza homered four times in his first 34 at-bats, after hammering only three blasts in 203 at-bats as a freshman. He was one of four Longhorns to land on the SEC All-Defensive Team.
MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION — After only making two starts across his first three years at Texas, redshirt junior Luke Harrison became a stalwart for the Longhorns in the rotation. As a freshman in 2022, Harrison made a team-high 32 appearances, registering a 3.06 ERA and two saves. Over the next two seasons, the left-hander would only pitch in 13 games, missing the 2023 campaign due to injury. In the spring, Harrison totaled a 5-1 ledger and a 3.06 ERA in 15 starts. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound hurler finished fifth in the SEC in ERA (min. 1.0 IP/G). In 2025, Texas went 12-3 when Harrison drew the start.
SWISS ARMY KNIFE — Utility man Adrian Rodriguez burst onto the college baseball scene as a freshman in 2025, collecting First Team Freshman All-America honors from Perfect Game. Rodriguez slashed .313/.410/.516 with seven homers and 23 RBI, finishing second on the club in batting. Rodriguez also stole a co-team-best 15 bases. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound switch hitter left the yard in two of his first three career games, highlighted by a go-ahead solo shot against Louisville in the 10th inning on Opening Day. Rodriguez began his rookie campaign with an 11-game on-base streak, posting a .404 average over that stretch. At the Las Vegas Classic, he was the lone rookie to a garner a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Rodriguez closed the season with a 25-game on-base streak.
THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD — A 25-year head coaching veteran who was twice tabbed National Coach of the Year and led his team to the College World Series seven times, Jim Schlossnagle was named only the sixth Longhorns head baseball coach since 1911. Schlossnagle's six CWS appearances in the last 11 seasons are tied for the most of any coach, while his 52 NCAA Tournament wins during that stretch are the best of any skipper. The ABCA Hall of Famer ranks ninth among winningest active DI coaches, amassing a 990-469 (.679) record.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE — Throughout his time as a head coach, Jim Schlossnagle's teams have been touted as some of the best offensive units nationally. At the forefront of their approach, Schlossnagle's clubs have been known for working lengthy at-bats. Over the last five full seasons, Schlossnagle's squad has led the country in pitches per plate appearance. In 2025, Texas (4.08) paced the nation in that category, checking in ahead of Jacksonville State (4.04), Oklahoma (4.03), LSU (4.03) and Wake Forest (4.03).
DOMINATE THE ZONE — Under pitching coach Max Weiner, the Longhorns have adopted the identity of 'Dominate the Zone.' Weiner puts an emphasis on overall strike percentage, winning the 0-0 and 1-1 counts, and maximizing strikeout-to-walk ratio. Last season, Texas threw 63.5 percent of its pitches for strikes, while totaling a 60.6 percent clip in 0-0 counts and a 62.7 percent mark in 1-1 counts. The Longhorns sported a 2.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. As a result, Texas lowered its ERA by more than a run. The Longhorns ranked second in the country in WHIP (1.18) and sixth in ERA (3.71).
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT OMAHA — The winningest NCAA Division I college baseball program of all time has become very familiar with the restaurants in Omaha, Neb. Texas holds the record for most appearances in the College World Series (38), most individual CWS games won (88), most overall NCAA Tournament games won (258) and most NCAA Tournament appearances (63). The Longhorns have won six national championships, trailing only USC (12) and LSU (8).
