The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Washington
No. 15 Baseball preview: Las Vegas Classic
02.27.2025 | Baseball
The Longhorns set to face trio of Power 5 programs in three-day event.
#15 TEXAS vs. WASHINGTON | TEXAS TECH | ILLINOIS
Feb. 28-March 2, 2025
Where: Las Vegas Ballpark
Time: Friday at 8 p.m. CT; Saturday at 6 p.m. CT; Sunday at 1 p.m. CT
TV: D1Baseball.com
Radio: The Longhorn Radio Network
Live stats: vegasclassic.statbroadcast.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – Washington RHP Max Banks (1-1, 1.50 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Jared Spencer (0-0, 0.90 ERA)
SATURDAY – Texas LHP Luke Harrison (1-0, 0.93 ERA) vs. Texas Tech RHP Lukas Pirko (0-0, 4.82 ERA)
SUNDAY – Illinois RHP Julius Sanchez (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Kade Bing (0-0, 5.40 ERA)
VIVA LAS VEGAS — Texas is set to play in the 2025 Las Vegas Classic at Las Vegas Ballpark. The Longhorns will face a trio of Power 5 teams, starting with a matchup against Washington at 8 p.m. CT on Friday. Texas will then meet longtime Big 12 rival Texas Tech on Saturday. The Longhorns conclude the weekend by squaring off with Illinois for the first time since 1991. Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle spent two seasons as the skipper at UNLV, where he led a struggling Rebels program to a Mountain West Conference Championship — regular season and tournament — and an NCAA Tournament appearance in just his second year in 2003.
SHUT 'EM OUT — In its first midweek game of the year, Texas tossed its first shutout of the season, blanking Incarnate Word, 6-0, on Tuesday night at UFCU Disch- Falk Field. Right-handers Jason Flores, Max Grubbs, Ruger Riojas and Connor McCreery combined to hold the then-nation's top offense to just two hits and a pair of walks, facing four batters over the minimum. The quartet of hurlers threw 71 of their 99 pitches for strikes, tallying eight punchouts. Catcher Rylan Galvan and second baseman Ethan Mendoza led the offensive charge, as the duo hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh. With the victory, Texas extended its winning streak to six games.
DOMINATE THE ZONE — Under first-year 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. Through its first seven games, Texas has thrown 67 percent of its pitches for strikes, while totaling a 67 percent clip in 0-0 counts and a 76 percent mark in 1-1 counts. As a staff, the Longhorns boast a 2.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU — For the second straight week, Texas continued to climb the rankings, as the Longhorns jumped up in three different polls. Texas is listed as high as No. 6 in the Perfect Game top 25, while also slotting in 12th, according to Baseball America. The Longhorns checked in at No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches poll, while both D1Baseball and the NCBWA ranked Texas at No. 15.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS — With a loaded field at the Shriners Children's College Showdown, Texas downed fellow SEC foe Ole Miss and old-time rival Oklahoma State to claim the tournament crown. The Longhorns were one of four programs with two wins on the weekend, but Texas posted a showdown-best plus-15 run differential to earn the title.
NEW ERA, SAME STANDARD — A 24-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 10 seasons are tied for the most of any coach, while his 50 NCAA Tournament wins during that stretch are the best of any skipper. Over his career, Schlossnagle has amassed a 952-453 (.678) record.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS — Last season, Texas made its 63rd NCAA Tournament appearance, earning a spot in the College Station Regional. The Longhorns bring back 18 players from the 2024 team and add 23 newcomers. Five of the Horns' every-day starters return, with OF Max Belyeu, INF Jalin Flores C Rylan Galvan, OF Will Gasparino and C/1B Kimble Schuessler headlining the squad.
SUPER MAX — Junior Max Belyeu entered the 2025 campaign as one of the most prolific hitters in the country. Belyeu brings his big bat back to the heart of Texas' lineup after pacing the club in slugging percentage (.667), OPS (1.090) and multi-RBI performances (15), while matching the team lead in home runs (18). The outfielder totaled a .329 average and drove in 53 RBI en route to earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Belyeu has notched a hit in all seven of the Longhorns' games, slashing .536/.606/.857 with a co-team-best two homers and seven RBI. His .536 average ranks second among all SEC players, trailing only Kentucky's Cole Hage.
STAY HOT, DOZA — Second baseman Ethan Mendoza transferred to the Forty Acres after one season at Arizona State. A lifelong Longhorn fan, Mendoza hit .315 during his rookie campaign. Over his first seven games in burnt orange, the Bedford, Texas native has posted a .421/.577/.737 slash line. Heading into the Las Vegas Classic, Mendoza has reached safely in eight of his last nine plate appearances. During that stretch, the sophomore has mounted six hits, highlighted by a pair of home runs.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK — Third baseman Adrian Rodriguez has burst onto the college baseball scene in 2025. Rodriguez homered in two of his first three career games, highlighted by a go-ahead solo shot against Louisville in the 10th inning on Opening Day. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound switch hitter has reached safely in all but one contest, posting a .393 average. Among freshmen nationally, Rodriguez is second in slugging (.786).
POCKET ACES — Despite only combining for 11 career starts heading into the season, left-handers Jared Spencer and Luke Harrison have emerged as pair of stalwarts for the Longhorns in the rotation. Through two weekends, the fourth-year hurlers have teamed up to yield just two earned runs across 19.2 innings. In the opener vs. Louisville, Spencer tossed 5.2 scoreless. The next day, Harrison pitched a career-long 6.1 shutdown frames in a winning effort against Ole Miss.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE — With their highly-anticipated move to the SEC, the Longhorns will play one of the toughest schedule in the country. Texas is slated to face eight teams in D1Baseball's top 25 poll, including five of the top eight programs. The Longhorns will play 31 home games at UFCU Disch- Falk Field, highlighted by marquee series against No. 1 Texas A&M (April 25-27), No. 2 LSU (March 21-23) and No. 4 Arkansas (May 1-3).
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 (7).
OWN THE DISCH — Since UFCU Disch-Falk Field opened in 1975, Texas has gone 1,636-420-3 (.795) at home thanks in large part to Longhorn Nation. With the exception of the 2021 season because of limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas led the Big 12 in attendance for 16 consecutive campaigns. Last season, the Longhorns averaged 7,476 fans per game, the fifth-highest average attendance in the country. During the 2024 campaign, Texas set five of its six-highest attendance marks for a three-game series, highlighted by 23,570 fans across a weekend set against Cal Poly (Feb. 23-25).
IT JUST MEANS MORE — The 2025 campaign marks Texas' first season in the SEC after 28 years in the Big 12. Twelve different SEC programs were ranked in the top-25 of the major polls to begin the season. Last year, a record 11 SEC teams earned NCAA Tournament bids and five clubs advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. The College World Series included four SEC schools. The SEC has won each of the last five national championships — all by five different teams.
traDISCHion UNLIKE ANY OTHER — The Longhorns will honor their history throughout the 2025 season, as part of the Saturday traDISCHion series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. For the fourth consecutive campaign, Texas is celebrating past greats on select Saturdays. The Longhorns will salute Calvin Schiraldi on March 8, before recognizing Roger Clemens on March 22. Two weeks later, Texas will commemorate the 1975 national championship team on April 5. Corey Knebel is set to be honored on April 19 and Brooks Kieschnick is slated to be celebrated on April 26. The final traDISCHion Saturday of 2025 will feature the 2005 national championship team on May 10.
HEAR 'EM — In partnership with Learfield IMG College, Texas games will be broadcast on the Longhorn Radio Network, primarily on AM-1300 The Zone. Craig Way handles primary play-by-play duties alongside Roger Wallace. This season, fans will also hear analysis from Longhorn great Keith Moreland.
