The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
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Mississippi State
No. 11 Baseball preview: Mississippi State
03.13.2025 | Baseball
Longhorns begin SEC play against Bulldogs
#11 TEXAS vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE
March 14-16, 2025
Where: Dudy Noble Field
Time: Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.
TV: SEC Network+ (Friday & Saturday) / SEC Network (Sunday)
Radio: The Longhorn Radio Network
Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – Texas LHP Jared Spencer (2-0, 0.86 ERA) vs. Mississippi State LHP Pico Kohn (3-0, 2.28 ERA)
SATURDAY – Texas LHP Luke Harrison (2-0, 1.53 ERA) vs. Mississippi State RHP Ben Davis (1-1, 2.16 ERA)
SUNDAY – TBA vs. Mississippi State RHP Karson Ligon (2-1, 3.21 ERA)
THE MATCHUP — The Longhorns open league play as a member of the Southeastern Conference on Friday, as Texas travels to face Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field. The Longhorns and Bulldogs have faced off 13 times, most recently meeting in the 2021 College World Series. Texas' last trip to Starkville was in 1922.
SCORCHING START — In their inaugural campaign under head coach Jim Schlossnagle, the Longhorns are off to their best 15-game start in 20 years. Texas finished the 2005 season with a 56-16 ledger, capturing its sixth national championship. The 2025 Longhorns are one of only six Texas teams to begin 14-1 or better, joining the 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982 and 2005 squads.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWINNING WAYS — The Longhorns have won 14 straight contests, dating back to their 10-0 run-rule victory over fellow Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss on Feb. 15. The 14-game winning streak is the longest since the program won 16 in a row from March 7-31, 2023. Texas boasts the longest winning streak in Division I college baseball history, as the 1977 Longhorns won 34 straight affairs to open the season. In 1982, Texas also pieced together a 33-game streak, which is tied for the second-longest in the sport's DI history.
IT JUST MEANS MORE — The 2025 campaign marks Texas' first season in the Southeastern Conference after 28 years in the Big 12. The Longhorns are one of 14 SEC programs to appear in the rankings heading into league play. Last year, a record 11 SEC teams earned NCAA Tournament bids and five clubs advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. The 2024 College World Series included four SEC schools. The SEC has won each of the last five national championships — all by five different teams.
THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU — For the fourth consecutive week, the Longhorns continued to climb the rankings, as Texas jumped up in three different polls. The Longhorns are listed as high as No. 6 in the Perfect Game top 25, while their biggest move was a five-spot vault to No. 10 in the NCBWA rankings. Texas also checks in at No. 9 in both the Baseball America top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll. D1Baseball slid the Longhorns up one spot to No. 11.
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. As of March 13, the ABCA Hall of Famer ranks 11th among winningest active Division I coaches, amassing a 960-453 (.679) record.
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 15 games in burnt orange, the Bedford, Texas, native has posted a .423/.552/.731 slash line. Mendoza homered four times in his first 34 at-bats, after hammering only three blasts in 203 at-bats a year ago. Mendoza has tallied eight multi-hit performances over the last 10 contests. During that stretch, the sophomore is hitting a team-high .500 with four homers and 13 RBI.
MAX POWER — 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 (.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. This season, Belyeu has reached safely in all 15 games, slashing .393/.500/.607 with two homers and 11 RBI.
GOING WITH THE FLO — A consensus All-American a year ago, Jalin Flores cemented himself as one of the best shortstops nationally. Flores led the Longhorns in doubles (22), RBI (56) and hit by pitches (10), while also tying for the club lead in homers (18), total bases (158), multi-hit games (26). In 2025, Flores has reached safely in all but one contest, recording a .333 average. Over the last nine games, he is hitting .412 with 13 extra-base hits, while registering a 1.471 OPS.
THREE-HEADED MONSTER — Despite combining for only 11 career Division I starts heading in the season, Texas' rotation has emerged as one of the top staffs in the country. As of March 13, the Longhorns are the lone SEC program with at least three pitchers sporting below a 2.00 ERA (min. 15 IP). Veteran left-handers Jared Spencer and Luke Harrison have anchored Texas' rotation. Through four weekends, the fourth-year hurlers have teamed up to yield just five earned runs across 38.2 innings. Freshman Dylan Volantis made his first career start against Santa Clara on March 9. Volantis faced three over the minimum, limiting the Broncos to four hits across 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK — Third baseman Adrian Rodriguez has burst onto the college baseball scene. Rodriguez 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. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound switch hitter began his freshman campaign with an 11-game on-base streak, posting a .404 average over that stretch. At the Las Vegas Classic, Rodriguez was the lone rookie tabbed to the All-Tournament Team.
SUPER MAX — One year after emerging as the Longhorns' ace, right-handed pitcher Max Grubbs has shifted into a key bullpen arm for Texas. In 2024, Grubbs made 18 appearances, earning 12 starts in an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention worthy campaign. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound hurler notched a 6-4 mark with a 3.67 ERA. Across his first six outings this season, Grubbs has allowed only two earned run over 15 innings, while limiting opposing hitters to a .182 average. The junior has posted a 1-0 ledger and three saves.
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 four full seasons, Schlossnagle's squad has led the country in pitches per plate appearances. Through less than one month of the 2025 campaign, Texas (4.2) ranks fifth in the country, trailing only Wake Forest (5.7), Stetson (4.7), Missouri (4.6) and Kentucky (4.5).
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. Across its first 15 games, Texas has thrown 64 percent of its pitches for strikes, while totaling a 61 percent clip in 0-0 counts and a 64 percent mark in 1-1 counts. The Longhorns also boast a 2.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. As a result, Texas has lowered its ERA by more than two runs. The Longhorns rank eighth nationally in ERA (2.85).
SCORING IN BUNCHES — Widely-regarded as one of the nation's best offenses heading into 2025, Texas has shown its ability to put crooked numbers on the scoreboard. The Longhorns scored at least seven runs in an inning on six different occasions over their first 11 contests, highlighted by a season-high nine-spot against Illinois on March 2. Texas has notched double-digit runs six times, tallying a pair of run-rule victories over Ole Miss (Feb. 15) and A&M-Corpus Christi (March 4).
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS...AGAIN — After winning the Shriners Children's College Showdown opening weekend, Texas doubled down by claiming the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic crown on March 2. The Longhorns swept the field in Sin City, scoring 35 runs across the three-day event. In its first game, Texas used a seven-run sixth to outlast Washington, 10-9. The Longhorns moved to 2-0 on the weekend with a 10-5 victory over longtime rival Texas Tech. Texas earned the championship belt by scoring 14 unanswered runs, including a season-best nine-spot in the sixth to best Illinois, 15-6. OF Max Belyeu, IF Jalin Flores, IF Ethan Mendoza, LHP Jared Spencer, RHP Max Grubbs and IF Adrian Rodriguez all earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team, with Flores garnering MVP honors.
OWN THE DISCH — Since UFCU Disch-Falk Field opened in 1975, Texas has gone 1,641-420-3 (.796) at home thanks in large part to Longhorn Nation. Thus far in 2025, the Longhorns have drawn 55,364 fans at home, including a season-best 7,323 fans for Texas' game against Santa Clara on March 8. With the exception of the 2021 campaign because of limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Longhorns led the Big 12 in attendance for 16 consecutive campaigns. Last year, Texas averaged 7,476 fans per game, the fifth-highest average attendance in the country. In 2024, the Longhorns set five of their six-highest attendance records for a three-game series, highlighted by 23,570 fans across a weekend set against Cal Poly (Feb. 23-25).
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 seven teams in D1Baseball's top 25 poll, including four of the top seven programs. The Longhorns will play 31 home games at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, highlighted by marquee series vs. No. 1 LSU (March 21-23), No. 3 Arkansas (May 1-3), No. 7 Florida (May 9-11) and No. 19 Texas A&M (April 25-27).
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).
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.
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