The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Prairie View A&M
No. 1 Baseball preview: Prairie View A&M
04.28.2025 | Baseball
Longhorns have won all 11 meetings with Panthers
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M vs. #1 TEXAS
Date: April 29, 2025
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: SEC Network+
Radio: The Zone AM-1300/103.1 FM
Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
TUESDAY – Prairie View A&M RHP Isaac Herrera (0-0, 7.94 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Kade Bing (2-0, 2.90 ERA)
THE MATCHUP — Coming off of their 13th consecutive conference series victory, the Texas Longhorns welcome Prairie View A&M to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday evening. The Longhorns have won all 11 meetings against the Panthers in a series that dates back to 1977.
SCORCHING START — In its inaugural campaign under head coach Jim Schlossnagle, Texas is off to its best 42-game start since 2004. 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. Overall, Texas' five losses have come by a combined 11 runs, dropping three one-run contests.
THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU — For the third straight week, Texas checked in as the consensus No. 1 team in the country. The Longhorns are slotted as the top team nationally in back-to-back-to-back weeks for the first time in three years. Texas climbed the rankings for nine consecutive weeks, as the Longhorns began the year at No. 19, according to D1Baseball.
IT JUST MEANS MORE — Texas is one of three programs to start 19-2 or better since 1996 when the 30-game SEC schedule, joining 2013 Vanderbilt (19-2) and 2022 Tennessee (19-2). The Longhorns' 19-2 record in SEC action marks their best start to conference play in 15 years. With a sweep over Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field, Texas became the first SEC team to notch a sweep in the school's first-ever conference road series since 1992. The Longhorns' win over LSU was their first series victory over a top-2 team since March 1-3, 2019. Meanwhile, with a 4-3 walk-off win over Georgia, Texas completed its first sweep against a top-3 opponent since that same weekend with LSU in 2019. The Longhorns are the lone program to have won all seven of their series in SEC play.
MASTERING MIDWEEKS — Texas is 7-2 in midweek games. Ten of the Longhorns' 11 midweek contests will be at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Since 2020, Jim Schlossnagle's clubs have posted a 50-10 (.833) ledger in midweeks, posting wins in 22 of the last 24 games.
OWN THE DISCH — Since UFCU Disch-Falk Field opened in 1975, Texas has gone 1,652-423-3 (.796) at home thanks in large part to Longhorn Nation. In 2025, Texas has drawn 185,513 fans at home, including a season-best 7,942 fans against Texas A&M on April 25. Across the weekend with the Aggies, the Longhorns set a new three-game series attendance record at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, with 23,680 fans watching Texas' sweep over its rival. 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 seasons. Last year, Texas posted the fifth-highest average attendance (7,476) in the country.
OOH, BARRACUDA — After splitting time behind the plate a year ago, Rylan Galvan has solidified himself as Texas' everyday catcher in 2025. Among SEC hitters, Galvan ranks fourth in OPS (1.194), fifth in slugging (.706), sixth in on-base percentage (.488) and seventh in walks (35). The junior tallied 12 home runs in his first 114 at-bats, matching his total from his first two seasons combined. Galvan is averaging a homer once every 10.5 at-bats. The 6-foot, 215-pound backstop posted a 32-game on-base streak from February 25 to April 25, notching a team-high .366 average and 12 blasts across that stretch. In the Longhorns' sweep of No. 3 Georgia, Galvan punctuated the series with a walk-off solo shot to lift the Longhorns to a 4-3 victory. His game-winning swing marked Texas' first walk-off homer since Garret Guillemette on March 26, 2023.
HUM YOU, DV — Left-hander Dylan Volantis has made a name for himself in his freshman campaign. The 6-foot-6, 212-pound hurler's 0.98 ERA leads all SEC hurlers (min. 35 inn.). Volantis has yielded only four earned runs in 36 2/3 innings. The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native has notched a 3-0 ledger with 11 saves, which sits fourth nationally. Over his last 16 outings, Volantis has allowed just two earned runs across 34 2/3 innings. In league play, the rookie has allowed one tally over 21 2/3 frames. Volantis has posted a 1-0 mark with 10 saves, while issuing only three walks and 36 strikeouts across his first 13 SEC appearances. He has been named SEC Freshman of the Week twice since March 24.
WELCOME HOME, DOZA — A lifelong Longhorn fan, second baseman Ethan Mendoza transferred to The Forty Acres after one season at Arizona State. In his first campaign in burnt orange, Mendoza has totaled a .350/.451/.515 slash line. Heading into the midweek, Mendoza paces Texas in average, runs (42), hits (57), triples (3) and multi-hit performances (20). The 5-foot-10, 185-pound second baseman homered four times in his first 34 at-bats, after hammering only three blasts in 203 at-bats a year ago. Prior to the Longhorns' series against then-No. 2 LSU, Mendoza strung together a 14-game hitting streak, mounting nine multi-hit efforts along the way. During that run, the sophomore hit a team-high .456 with four homers and 15 RBI.
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. Across his first 15 outings this season, Grubbs has allowed only six earned runs over 38 2/3 innings. The junior's 1.40 ERA is third among all SEC hurlers (min. 35 inn.), trailing only teammate Dylan Volantis (0.98) and LSU's Zac Cowan (1.13). Grubbs has limited opposing hitters to a .213 average, recording a 6-0 ledger and five saves.
ALL GAS, NO BRAKES — Sophomore Will Gasparino has blossomed into a forced to be reckoned with for the Longhorns. Through 42 contests, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound slugger is batting .267 with 11 homers and a co-team-best 44 RBI. During Texas' 4-0 week against Sam Houston and Missouri, the center fielder registered a .533/.588/1.600 slash line, leaving the yard in three of the four wins. In the series opener at Missouri on March 28, Gasparino socked a pair of three-run blasts and drove in eight runs, becoming just the fourth Longhorn with eight RBI in a game since 2008, matching Brandon Belt (2008), Porter Brown (2023) and Eric Kennedy (2023). Following his historic week, Gasparino was named SEC Player of the Week on March 31 and the Dick Howser Trophy National Co-Hitter of the Week on April 1. He registered a 34-game on-base streak from February 28 to April 26. Over that stretch, Gasparino launched nine homers.
SWISS ARMY KNIFE — Right-hander Ruger Riojas' glove says it perfectly: 'SAY WHEN.' Riojas — who joined the program after two years at UTSA — has done a little bit of everything for the Longhorns on the mound. Overall, the 6-foot, 192-pound hurler is 8-1 with a 2.98 ERA over 14 appearances, including six starts. As of April 28, Riojas is tied for sixth nationally in wins. In his six starting nods, the Wimberley, Texas, native has notched a 2.38 ERA across 34 innings. At Missouri, Riojas pitched a career-long seven shutout frames. He faced one batter over the minimum, retiring 16 of the first 17 Tigers. On March 31, he was tabbed SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week.
MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION — After only making two starts across his first three years at Texas, redshirt junior Luke Harrison has become 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. This year, Harrison has posted a 4-0 ledger and a 2.81 ERA. As of April 28, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound hurler sits fourth in the SEC in ERA (min. 1.0 IP/G). In 2025, Texas is 10-1 when Harrison draws the start, with its lone loss coming in a 15-inning affair at Kentucky on April 12.
GOING WITH THE FLO — A consensus All-American a year ago, Jalin Flores cemented himself as one of the best shortstops nationally. Flores paced 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 ranks second in the SEC in doubles (18), trailing only Florida's Colby Shelton (19). The 6-foot-2, 210-pound slugger is tied for the seventh-most career home runs (32) in program history, matching Danny Peoples (1994-96). Throughout his time at Texas, Flores has had a flair for the dramatic, tallying five grand slams, including the go-ahead shot in the ninth inning at Texas State on April 22.
SCHUESS IS LOOSE — Despite growing up an Aggie fan and spending his first year at Texas A&M, graduate student Kimble Schuessler bleeds burnt orange. After playing just three games for the rivals from College Station, Schuessler has become a constant presence in the Longhorns' lineup since 2022. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound slugger has totaled at least a .323 average in all three of his seasons at Texas. As a full-time starter last year, Schuessler mounted a .343/.420/.601 slash line, posting the second-best average on the club. Following a slow start to his final go-around in college baseball, Schuessler has become one of the hottest hitters for the Longhorns as of late. This year, all six of his home runs have come since March 28, highlighted by SEC Co-Player of the Week honors on April 21. Against UTRGV and No. 8 Auburn, Schuessler reached safely in 13 of his 17 plate appearances. As part of his career week, the first baseman notched a two-homer, eight-RBI performance in Texas' 14-2 run-rule win over the Tigers. Schuessler became just the fifth Longhorn with eight RBI in a game since 2008. Heading into the midweek, the Llano, Texas, native is tied for the fourth-most doubles (15) among all SEC hitters. Over Texas' nine-game winning streak, Schuessler is batting .500 with three home runs and 12 RBI.
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.
LONG HAIR, DON'T CARE — Jared Spencer was selected in the 14th round of the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, but elected to transfer to Texas instead. Despite making 59 appearances in three years at Indiana State, Spencer arrived on The Forty Acres with only 11 collegiate starts under his belt. As the Longhorns' ace, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefty has staked his claim as one of the top arms in the SEC. Against then-No. 3 Georgia, he struck out a career-high 11 batters in the longest outing during his time as a collegian, tossing 7 2/3 innings. Spencer limited the Bulldogs to a season-low one run on two hits in a 111-pitch effort, becoming the first Longhorn to pitch into the eighth this year.
MAX POWER — Junior Max Belyeu entered 2025 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, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors last season. This year, Belyeu has reached safely in 23 of his 24 games played, slashing .358/.465/.642 with six homers and 22 RBI. The 2024 Second Team All-American has been sidelined with a thumb injury since March 29.
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 April 28, the ABCA Hall of Famer ranks 10th among winningest active Division I coaches, amassing a 983-460 (.681) 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 four full seasons, Schlossnagle's squad has led the country in pitches per plate appearance. As of April 28, Texas (4.08) paces the nation in that category, checking in ahead of Notre Dame (4.07), and Jacksonville State (4.05).
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 42 games, Texas has thrown 64 percent of its pitches for strikes, while totaling a 60 percent clip in 0-0 counts and a 63 percent mark in 1-1 counts. The Longhorns also boast a 2.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. As a result, Texas has lowered its ERA by nearly two runs. The Longhorns lead the country in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.91), while ranking second in ERA (3.09) and WHIP (1.16).
TEXAS FIGHT — Heading into the midweek, Texas has notched 18 come-from-behind wins, which marks its most in a season in three years. The Longhorns have tallied five victories trailing after six innings, which is more than double their win total in those situations from 2024. On April 22, Texas overcame a five-run deficit at Texas State, scoring 10 runs over the final three innings. In one-run games, the Longhorns have posted a 7-3 record.
SCORING IN BUNCHES — 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. Through its first 39 games, has mounted at least five runs in a frame on 12 different instances. Overall, the Longhorns have notched double-digit runs 13 times, tallying six run-rule victories over Ole Miss (Feb. 15), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 4), Sam Houston (March 25), Missouri (March 28), Houston Christian (April 10) and Auburn (April 19).
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).
