The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
UC Davis
No. 3 Baseball preview: UC Davis
02.12.2026 | Baseball
Coming off its best season in 15 years, third-ranked Texas begins its second campaign under Hall of Fame head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
UC DAVIS vs. #3 TEXAS
Feb. 13-15, 2026
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Time: Friday at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 12 p.m.
Stream/TV: SEC Network+
Radio: The Zone AM-1300/103.1 FM
Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – UC Davis RHP Noel Valdez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Ruger Riojas (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
SATURDAY – UC Davis LHP Jack Pezzolo (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Luke Harrison (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
SUNDAY – UC Davis RHP Carter Speights (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Dylan Volantis (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
PLAY BALL — Coming off its best season in 15 years, third-ranked Texas begins its second campaign under Hall of Fame head coach Jim Schlossnagle. The Longhorns open their 2026 slate against UC Davis. The two sides have never met before on the diamond. The Aggies are led by fifth-year skipper Tommy Nicholson, who played three seasons at Texas from 1998-2000. Nicholson was named the Team MVP as a junior, helping the Longhorns reach the College World Series. The Anaheim, Calif., native also served a stint as a volunteer assistant during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, before returning as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2013-16.
THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU — Texas enters the 2026 campaign ranked in the top-10 in all five major preseason polls. The Longhorns check in as high as No. 3 by D1Baseball, USA Today and the NCBWA. Meanwhile, Texas was slotted eighth by both Baseball America and Perfect Game. In the Southeastern Conference's preseason poll voted on by the league's 16 head coaches, the Longhorns were picked second behind only defending national champion LSU. Texas was one of four programs to receive a first-place vote, alongside LSU, Mississippi State and Arkansas.
SEASON TO REMEMBER — Last year, Texas mounted a 44-14 ledger, which marked its best record since 2010. The Longhorns became the first team to win the SEC in their inaugural campaign in the league since 1933. The Longhorns won 38 of their first 43 contests. After an extra-inning defeat on Opening Day, Texas rattled off 17 straight victories from Feb. 15 - March 16. The 17-game winning streak was its longest since the program won 21 in a row in 2010. The Longhorns also posted a 10-game winning streak to cap off a 15-2 month of April. Texas was tabbed the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Division Baseball Championship, hosting for the 38th time in its 64 postseason appearances.
GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN — The Longhorns bring back 16 letterwinners from their SEC Championship club from a year ago, headlined by reigning Baseball America National Freshman of the Year. Overall, Texas returns 76 percent of its innings pitched, including 45 of its 58 starts on the mound. Last season, the Longhorns' pitching staff notched the second-best WHIP (1.18) and the sixth-best ERA (3.71) in the country. Offensively, Ethan Mendoza and Adrian Rodriguez — Texas' top two leading hitters in 2025 — are back on The Forty Acres. Mendoza led the squad with a .333 batting average, while Rodriguez produced a .313 clip.
NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES — Texas welcomes 24 newcomers — 14 freshmen and 10 transfers — joining the 16 returning letterwinners from the SEC Championship club a year ago. The Longhorns' recruiting class was ranked first nationally, according to Baseball America and second by Perfect Game. Rookies Michael Winter (No. 35), Anthony Pack Jr. (No. 44) and Sam Cozart (No. 53) and Brett Crossland (No. 89) were all listed in Perfect Game's top 100 collegiate freshmen released in January. Texas' transfer portal class earned the No. 3 spot according to D1Baseball. A quartet of Longhorns were mentioned in the outlet's top portal hitters and pitchers, as Carson Tinney (No. 4), Aiden Robbins (No. 7) and Ashton Larson (No. 38) all garnered spots among the top 50 transfer bats. Meanwhile, Haiden Leffew (No. 4) and Cal Higgins (No. 49) both checked in the top 50 arms.
PRESEASON PRAISE — Ten Longhorns received preseason distinction, including five preseason All-SEC nods, six preseason All-Americans and eight players on national watch lists. Catcher Carson Tinney and left-handed pitcher Dylan Volantis were both named to the Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list, beginning the process of identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2026 season. Tinney was also selected as one to watch for the Buster Posey Collegiate National Catcher of the Year Award, with Volantis among the hurlers tabbed to the National Pitcher of the Year Award preseason watch list. Outfielder Aiden Robbins was recognized on the National Player of the Year Award preseason watch list, while rookies Brett Crossland and Michael Winter were spotlighted as Freshman of the Year candidates. Relievers Thomas Burns, Max Grubbs and Cal Higgins comprised Texas' trio on the Stopper of the Year Award watch list.
VOLANTIS THE PRAYING MANTIS — Left-hander 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 garner 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 finishing second in ERA (1.94) and B/AVG (.185). Volantis compiled 74 strikeouts and only 12 walks over 51 innings. Among Division I hurlers, he tied for 10th in saves, while his 11 saves in conference action are the most by an SEC freshman ever.
HE'S A CATCH — Following two standout seasons at Notre Dame, Carson Tinney arrives on The Forty Acres as one of the most prolific power hitters in college baseball. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound backstop led all Power Four players in WRC+ (179) and wOBA (.535), while also tallying the third-highest OPS (1.251) last season. Tinney, who was one of three finalists for the Buster Posey Award, paced the Irish in 10 offensive categories, highlighted by his .348 average, 17 home runs and 53 RBI. The 2025 consensus All-American was slotted as the third-best catcher in D1Baseball's preseason player rankings.
AUTOMATIC AIDEN — After being lightly recruited out of high school, Aiden Robbins became one of the most sought-after transfers in the country. As a sophomore at Seton Hall, Robbins totaled the fifth-highest on-base percentage (.537) and the sixth-best average (.422) nationally. The ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region Second Team pick paced the Pirates in average, runs (63), hits (86), doubles (19), total bases (133), walks (44), on-base percentage, slugging (.652), stolen bases (20) and multi-hit games (26). According to 6-4-3 Charts, Robbins produced the top WAR (4.05) on the 2026 Texas roster.
HITTERS HIT — A lifelong Longhorn fan, second baseman Ethan Mendoza returned home after one season at Arizona State. A 2025 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 led 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, 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. Last year, Harrison totaled a 5-1 ledger and a 3.06 ERA in 15 starts. Among returning pitchers in the SEC, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound hurler mounted the best ERA (min. 1.0 IP/G) in 2025. In Harrison's 15 starts last season, the Longhorns went 12-3.
MR. DO IT ALL — 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, 200-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, notching a .404 average over that stretch. At the Las Vegas Classic, he was the lone rookie tabbed to the All-Tournament Team. Rodriguez closed the season with a 25-game on-base streak.
SWISS ARMY KNIFE — Right-hander Ruger Riojas' glove says it perfectly: 'SAY WHEN.' Riojas — who joined the program after two years at UTSA — did a little bit of everything for the Longhorns on the mound in his debut campaign on The Forty. The 6-foot, 195-pound hurler made 18 appearances, including 10 starts. As a reliever, Riojas posted a 4-1 record and a 3.94 ERA over 20 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, across his first six starting nods, the Wimberley, Texas, native mounted a 4-0 mark and a 2.39 ERA in 34 innings.
THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD — Hall of Famer Jim Schlossnagle was named just the sixth Longhorns head baseball coach since 1911. Across his 24-year head coaching career, Schlossnagle has totaled 990 wins, the sixth-most Division I victories among active skippers. The two-time National Coach of the Year and nine-time conference honoree has led his team to the College World Series seven times in the last 15 seasons, including a co-nation's best six trips to Omaha in the last 11 campaigns.
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 rank second in the country in WHIP (1.18) and sixth in ERA (3.71).
OWN THE DISCH — Since UFCU Disch-Falk Field opened in 1975, Texas has gone 1,661-427-3 (.795) at home thanks in large part to Longhorn Nation. In 2025, Texas drew 250,757 fans at home, the sixth-highest attendance in the country. Against rival Texas A&M, the Longhorns set a new three-game series attendance record at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, with 23,680 fans watching Texas earn a sweep in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE — With their highly-anticipated move to the SEC ahead of last season, the Longhorns will once again play one of the toughest schedule in the country. Texas is slated to face five teams in D1Baseball's preseason poll. The Longhorns will play 34 home games at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, headlined by marquee series against rival Oklahoma (March 26-28) and No. 4 Mississippi State (May 1-3).
IT JUST MEANS MORE — The 2026 campaign marks Texas' second season in the SEC after 28 years in the Big 12. Thirteen different SEC programs are ranked in the top-25 of the major polls to begin the season. Last year, a record 13 SEC teams earned NCAA Tournament bids. The SEC has won six consecutive NCAA Championships
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 (260) and most NCAA Tournament appearances (64). The Longhorns have won six national championships, trailing only USC (12) and LSU (8).
NOT AN OLD MAN'S GAME — Texas baseball welcomed back more than 100 alumni for its annual Alumni Game on Sat. Jan. 31. The Alumni Team featured MLB standouts Tres Barrera, David Hamilton and Hoby Milner, as well as fan favorites like Trey Faltine and Rylan Galvan. Rookies Brett Crossland, Brody Walls and Jack McKernan combined to toss six innings of one-run baseball. Meanwhile, pitching for the Alumni, Sam Cozart fired four hitless innings with five strikeouts.
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 main play-by-play duties, alongside Roger Wallace and Cameron Parker. Fans will also hear analysis from Longhorn legend and 12-year MLB veteran Keith Moreland.
