The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Five from No. 3 Baseball earn NCBWA preseason All-America distinction
02.06.2026 | Baseball
Longhorns are the lone SEC program with a co-nation’s best five selections
AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas standouts Carson Tinney, Dylan Volantis, Cal Higgins, Aiden Robbins and Josh Livingston collected preseason All-America honors, garnering recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Friday.
Tinney, Volantis and Higgins were all slotted on the first team, while Robbins and Livingston landed on the third and fourth teams, respectively.
The Longhorns are the lone Southeastern Conference program with a co-nation's best five selections, alongside Georgia Tech, TCU and Virginia.
The complete list of NCBWA preseason All-Americans can be viewed HERE.
A consensus preseason All-American, Tinney paced all Power Four players in WRC+ (179) and wOBA (.535) last season, while registering the third-highest OPS (1.251).
The Notre Dame transfer led the Irish in 10 offensive categories, highlighted by his .348 average, 17 home runs, 53 RBI, .498 on-base percentage and .753 slugging.
Tinney finished his sophomore season as one of three finalists for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.
Volantis, who was also named a preseason All-American by both D1Baseball and Perfect Game, was tabbed the NCBWA National Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2025.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound left-hander paced all rookies nationally in WHIP (0.88) and saves (12). Among Division I freshmen, he ranked second in ERA (.194) and B/AVG (.185).
Volantis' 11 saves in league play were the most by an SEC freshman ever, breaking a 22-year-old record held by Ole Miss' Steven Head. The Baseball America National Freshman of the Year tied for the 10th-most saves in the country.
As a senior at Western Kentucky, Higgins mounted a 1.87 ERA, which marked the fourth-best nationally (min. 40 innings).
The ABCA/Rawlings Midwest All-Region Second Team selection notched six saves and registered 52 strikeouts over 43.1 innings.
Higgins held opposing hitters to a .190 average across a co-team-leading 22 appearances.
A transfer from Seton Hall, Robbins compiled the fifth-highest on-base percentage (.537) and sixth-best average (.422) in Division I baseball a year ago.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound outfielder posted team-highs in average, runs (63), hits (86), doubles (19), total bases (133), walks (44), on-base percentage, slugging (.652), stolen bases (20) and multi-hit performances (26).
Robbins earned both ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region Second Team distinction and All-BIG East First Team honors in 2025.
During his senior season at Wichita State, Livingston led the Shockers in homers (15), RBI (48), total bases (117) and slugging (.555).
The power-hitting infielder also tallied a .284 average with 43 runs scored and a co-team-best 28 walks.
A native of Prosper, Texas, Livingston garnered AAC All-Tournament Team plaudits, guiding Wichita State's last-season charge.
