The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 2 Baseball trio land on Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list
04.02.2026 | Baseball
Longhorns are lone SEC program with three players recognized
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Longhorns Ruger Riojas, Aiden Robbins and Dylan Volantis were selected to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, USA Baseball announced Thursday morning, continuing the process of identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2026.
While the midseason watch list features 45 of the nation's best amateur players from college and high school baseball, the Longhorns are the lone Southeastern Conference program with three student-athletes recognized.
The complete Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list can be viewed HERE.
As Texas' ace, Riojas has notched a 5-0 record with a 1.59 ERA, the fourth-best mark in the SEC. The senior's 64 strikeouts are tied for the fifth-most nationally, topping the league by six punchouts. Riojas has posted a 0.88 WHIP and a .193 opponent batting average over 39 2/3 innings.
In his first campaign on The Forty Acres, Robbins paces the Longhorns in nine offensive categories, highlighted by his .372 average and 1.155 OPS. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound outfielder is also tied for the club lead with a career-best 10 home runs. Among all SEC hitters, Robbins is fourth in hits (42), seventh in average and slugging (.708), and ninth in OPS.
A 2025 Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, Volantis has mounted a 3-0 ledger and a 2.08 ERA, which ranks seventh in the SEC. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound left-hander has yielded only nine earned runs in 39 innings. Volantis has registered 51 strikeouts, while holding opposing hitters to a .209 clip.
The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award before the announcement of the semifinalists on May 14.
