The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Tennessee
No. 4 Baseball preview: at Tennessee
05.07.2026 | Baseball
Longhorns travel to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for first time in program history
#4 TEXAS vs. TENNESSEE
Dates: May 8-10, 2026
Where: Lindsey Nelson Stadium
Time: Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT / 6:30 p.m. ET; Saturday at 5 p.m. CT / 6 p.m.; Sunday at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET
Stream/TV: SEC Network+ (Friday & Saturday); ESPN2 (Sunday)
Radio: 103.1 FM
Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – Texas LHP Dylan Volantis (7-0, 1.87 ERA) vs. Tennessee RHP Tegan Kuhns (3-4, 3.46 ERA)
SATURDAY – Texas RHP Ruger Riojas (5-2, 3.71 ERA) vs. Tennessee LHP Evan Blanco (5-3, 4.36 ERA)
SUNDAY – Texas LHP Luke Harrison (5-2, 4.35 ERA) vs. Tennessee RHP Landon Mack (4-4, 4.67 ERA)
THE MATCHUP — No. 4 Texas hits the road for the final time during the 2026 regular season, traveling to face Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The two sides have faced off five times, but this weekend marks the Longhorns' first visit to Knoxville. Texas and Tennessee first met at the Houston College Classic in 2008. Last season, the Longhorns and Volunteers squared off in the 2025 SEC Baseball Championship. Tennessee head coach Josh Elander played and worked for Texas skipper Jim Schlossnagle at TCU. Under Schlossnagle's tutelage, Elander had a decorated playing career from 2010-12, hitting .333 with 18 home runs and 114 RBI over 169 games. After four years in professional baseball, Elander served as a student assistant on Schlossnagle's staff in 2016.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS — As of May 7, the Longhorns sport the No. 3 RPI and No. 7 SOS in the country. Texas has compiled 13 Quad 1 wins, trailing only Florida (15) nationally. The Longhorns have notched the seventh-best scoring margin in all of Division I Baseball, averaging a +3.9 run differential. On the mound, Texas ranks first in FIP (3.08), fourth in WHIP (1.19) and 11th in ERA (3.83). At the plate, the Longhorns' .924 OPS sits 22nd nationally.
THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU — Heading into the second weekend of May, Texas is a consensus top-4 team. The Longhorns check in as high as No. 3, according to Baseball America. Texas is also slotted at No. 4 by D1Baseball, Perfect Game, the NCBWA and USA Today. With two weeks remaining in conference play, Texas sits tied for second, trailing SEC-leader Georgia by 2 1/2 games.
IT JUST MEANS MORE — Since Jim Schlossnagle's first campaign in the SEC in 2022, he has won more conference series than any other coach in the league. Over that nearly five-year run, Schlossnagle's 36 SEC series wins stack up ahead of Dan Van Horn (31), Kevin O'Sullivan (28), Jay Johnson (27) and Tony Vitello (27). With Schlossnagle at the helm last year, Texas became the first team to win the SEC in its first season since the league's inaugural campaign in 1933. The Longhorns — who were picked eighth in the conference's preseason poll — won the league by two games. Texas' 22-8 ledger in SEC action marked its best record in conference play since 2010. The Longhorns were the lone team to win eight series in league action.
NOTEWORTHY NON-CON — In the regular season, Texas finished 21-2 against non-conference opponents. The Longhorns began the season 16-0, marking their best start to a campaign in 21 years. For the second straight season, the Longhorns finished 9-2 in midweek games. Since 2020, Jim Schlossnagle's clubs have notched a 61-12 (.836) ledger in midweek games, winning 33 of the last 38 contests.
