The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 6 Baseball preview: vs. No. 3 Georgia (Men's College World Series)
06.16.2026 | Baseball
Longhorns square off against Bulldogs in elimination game at 7 p.m. Tuesday
#3 GEORGIA vs. #6 TEXAS
Date: June 16, 2026
Where: Charles Schwab Field Omaha
Time: 7 p.m
TV: ESPN
Radio: 103.1 FM
Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
Alabama LHP Zane Adams (8-4, 3.96 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Ruger Riojas (5-2, 4.04 ERA)
THE MATCHUP — In a rematch of its opening game at the 2026 Men's College World Series, No. 6 Texas faces off against No. 3 Georgia at Charles Schwab Field on Tuesday night. The Longhorns, who have won 10 of their last 12 games, fell to the Bulldogs, 7-1, Saturday evening. Texas responded by topping No. 7 Alabama, 14-2, while Georgia came up short against Oklahoma, 4-3. The Longhorns lead the all-time series over the Bulldogs, 6-2. The winner between the SEC's top two programs will square off against Oklahoma at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
HISTORY AT HOME-AHA — Adrian Rodriguez delivered the third-ever cycle in Men's College World Series history, guiding No. 6 Texas to a 14-2 victory over No. 7 Alabama on Monday. Rodriguez joined Minnesota's Jerry Kindall (1956) and Tennessee's Christian Moore (2024) as the lone players to accomplish the feat in Omaha. Texas' shortstop also tied single-game MCWS records with seven RBI and 12 total bases. Rodriguez finished 5-for-5, becoming just the second Texas player with five hits in a MCWS game, alongside Jim Shamblin in 1949. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore opened his historic performance with a two-run double in the first before mounting a two-RBI triple one frame later. In his third at-bat, Rodriguez led off the fifth by notching a single through the left side and completed the cycle with a 418-foot two-run shot in the sixth. He added a run-scoring double in the eighth, bumping his batting average to a .667 clip during the NCAA Tournament. The Flower Mound, Texas, native drove in seven of the Longhorns 14 tallies, as Texas totaled its most runs in a MCWS game since 1992. The Longhorns scored eight times with two outs. Anthony Pack Jr. and Ethan Mendoza both registered three hits apiece in the victory. Pack Jr. posted four RBI, highlighted by a two-run blast to spark the four-spot in the sixth. His 12th homer of the season also marked the first homer by a Texas freshman in Omaha since J.D. Reininger in 2002. Meanwhile, Mendoza kickstarted the offensive onslaught, producing run-scoring knocks in each of the first two frames.
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. Texas holds the record for most Men's College World Series appearances (39), most individual MCWS games won (89), most overall NCAA Tournament games won (271) and most NCAA Tournament appearances (65). The Longhorns have won six national championships, trailing only USC (12) and LSU (8).
SCHLOSS' SECOND HOME — Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle has led his team to Omaha eight times in the last 16 seasons, including a nation's best seven trips since 2014. Schlossnagle has guided his club to a top-four finish at the Men's College World Series on five occasions, highlighted by earning a spot in the championship series in 2024. He is just the fourth coach to guide three different schools — TCU, Texas A&M and Texas — to Omaha, joining Larry Cochell, Andy Lopez and Ron Polk.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS — As of June 15, the Longhorns sport the No. 4 RPI, No. 5 DSR and No. 8 SOS in the country. Heading into the SEC Tournament, Texas was listed as a consensus top-5 team in all five major polls. The Longhorns have the fifth-highest winning percentage (.763) and sixth-best run differential (+3.7) in all of Division I Baseball. On the mound, Texas ranks second in FIP (3.31), third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.43), fifth in WHIP (1.22) and 12th in ERA (4.01). At the plate, the Longhorns' .936 OPS is 12th nationally. Meanwhile, Texas has registered a .979 fielding percentage, which sits 26th in the country.
IT JUST MEANS MORE — In Texas' two seasons in the SEC, the Longhorns are one of only two programs with at least 40 wins in league play, alongside Georgia. Texas' 41-18 (.695) SEC mark is the best conference winning percentage over that span, edging Georgia's 41-19 (.693) ledger. 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 five-year run, Schlossnagle's 37 SEC series wins stack up ahead of Dan Van Horn (33), Kevin O'Sullivan (30), Jay Johnson (27) and Tony Vitello (27). With Schlossnagle at the helm last year, the Longhorns became the first team to win the SEC in their first season since the league's inaugural campaign in 1933. Texas' 22-8 ledger in SEC action marked its best record in conference play since 2010.
HISTORY BY WAY OF THE K — Texas' 681 strikeouts are its most-ever in a single season, breaking a 41-year-old school-record set in 1985 (618). Ruger Riojas and Dylan Volantis became the first Texas duo with 120 punchouts in a single season since Kirk Dressendorfer (134) and Eric Stone (140) in 1988. Volantis' 135 strikeouts sit atop the SEC and are third-most in the country. Meanwhile, Riojas ranks second with a 13.22 K/9 among SEC hurlers. Overall, the Longhorns have the SEC's top three pitchers in strikeout percentage (min. 35 inn.), with Sam Cozart (38.6), Riojas (35.5) and Volantis (34.2) comprising the three-headed monster. Texas has mounted 19 punchouts in a game on two occasions, accomplishing the feat against Alabama on April 18 and Mississippi State on May 1. The Longhorns' 19 strikeouts matched the most in a nine-inning game in program history, tying their performance against Southwestern Louisiana on March 18, 1988.
BASH BROS — With Troy Tulowitzki on staff, the Longhorns have recorded the five highest home run totals in school history. In 2022, Texas smashed the program-record with 128 homers, surpassing the 2010 squad that hit 81 blasts. Since, the Longhorns tallied 91 home runs in 2023, 112 jacks in 2024 and 85 round-trippers in 2025. This year, Texas has launched 105 home runs. The Longhorns are the first Power Four team to total 100 homers and 100 stolen bases in the BBCOR era. Texas has three different players with at least 18 jacks for the first time in program history. Team-leader Aiden Robbins has 24 blasts, which is the third-most by a Texas player in a single season. Meanwhile, catcher Carson Tinney has homered 22 times, the fifth-most in a campaign. Infielder Casey Borba has socked 18 jacks to cap off the Longhorns' historic power trio.
SPEED KILLS — For the first time since 2005, Texas has eclipsed the century mark in stolen bases. Among all SEC teams, the Longhorns rank third (114), trailing only Kentucky (131) and Oklahoma (126). Seven Texas players have swiped double-digit bags for the first time in program history. Eight different Longhorns have also set new career-highs. Anthony Pack Jr.'s team-leading 20 stolen bases are the most by a Texas freshman since Drew Stubbs (28) in 2004.
