No. 2 Texas Longhorns vs. Ole Miss Rebels
The undefeated Texas Longhorns open Southeastern Conference play in Austin this weekend, hosting the Ole Miss Rebels. This will be the 22nd meeting on the diamond between The University and Ole Miss, but it has been a little while since Ole Miss came to Austin for baseball. 114 years actually – Texas beat Mississippi 6-1 and 15-2 on April 8 & 9, 1912. Texas leads the series 15-6 and has won 8 of the last 10.
Series history here:
University of Texas Athletics Baseball History vs University of Mississippi
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday: Ole Miss LHP Hunter Elliott (2-0, 3.66 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Ruger Riojas (4-0, 1.23 ERA)
Saturday: Ole Miss RHP Cade Townsend (2-0, 0.48 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Luke Harrison(1-0, 3.06 ERA)
Sunday: Ole Miss LHP Wil Libbert (2-1, 4.58 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Dylan Volantis (2-0, 1.54 ERA)
Official Preview here:
No. 2 Baseball preview: Ole Miss – University of Texas Athletics
Link to the official Texas Game Notes:
3.13.26 Ole Miss Game Notes – University of Texas Athletics
Texas Longhorns Baseball
Texas is 16-0, with six wins by run-rule. Really impressive offense and the runs come in bunches. First time since 1940 that the Horns have scored in the double-digits in six consecutive games. Fun team to watch. The 15-4 beating of the Bobcats this past Tuesday in San Marcos was impressive. Borba – not struggling now!
Borba’s big 477 foot homerun at Texas State. 💣
But this week the real season begins. The Real Hard Season.
A look at our starting pitchers and a couple of other guys.
Ruger Riojas went 6 innings against USC Upstate – 4 hits and 1 earned run. 12 strikeouts and no walks. 42 strikeouts to 3 walks on the season – that is quite good.
| ERA | W-L | WHIP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | B/AVG |
| 1.54 | 4-0 | .64 | 22.0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .143 |
Luke Harrison struggled a little bit last Saturday, as did a few other pitchers, but Texas held off the Spartan Surge for an 11-9 win. Luke went 4.2 innings and gave up 7 hits and 3 runs (2 earned). He did have 7 strikeouts and no walks, which is good.
| ERA | W-L | WHIP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | B/AVG |
| 3.06 | 1-0 | 1.42 | 17.2 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 1 | .246 |
Dylan Volantis was not very sharp on Sunday, but after a late Saturday night, spring forward on the clock, and a noon start, neither was I. Volantis went 4.2 innings but gave up 3 runs, all earned, and walked 2 (4 Ks).
| ERA | W-L | WHIP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | B/AVG |
| 1.54 | 2-0 | .90 | 23.1 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .169 |
Thomas Burns. Counting on this kid. We need a killer-instinct closer. Our last 2 national championships came with guys on the bump who had that. Huston Street in 2002 (save against South Carolina on June 22, 2002, legend Justin Simmons (16-1) got the win in a 12-6 game) and J. Brent Cox in 2005 (see below).
| ERA | W-L | S | WHIP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | B/AVG |
| 3.18 | 0-0 | 2 | 1.24 | 5.2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .150 |
Sam Cozart is now 3-0 and pitching very well.
| ERA | W-L | WHIP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | B/AVG |
| 2.55 | 3-0 | .68 | 17.2 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1.36 |
Michael Winter is another freshman who has pitched well. He came in Sunday in relief of Volantis and pitched 2.1 innings of shutout ball. His numbers:
| ERA | W-L | WHIP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | B/AVG |
| 0.0 | 1-0 | 1.35 | 6.2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 | .217 |
As a staff, Texas is No. 3 in the nation with 36 earned runs in 134 innings, a 2.42 ERA. Southern Cal is tops with a 1.47 ERA, and Clemson is just ahead of the Horns with a 2.17 ERA
https://www.ncaa.com/stats/baseball/d1/current/team/211
Texas offensive stats:
Notes: 4 men with an OPS over 1.000. 7 of our 8 top guys over .300, and Carson Tinney the only one below .300 at .259. If Tinney stays in that range, we are going to be fine (and note the .978 OPS). Robbins, Becerra, and Borba slugging over .700 is sick. If this offense continues, Douglas County, Nebraska in June is highly probable.
Not shown in that snip is our main designated hitter, Josh Livingston, who started finding his groove last weekend against the USC Spartans, hitting a grand slam and then a walk-off run-rule 2 run dinger on Sunday. Troy Tulowitzki is doing great work with the infielders and the batters. We are so lucky to have him in Austin. Thank you Drew and Huston!
Pitching:
Texas season stats at the bottom of this post and link here:
2026 Baseball Cumulative Statistics
Third baseman Temo Becerra. Loving this kid.
30 minutes of good stuff from Nash Talks Texas:
J. Brent Cox
The University is honoring the aforementioned J. Brent Cox on Saturday. Bad Ass. In Game 1 of the finals in the 2005 College World Series, Cox got the 6 out save against Florida in a 4-2 Texas win after coming in behind the great Adrian Alaniz, and in Game 2 Texas clinched its 6th National Championship behind Kyle McCullough and Cox’s 1.2 shutout innings in a 6-2 Longhorns win. Can’t talk about that trip to Omaha without noting David Maroul’s 3 hits and 2 RBI in Game 2 and 3 hits 4 RBI in Game 2. Loved that team with some guys I am blessed to be friends with today, including the Pride of Atlanta Texas, Drew Stubbs (best centerfielder I’ve ever seen at Disch-Falk Field), and Seth Johnston. Alaniz was one of my favorite pitchers – saw him throw no-hitter at the Disch (against the Land Thieves – thanks Nick Peoples). Cox finished the season with a record of 8-3 and 19 saves in 42 appearances (78 IP), an ERA of 1.73 (team best, just ahead of Kenn Kasperek), and B/AVG of .207. Looking forward to Saturday.
Texas got to Omaha by going to Oxford for the Super Regional and by beating the Rebels (despite a rough game one for Cox). Want to ask Bishop about Crouch calling the long ball!
Austin American-Statesman pictures from the championship game:
PHOTOS: Texas baseball at the 2005 College World Series
The Longhorn Network documentary on the 2005 team (26 minutes). Good stuff. And worth your time.
Lots of amazing stuff (Stubbs’ catch), but Chance Wheeless’ heroic homerun against Baylor. Lifetime highlight. Maroul against Florida. An historic trip to Omaha. Wonder if he still eats Arby’s?
Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels are 15-3. Swept Nevada in Oxford to open the season (including a Sunday 13-2 run rule). Arkansas State 7-6, run-ruled Jackson State 18-3, and then swept Missouri State in their second weekend series. Run-ruled Southeast Missouri State in their next Tuesday night game before joining the Horns in Houston for the Bruce Bolt College Classic. Ole Miss lost to Baylor 5-6 in 10 on Friday night, shutout Ohio State 8-0 on Saturday, and lost to Coastal Carolina 2-9 on Sunday (recall Texas beat the Bears and the Chanticleers in Houston that weekend). 7-1 over Memphis then 8-5 over North Alabama. They hosted Evansville in Oxford last weekend, sweeping the Aces including a 14-2 run-rule game. This past Tuesday, the Rebs went to Hattiesburg and lost 1-2 to No. 7 Southern Miss.
Top of the hitting stats for Ole Miss is outfielder Tristan Bissetta (plays both corners), with a .403 BA, .806 slug, .459 OBP, and 1.265 OPS. 8 home runs and 25 RBI. Bats cleanup. Next is catcher Collin Reuter- .939 BA,.643 slug, .486 OBP and 1.129 OPS. Third baseman Judd Uttermark leads the Rebs with 10 home runs; 23 RBI, 1.329 OPS, .859 slug.
Rest of the Rebel stats here and attached in PDF. Didn’t drill down, but catcher Austin Fawley has 5 errors.
Ole Miss 2026 Baseball Cumulative Statistics
SEC This Weekend
Southeastern Conference Baseball
SEC Baseball Stats: Stats – Baseball – Southeastern Conference
Rankings
D1 Baseball
Numbers are fun. pearatings.com.
Texas One
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Texas Women’s Basketball
Southeastern Conference Champions! What a weekend for the women. Dethroned South Carolina and brought the SEC Championship Trophy back to Austin. This is a fun team to watch. Time to make a run for that natty!
Texas Men’s Basketball
Brutal loss to the Land Thieves last Saturday night. Tougher loss to the Rebs in Nashville. But both of those teams are hot and in the SEC quarterfinals. Horns still have a good shot at getting in the Big Dance.
Texas Longhorns
Music
Wasn’t planning on including music for the baseball season, but with the passing earlier this week of Augie Meyers, tribute is due. Doug Sahm’s partner, they founded the Sir Douglas Quintet and later the Texas Tornados, which included the legends Flaco Jimenez and Freddy Fender.
The National Anthem of San Antonio, Hey Baby Que Paso. From a live performance at Austin City Limits
Adios Mexico
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Tim Taylor P.O. Box 5371 Austin, Texas 78763-5371