For the Texas baseball team, this week has featured a rained-out game, a convincing win and a shutout loss. But can the Longhorns end the weekend on a high note?
Texas will go for a series win against Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon. The Longhorns opened this SEC series with an 11-4 win on Friday before Vanderbilt bounced back with Saturday’s 6-0 victory.
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Ranked No. 4 in the D1Baseball poll, Texas (31-9, 12-7) is attempting to keep up with Georgia (33-11, 14-6) and Texas A&M (32-8, 13-6) in the conference’s championship chase. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt (26-18, 10-10) is looking to strengthen its postseason résumé since the Commodores were listed among the “first four out” in D1Baseball’s most-recent projections for the NCAA Tournament.
Stay tuned for live updates.
Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) is welcomed back to the dugout after a home run in the fifth inning as the Texas Longhorns play the USC Upstate Spartans on Friday, March 6, 2026 at UFCU-Disch Falk Field in the first game of a three-game series.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns catcher Carson Tinney (8) congratulates outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) after Robbins’ home run in the first inning as the Longhorns play the UTRGV Vaqueros at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Feb. 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Vanderbilt had a great opportunity to secure a wak-off win, but Texas has been able to send this game to extra innings. With two outs and runners on second and third base, UT opted to have closer Sam Cozart pitch to Vanderbilt cleanup hitter Colin Barczi instead of issuing an intentional walk. That decision paid off as Cozart got Barczi to fly out to center field.
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Casey Borba drew a one-out walk, but Texas was unable to take a late lead. Vanderbilt reliever Luke Guth, who pitched 2 ⅓ innings of one-hit baseball on Saturday, struck out Jayden Duplantier and Aiden Robbins to send the Commodores back to the dugout.
As it goes for a walk-off win, Vanderbilt will flip over its batting order after Will Hampton – the No. 9 hitter in its lineup – leads off the ninth inning. Sam Cozart will remain on the mound for Texas.
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Vanderbilt tied Sunday’s game with Rustan Rigdon’s’ two-out double off of Texas reliever Sam Cozart in the eighth inning. That play occurred right before ESPN2 cut away from the game for coverage of the San Antonio Spurs’ playoff game with Portland.
Coverage of the Texas-Vanderbilt game will continue on ESPNEWS.
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Texas has seized its first lead since Friday after Ethan Mendoza’s sacrifice flyout to center field brought Aiden Robbins home from third base. Robbins reached base on a leadoff single, and he moved over to third base on wild pitches that were thrown by two different Vanderbilt pitchers.
In his first inning of work, Haiden Leffew retired the Commodores in order. Pounded on Saturday for double-digit hits for just the ninth time this season, UT has limited Vanderbilt’s offense to four hits today.
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With its offense struggling, Texas twice went to its bench in the seventh inning. Vanderbilt reliever Jakob Schulz was able to register a strikeout of Presley Courville, who was pinch-hitting for designated hitter Ashton Larson. Casey Borba, who regularly starts at first base but was given some time off today after striking out four times on Saturday, replaced Josh Livingston with two outs and was subsequently hit by an Alex Kranzler pitch.
Texas eventually stranded Temo Becerra and Borba on base with Jayden Duplantier’s groundout to shortstop Ryker Waite. Texas has four hits today.
For the second straight inning, Vanderbilt stranded two runners on base. Brett Crossland got a flyout to center field to end the Commodores’ most-recent tiebreaking threat.
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More: Midseason grades for Aiden Robbins, Adrian Rodriguez and the Longhorns
In the top of the seventh inning, Vanderbilt will replace starting pitcher Wyatt Nadeau on the mound. Over six innings, Nadeau allowed four hits and a walk. Nadeau struck out three Longhorns and was aided by the two double plays that were turned by his defense.
With Vanderbilt threatening in the fifth inning, Texas went to its bullpen. Reliever Brett Crossland inherited runners on first and second base with one out, and the freshman right-hander got a fly ball to left field and a strikeout to keep the tie intact.
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Senior Luke Harrison allowed four hits and one walk over a start that lasted 4 ⅓ innings. He struck out seven batters.
Held hitless over today’s first three innings by Vanderbilt’s Wyatt Nadeau, Texas got three consecutive hits in the fourth frame. Two of those one-out hits were Adrian Rodriguez’s RBI double and Ethan Mendoz’s RBI single.
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Texas was unable to get out of a third-inning jam as Braden Holcomb brought home the first two runs of Sunday’s game with a two-out double. Holcomb’s big swing came one day after he hit a two-run homer during Vanderbilt’s three-run first inning.
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Wyatt Nadeau and Texas counterpart Luke Harrison both faced the minimum amount of batters in the second inning. Nadeau hit a Longhorn with one-out pitch, but his defense then turned its SEC-leading 38th double play of the season. Harrison caught two Commodores looking at a third strike in the second inning’s bottom half before Ryker Waite ended the frame with a groundout.
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Vanderbilt recorded a first-inning double that was misplayed in right field by Jayden Duplantier, but that one-out hit did not hurt the Longhorns. Luke Harrison struck out two batters in the inning and a groundout stranded Brodie Johnston at second base.
The Longhorns were retired in order in the top of the first inning. Aiden Robbins, Carson Tinney and Anthony Pack Jr. all made contact on Wyatt Nadeau pitches, but those baseballs were all hit to Commodores. Dating back to Friday, Texas has not scored in 13 straight innings.
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Where: Hawkins Field in Nashville
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Luke Harrison (53) throws a pitch during the NCAA D1 Baseball Tournament Regional against UTSA at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/American Statesman
CF Aiden Robbins
C Carson Tinney
LF Anthony Pack Jr.
SS Adrian Rodriguez
2B Ethan Mendoza
DH Ashton Larson
3B Temo Becerra
1B Josh Livingston
RF Jayden Duplantier
2B Mike Mancini
3B Brodie Johnston
RF Braden Holcomb
DH Colin Barczi
1B Tommy Goodin
CF Rustan Rigdon
SS Ryker Waite
C Korbin Reynolds
LF Will Hampton
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LHP Luke Harrison (4-2, 4.09 ERA)
RHP Wyatt Nadeau (1-2, 5.40 ERA)
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