HOOVER, Ala. — So far this season, Luke Harrison has started 14 times for Texas baseball. Dylan Volantis has been a 13-time starter for the Longhorns.
But during Friday’s lopsided 8-1 loss to Arkansas at the SEC Tournament, Texas called both Harrison and Volantis out of the bullpen.
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Harrison and Volantis combined to pitch four innings in the quarterfinal setback to the Razorbacks. With the loss, Texas went one-and-done at the SEC Tournament for the second straight season. The Longhorns were the No. 2 seed in the field while Arkansas is seeded seventh.
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)
With Texas trailing 6-1 after the second inning, the sight of Harrison exiting the Texas bullpen wasn’t a complete surprise. Volantis entering the game ahead of the sixth session with the Longhorns facing a seven-run deficit shouldn’t have been described as a flabbergasting move, either. Earlier in the week, Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle had teased that he might use Harrison and Volantis in a relief role.
Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle takes out pitcher Cody Howard (41) during the annual Texas baseball alumni game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman)
Schlossnagle said he wanted to prepare those pitchers for a possible scenario in the NCAA Tournament in which they may be asked to work out of the bullpen.
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“(We wanted to) get ’em both work on this particular day so they’re both ready to pitch next Friday (in UT’s regional opener) if we choose to pitch one of the two next Friday,” Schlossnagle said. “So we wanted to get ’em work. We wanted that to be out of the bullpen in case, you know — whoever pitches next Friday, if one of those two guys pitch on Friday and we need ’em Monday night in a loser’s bracket winner-take-all game, then at least they have been out of the bullpen this year.”
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In his first relief appearance since the 2024 season, Harrison threw 31 pitches over two innings. He allowed two hits, struck out two Razorbacks and was aided by a fourth-inning double play turned by the Texas infield.
“I was fired up to get to pitch this weekend in any kind of role,” Harrison said. “It’s good to be down there with the fellas in the bullpen and come out there and do something I haven’t done in a little bit, which is come out of the bullpen and pitch. It’s a good reminder that the game doesn’t change. Just got to go do me and the rest will take care of itself.”
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Like Harrison, Volantis also pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Volantis didn’t allow a hit while striking out four of the seven batters he faced. A candidate for an SEC’s pitcher of the year award that was won this week by Florida’s Aidan King, Volantis now boasts a 2.00 ERA.
Texas Longhorns pitcher Cody Howard (41) takes the field during the NCAA D1 Baseball Tournament Regional against Kansas State at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Aaron E. Martinez / American Statesman)
Texas unable to respond to a couple of big swings by Arkansas
With Harrison and Volantis working in relief, Texas instead started Cody Howard. Howard entered his sixth appearance and first start of the season with the pitching staff’s second-highest ERA. The fifth-year right-hander was immediately roughed up by the Razorbacks. Camden Kozeal hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Arkansas slugger tagged him for a three-run blast in the second.
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Texas pitchers Kaleb Rogers (15 pitches over one-third of an inning), Ethan Walker (11 pitches over one-third of an inning), Brett Crossland (nine pitches over one-third of an inning), Michael Winter (22 pitches over one inning) and Cal Higgins (19 pitches over one inning) also got some work in. Led by Kozeal, Arkansas finished with 11 hits.
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Offensively, Texas was limited to four hits and a first-inning run that was scored after a bases-loaded walk. Arkansas (38-19) lost starting pitcher Hunter Dietz to an early injury, but Razorbacks reliever Gabe Gaeckle shut the Longhorns down over the final six innings.
“I think that it was just one of those days where we didn’t show up ready to play,” UT catcher Carson Tinney said.
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Texas (40-13) must now wait until Monday to learn its draw for the NCAA Tournament. Heading into Friday’s game, Texas was projected by D1Baseball to be the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament while Baseball America had the Longhorns as the No. 4 seed. Teams with a top-16 seed will get to bring a regional to their home ballpark while a top-eight seed would put a program in line to host a super regional if it advances that far.