#4 TEXAS vs. VANDERBILT

April 24-26, 2026

Where: Hawkins Field

Time: Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 12 p.m.

Stream/TV: SEC Network+ / SEC Network / ESPN2

Radio: 103.1 FM

Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

FRIDAY – Texas LHP Dylan Volantis (5-0, 2.13 ERA) vs. Vanderbilt RHP Connor Fennell (3-1, 4.74 ERA)

SATURDAY – Texas RHP Ruger Riojas (5-1, 3.25 ERA) vs. TBA

SUNDAY – Texas LHP Luke Harrison (4-2, 4.09 ERA) vs. Vanderbilt RHP Wyatt Nadeau (1-2, 5.40 ERA)

THE MATCHUP — For the time since 1907, Texas takes on Vanderbilt in Nashville. Ten of the previous 16 all-time meetings have come in the Music City, but this weekend marks the first-ever series between the two sides at Hawkins Field, which opened in 2002. The Longhorns and Commodores most recently played neutral site contests in both 2023 and 2024 at Globe Life Field and Minute Maid Park, respectively. Texas and Vanderbilt also squared off in the 2004 and 2014 College World Series in Omaha. The Longhorns and Commodores first competed against each other on May 11, 1900 at Dudley Field. Vanderbilt boasts a 9-7 advantage in the all-time series.

A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS — As of April 23, Texas sports the No. 3 RPI and No. 8 SOS nationally. The Longhorns have registered 11 Quad 1 wins, which is only one victory shy of Alabama and Florida for the top spot in the country. Texas has notched the sixth-best scoring margin in all of Division I Baseball, averaging a +4.4 run differential. On the mound, the Longhorns rank first in opponent batting average (.212) and FIP (2.88), third in WHIP (1.16) and fifth in ERA (3.41). At the plate, Texas’ .937 OPS sits 19th in the country.

THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU — Two months into the 2026 campaign, Texas is a consensus top-4 team. The Longhorns check in as high as No. 3, according to Baseball America. Meanwhile, Texas is slotted at No. 4 by D1Baseball, Perfect Game, the NCBWA and USA Today. With four weeks remaining in conference play, Texas sits in third, trailing SEC-leader Georgia by 1 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 four-plus year run, Schlossnagle’s 34 SEC series wins stack up ahead of Dan Van Horn (29), Kevin O’Sullivan (27), Tony Vitello (27) and Jay Johnson (26). 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.

ROLL HORNS — No. 4 Texas won its fifth SEC series in six weeks, taking two of three against No. 11 Alabama. Across the series, the Longhorns totaled 49 strikeouts, the most in a three-game set in program history. All three Texas starters compiled double-digit punchouts, with Dylan Volantis (12) and Luke Harrison (10) setting new career bests. In a 10-2 victory in the series opener, Volantis and Sam Cozart combined for a then-season-high 17 strikeouts. On Saturday, Longhorns delivered a 19-punchout effort, matching the most in a nine-inning game in program history. Texas used six different hurlers to lock down the series-securing 3-1 win. The Longhorns capped off the historic weekend by logging 13 strikeouts in a narrow 2-1 defeat.