With three weeks left in the regular season, Texas baseball aced the first part of a top-10 test.
Dylan Volantis struck out 12 batters and No. 4 Texas found enough offense to claim a 3-1 win over No. 10 Mississippi State at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. With the series-opening victory over the Bulldogs, UT improved to 34-9 with a 14-7 mark in SEC play.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) throws in the fifth inning as the Texas Longhorns play their first game of a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide, April 17, 2026.
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The Longhorns are still chasing Georgia (36-11, 16-6) and Texas A&M (34-8, 14-6) in the SEC title chase.
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Mississippi State (35-11, 13-9) held Texas to five hits on Friday, which was tied for the Longhorns’ fifth-lowest total of the season. But Ethan Mendoza scored shortly after doubling in the second inning, and both Aiden Robbins and Anthony Pack Jr. produced RBI singles in the fifth frame.
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That was enough offense to support the UT pitching staff. Volantis tied his career-high strikeout total over a six-inning, 107-pitch outing. Mississippi State homered off of Texas reliever Haiden Leffew in the eighth inning, but Leffew, Thomas Burns and Sam Cozart were able to close out the game. Cozart struck out the side in the ninth inning to raise the Longhorns’ strikeout total against Mississippi State to 19.
Those 19 strikeouts tied a school-record for a nine-inning game. The Longhorns’ other 19-strikeout games were against Southwest Louisiana in 1988 and against Alabama last month.
Texas and Mississippi State will return to UFCU Disch-Falk Field at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon for the second game in this series. Texas is set to start Ruger Riojas (5-2, 3.88 ERA) against Mississippi State’s Duke Stone (4-2, 4.64 ERA).
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Texas Longhorns infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) slides home to score the first run for the Longhorns in the second inning as they play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) celebrates making it to second base in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) throws in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Mississippi State Bulldogs pitcher Tomas Valincius (4) throws in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) catches a pass at second in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) moves out of the way to avoid a pitch while at bat in the first inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) dives back to the base to avoid being caught stealing as Mississippi State Bulldogs infielder Gehrig Frei (34) catches the ball in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) throws in the first inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) bats in the first inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) celebrates with Texas Longhorns catcher Carson Tinney (8) after pitching well in the first inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) throws in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) throws in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) catches a pass at second to catch Mississippi State Bulldogs outfielder Aidan Teel (5) stealing in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) throws in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Mississippi State Bulldogs pitcher Tomas Valincius (4) throws in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) runs for home to score the first run for the Longhorns in the second inning as they play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
After the Longhorns were retired in order in the eighth inning, the team will turn to freshman reliever Sam Cozart to close out this game. Five of Cozart’s six saves have been recorded in SEC play.
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Aidan Teel, Kevin Milewski and Ryder Woodson are due up for Mississippi State. That is the bottom of the Bulldogs’ lineup.
Mississippi State led off the eighth inning with Gehrig Frei’s solo homer, and the Bulldogs then got two runners aboard with one out. But after a pitching change, UT reliever Thomas Burns preserve the Longhorn lead by striking out Vytas Valincius and then getting Bryce Chance to ground out.
In the top of the seventh inning, Mississippi State was unable to cash in on a two-out double. The Longhorns were then retired in order after the seventh-inning stretch.
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Mississippi State went to its bullpen to start UT’s half of the sixth inning, and starter Tomas Valincius was pulled after allowing four hits and three runs. Reliever Maddox Miller wasn’t perfect, but he struck out Casey Borba to strand a runner at second base.
Texas starter Dylan Volantis will also call it a night after throwing 107 pitches over six innings. Haiden Leffew is entering this game for the Longhorns.
Dylan Volantis ended Mississippi State’s half of the sixth inning with his 12th strikeout of the night, which stranded a runner on first base. That 12th strikeout tied the career-high total that the sophomore left-hander set in his last home start against Alabama on April 17.
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Volantis has thrown 107 pitches tonight. That is a season-high total for any UT pitcher.
Texas entered the fifth inning with just Ethan Mendoza’s second-inning double in the hits column, but three hits in the frame led to some insurance runs. Aiden Robbins and Anthony Pack Jr. both contributed RBI singles in the inning.
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Pack’s RBI single came after a lengthy review to determine whether the UT freshman had been hit by a Tomas Valincius pitch. After it was ruled that Pack had not been hit, Pack lined a Valincius offering into left field to score Robbins from second base.
Mississippi State got two runners in scoring position with two outs, but Dylan Volantis ended the Bulldogs’ biggest threat of the night with a strikeout of leadoff hitter Gehrig Frei. Volantis has now struck out every batter in the Mississippi State lineup except for Bryce Chance, who is 1-for-2 tonight.
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Volantis has 11 strikeouts tonight. The left-hander has registered double-digit strikeouts in three straight games.
Texas got Anthony Pack Jr. to second base with two outs, but the freshman was stranded by a strikeout of Temo Becerra. Through four innings, Tomas Valincius has struck out four batters and allowed just one hit.
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While throwing 10 pitches, Dylan Volantis struck out the side in the fourth inning. Volantis has struck out nine batters through four innings.
Texas has gotten on the scoreboard first at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. After Ethan Mendoza led off the second session with a double, UT helped its second baseman finish his trip around the bases with two groundouts. Ashton Larson picked up an RBI when his ground ball to the right side of the infield brought Mendoza home.
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One of UT’s three outs in the second inning was caught by Aiden Robbins in right field. After starting in center field during each of the Longhorns’ first 42 games this season, Robbins shifted to right field tonight. Freshman Maddox Monsour is making his first-ever start in center field.
Anthony Pack Jr. drew a two-out walk in the the first inning, but that was it for the Longhorns. Mississippi State starter Tomas Valincius opened his start with strikeouts of Aiden Robbins and Carson Tinney, who wank second and third among the Longhorns in batting average.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) throws in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Mississippi State got two runners aboard in the first inning, but Dylan Volantis struck out three batters as the Bulldogs were held without a run. One of Volantis’ strikeouts was recorded on a wild pitch that allowed Mississippi State star Ace Reese to reach first base. Volantis threw 22 pitches in the opening frame.
When: 7:30 p.m. CT Friday
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Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
TV/radio: SEC Network+, 1300 AM
Texas and Mississippi State have played 16 times before, and the Longhorns hold a 9-7 edge in the all-time series. Texas made its SEC debut last season with a sweep of Mississippi State in Starkville, but the Bulldogs’ 2021 NCAA title team did eliminate Texas from the College World Series.
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This series dates back to 1922, but perhaps the biggest games between the two schools were played during the Bulldogs last visit to Austin in 1983. With Texas hosting the NCAA Central Regional, Mississippi State pushed UT to the brink of elimination with a 6-2 win on May 27, 1983. Two days later, Texas secured the regional and continued its march to a national championship with 7-0 and 12-3 wins over the Bulldogs.
Those games between Texas and Mississippi State featured nine players who would eventually reach the major leagues. Texas had Bill Bates, Mike Brumley, Roger Clemens, Jeff Hearron, Calvin Schiraldi and Jose Tolentino on its roster while Mississippi State was led by Jeff Brantley, Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro.
The Texas Longhorns line-up is listed on a fans score book in the third inning of the second game in a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, April 18, 2026.
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RF Aiden Robbins
C Carson Tinney
LF Anthony Pack Jr.
SS Adrian Rodriguez
2B Ethan Mendoza
3B Temo Becerra
DH Ashton Larson
1B Casey Borba
CF Maddox Monsour
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2B Gehrig Frei
3B Ace Reese
DH Noah Sullivan
1B Blake Bevis
RF Jacob Parker
LF Bryce Chance
CF Aidan Teel
C Kevin Milewski
SS Ryder Woodson
LHP Dylan Volantis (6-0, 2.06 ERA)
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LHP Tomas Valincius (7-1, 2.13 ERA)