The midweek to end all midweeks: Texas takes on UTSA

Can you believe we’ve already made it to the final midweek game of the 2026 college baseball regular season?

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It feels like yesterday that Texas was one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the nation. It feels like only a few hours ago they lost back-to-back midweeks to Tartleton State and Houston. It’s pretty funny to look back on the discourse from then. Texas was 24-4 following their win against Texas State a week after Houston, 7-2 in SEC play, and it still felt like they were just scratching the surface.

For those who followed closely, the next two weekends after weren’t as kind. South Carolina took a game from the Horns, and Texas entered its toughest point of the season after the Texas A&M sweep. At least they demolished Incarnate Word and A&M Corpus Christi!

But we now sit moments away from Texas playing its final, and maybe most important midweek game of the year, one that many fans have been dreading ever since the schedule was announced.

BIG BAD UTSA

Even with Texas somewhat overperforming their actual strength as a team in 2025, no one really thought the Roadrunners could have taken them down in the Austin Regional.

And yet, as Kimble Schuessler’s 3-2 swing was whiffed, the Longhorns had been outscored 16-11 in two losses, falling in both games to the Roadrunners as they advanced to the Los Angeles super regional. Who knew back then just how unbeatable that UCLA team would become in 2026?

But let me take you back to that game and the position the Longhorns were in.

Texas had lost its Friday starter, Jared Spencer, and while Ruger Riojas and Luke Harrison were still around as starters, Texas cycled through four other starters throughout conference play, and Riojas massively struggled late in the year with the increased workload and sickness.

With Riojas struggling, it felt like Harrison and the trio of Grubbs, Burns and Volantis in the bullpen were the only arms Texas could really trust. They were thin as can be.

Head coach Jim Schlossnagle was able to use secondary arms against Houston Christian to win the first game of the regional, but exhausted Harrison and Volantis in a loss to UTSA in the second game. A costly Ethan Mendoza error and limited production from the heart of the order proved costly.

Riojas would then throw 119/144 pitches against Kansas State to keep Texas in the tournament, but that put them in a bind.

Harrison had thrown 72 pitches two days prior. He was done. As was Riojas, and Dylan Volantis was limited.

Texas had Grubbs and Burns on decent enough rest, and could’ve probably turned to Jason Flores (5 starts on the year), Kade Bing or Grayson Saunier, all of which had good enough stats on actual volume on the year.

But, as you might’ve remembered, Schlossnagle opted for a full bullpen game, hoping to streamline into the fifth inning where the team could rely on Grubbs – Burns – Volantis to win the game.

That meant using Hudson Hamilton and Ethan Walker, who had only eight combined SEC innings pitched on the year, and it cost them. Seven ER by the end of the third inning, and with multiple missed opportunities and bad Ks later in the game, Texas was eliminated.

How far they’ve come

But Schlossnagle learned from this moment. No longer could this team be only four deep in pitching if they lost a key rotation member.

Compare the team that Texas is trotting out to the one they entered the regional with:

2025 SPs: Luke Harrison, Ruger Riojas

2026 SPs: Dylan Volantis, Ruger Riojas, Luke Harrison

Having Volantis, a top-three starter in the nation at the moment, immediately boosts you up and allows you to survive a regional with much more confidence. That doesn’t even mention Riojas playing at a higher level with less wear and tear, and Harrison remaining consistent.

2025 RPs: Dylan Volantis, Thomas Burns, Max Grubbs, Ethan Walker, Hudson Hamilton, Grayson Saunier, Cody Howard

2026 RPs: Sam Cozart, Brett Crossland, Haiden Leffew, Thomas Burns, Max Grubbs, Ethan Walker

As Nash pointed out today, there isn’t much of a difference between 2025 Volantis and 2026 Cozart at this point.

But the rest of this group continues to look better. Saunier was a solid, but not an often-used arm for this team. They replace him with Brett Crossland, an ace freshman, and Haiden Leffew, who has had his struggles in recent times but has one of the highest ceilings of anyone on this team.

They return every other releiver from that regional, though Hamilton and Howard struggle to get playing time in this year’s group. Walker is better, Burns is returning to his 2025 form, and Max Grubbs has the chance to return to form with a good start tonight.

That doesn’t even mention Flores and Bing returning, as well as the additions of Brody Walls and Michael Winter in this year’s freshman class. Cal Higgins was Schlossnagle’s correct process addition, but he just hasn’t been a player you can rely on this year.

It’s funny, the pitchers that Texas will trot out for this year’s midweek might be better than the ones they used in their final game of the season.

Expect the Longhorns to start Grubbs, and then see what they have from those names in the paragraph right above, heading towards the end of the postseason. They may also have a chance against Missouri at home if Texas dominates the way you hope they would against the worst team in the SEC.

What we’re looking for today

A win would be nice, though I don’t think this year’s team is as hung up on last year’s Regional as some fans are.

More importantly, it’s about gearing up for the final push of the season. Two more weekend series, with a top-eight national seed all but locked up if they beat Tennessee over the weekend.

Getting Grubbs back into the groove is of utmost importance. They need that inner circle of Crossland, Leffew, Burns and Grubbs to all be at their highest form heading into the postseason.

It would also be nice to find another long relief/fourth starter that you can rely on. Any of Walls, Flores or Bing feels reasonable for that spot. My money is on Flores.

Carson Tinney will likely DH and get a much-needed rest, allowing Andrew Ermis to get some reps. I wouldn’t be against Presley Courville getting some catching reps as well.

Maddox Monsour could use as many in-game reps as possible. This week will be huge for his development at centerfield.

And, of course, continued success for that mid to back end of the order. As noted earlier in the lineup, the non-star, but consistent starting players like Jalin Flores, Will Gasparino and even Adrian Rodriguez weren’t productive when the team needed them most in those UTSA games.

That can’t happen two years in a row, and Texas saw better returns from the 4-7 spots in the order this weekend, but that has to be the norm, not a fluke.

I’m not sure I’ll be ready to see that bird logo and those blue uniforms after the weekend I had 12 months ago.