Texas Longhorns Rout UC Davis in Season Opener

Freshman outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. shines in debut as Longhorns cruise to 12-2 victory

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The Texas Longhorns baseball team opened their 2026 season with a dominant 12-2 win over UC Davis on Friday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin. Freshman outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while transfer Aiden Robbins hit a 2-run homer in the third inning. Ethan Mendoza's 3-run home run in the seventh inning sealed the mercy-rule victory for the Longhorns.

Why it matters

The convincing win over UC Davis to start the season is an encouraging sign for the Longhorns, who are looking to build on their success from last year and make a deep postseason run. The performance of newcomers like Pack Jr. and Robbins bodes well for the team's depth and offensive firepower this season.

The details

Texas jumped out to an early 9-2 lead before Mendoza's 3-run blast in the seventh inning ended the game via the 10-run mercy rule. Longhorns starting pitcher Ruger Riojas earned the win, striking out 9 batters over 5 innings of 1-run ball. The Longhorns hit .367 as a team and .500 with runners in scoring position.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 14, 2026.
  • Due to storms in the forecast, Game 2 of the series was moved up to a noon start on Saturday, originally scheduled for 2 p.m.

The players

Ethan Mendoza

A Texas infielder who hit a 3-run home run in the seventh inning to seal the mercy-rule victory.

Anthony Pack Jr.

A freshman outfielder for Texas who went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs in his debut.

Aiden Robbins

A transfer outfielder from Seton Hall who hit a 2-run homer for the Longhorns in the third inning.

Ruger Riojas

The Texas starting pitcher who earned the win, striking out 9 batters over 5 innings of 1-run ball.

Carson Tinney

The Longhorns' catcher and All-American transfer from Notre Dame who walked three times in his debut.

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What’s next

Due to storms in the forecast, Game 2 of the series between Texas and UC Davis has been moved up to a noon start on Saturday, originally scheduled for 2 p.m.

The takeaway

The Longhorns' convincing season-opening victory over UC Davis, fueled by strong performances from newcomers like Pack Jr. and Robbins, suggests Texas has the talent and depth to build on last year's success and make a deep postseason run in 2026.