Texas Longhorns Baseball Sweeps UC Davis in Season Opener

Freshman pitcher Dylan Volantis leads Texas to series victory over the Aggies

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Texas Longhorns baseball team completed a season-opening sweep of UC Davis on Sunday, riding a strong outing from freshman pitcher Dylan Volantis to victory. The Longhorns' offense has been firing on all cylinders, scoring 18 runs over the first two games of the series, led by standout performances from second baseman Ethan Mendoza.

Why it matters

This series sweep to open the 2026 season is an encouraging sign for the Longhorns, who are looking to build on a successful 2025 campaign and contend for a conference title and potential College World Series berth. The team's young talent, including Volantis and Mendoza, have shown early promise.

The details

In Sunday's series finale, Texas turned to last year's SEC Freshman of the Year, left-hander Dylan Volantis, to take the mound. Volantis, who excelled in a relief role in 2025, is making the transition to the starting rotation this season. The Longhorns' offense continued to produce, providing Volantis with ample run support.

  • The series opener was played on Friday, February 14, 2026.
  • The second game of the series took place on Saturday, February 15, 2026.
  • The series finale was held on Sunday, February 16, 2026 at noon.

The players

Dylan Volantis

A left-handed pitcher who was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2025 and is making the move to the starting rotation for the Longhorns in 2026.

Ethan Mendoza

The Longhorns' standout second baseman, who has been a offensive catalyst in the first two games of the series, hitting two home runs.

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What they’re saying

“We've got a lot of young talent on this team and it's exciting to see them come out and perform like this to open the season. Volantis and Mendoza have really set the tone for us.”

— Jim Schlossnagle, Texas Baseball Head Coach (statesman.com)

What’s next

The Longhorns will look to continue their strong start to the season when they host a three-game series against UT Arlington next weekend.

The takeaway

Texas has shown impressive depth and balance to open the 2026 season, with contributions from both veteran and young players. If the Longhorns can sustain this level of play, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12 and nationally this year.