OTF Premium Baseball Opening Night: No. 3 Texas vs. UC Davis game thread (Friday)

[Jeff Howe]

Third-ranked Texas opens the 2026 season tonight against UC Davis, with the first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

 

UC DAVIS vs. (3) TEXAS
Feb. 13-15, 2026
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Time: Friday at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 12 p.m.
Stream/TV: SEC Network+
Radio: The Zone AM-1300/103.1 FM
Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com

 

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – UC Davis RHP Noel Valdez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Ruger Riojas (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
SATURDAY – UC Davis LHP Jack Pezzolo (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Luke Harrison (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
SUNDAY – UC Davis RHP Carter Speights (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Dylan Volantis (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

 

OPENING NIGHT BATTING ORDER/LINEUP

1. Ethan Mendoza, 2B

2. Adrian Rodriguez, SS

3. Aiden Robbins, CF

4. Carson Tinney, C

5. Josh Livingston, DH

6. Casey Borba, 1B

7. Ashton Larson, LF

8. Temo Becerra, 3B

9. Anthony Pack Jr., RF

 

[Chris Simons]

Instagram post said first pitch was at 8:30...I assume that's wrong.

 

[Jeff Howe]

6 minutes ago, Chris Simons said:

Instagram post said first pitch was at 8:30...I assume that's wrong.

 

Yeah. It's at 6:30.

[Hookem1012]

BASEBALL

[HalfmileHorn]

Thanks for this Jeff - well done !!

[Nikolas24]

A lot of zeros in the pitching match ups. 

[Jeff Howe]

No sun, lots of clouds and the wind is blowing out to left-center less than an hour before first pitch.

[Jeff Howe]

 

[Hookem1012]

Excited to see Tinney swing the bat.

[Burntcowboy]

I don’t follow baseball real close but I thought Jonah would be a starter. Is he expected to move into the starting lineup eventually 

[Jeff Howe]

5 minutes ago, Burntcowboy said:

I don’t follow baseball real close but I thought Jonah would be a starter. Is he expected to move into the starting lineup eventually 

He's getting back into baseball mode after getting banged up toward the end of football season.

[Jeff Howe]

Lifetime Longhorn Tommy Nicholson got a nice ovation from the crowd when he and Schloss exchanged lineup cards.

[WRNC]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

He's getting back into baseball mode after getting banged up toward the end of football season.

Also Noel Valdez is RHP.  Schlossnagle has balanced the middle and bottom of the order with lefties Livingston, Larson, and Pack Jr. to counter the right-handed starter.

[Jeff Howe]

Ruger's first pitch is a 96 mph fastball that misses for a ball.

[Jeff Howe]

Not an ideal start for Riojas. He opens the game with a four-pitch walk.

[Jeff Howe]

Tyler Howard goes the other way for a single.

Pack rifles the ball from right field, holding the runner at second.

[Jeff Howe]

Riojas couldn't field Lee's bunt. UC Davis has the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the first.

[Jeff Howe]

Becerra steps on third after fielding a chopper. The Longhorns trade a run for an out.

UC Davis has a 1-0 lead, two on and one out in the top of the first.

[Jeff Howe]

Miscommunication between Pack and Mendoza on a fly ball to right. The bases are loaded again with one out.

[Jeff Howe]

Gentil goes down swinging.

Bases loaded, two outs for Hirschkorn.

[Jeff Howe]

Riojas freezes Hirschkorn on a fastball with late life going through the zone. UC Davis leaves the bases loaded and Riojas gets out of the jam, allowing just one run on three hits.

[Jeff Howe]

M1: UC Davis 1, Texas 0

[Jeff Howe]

Mendoza grounds out to short to open up things at the plate for the Longhorns.

[Jeff Howe]

Rodriguez singles to left for the first base hit of the 2026 season for the Longhorns.

[Jeff Howe]

Rodriguez is on first with two outs after Robbins' flyout to center.

Carson Tinney steps into the box for his first AB in a Texas uniform.