Dylan Volantis walked third baseman Tre Phelps, setting the table for left field Ryan Lujo’s two-run home run down the left-field line. From there, a throwing error by Carson Tinney on a dropped third strike and one of a career-high four batters Volantis hit loaded the bases for shortstop Kolby Branch.

Volantis struck out Branch, but Tinney’s second throwing error of the inning on a dropped third strike allowed two runs to score. The Bulldogs’ four-run first put the Longhorns in a hole from which they couldn’t emerge, even with Volantis rebounding with seven strikeouts and four hits allowed in 6.1 innings.

Nevertheless, the self-inflicted wounds mounted for Texas (45-14), whose bats suffered 15 strikeouts at the hands of Georgia (53-12) right-handed pitcher Joey Volchko. The Bulldogs got a complete game from Volchko, who walked just one batter and allowed only four singles, including Ethan Mendoza’s opposite RBI base hit in the top of the fifth, which scored Adrian Rodriguez (2-for-3) and accounted for the only run of the game for the Longhorns.

The loss marked the sixth consecutive CWS-opening loss for Texas, which hasn’t won an opener in Omaha since 2009. That was the last time the Longhorns reached the national championship series.

At the same time, the 2014 and 2021 trips to the College World Series saw Texas battle through the loser’s bracket to reach a winner-take-all national semifinal before falling to a pair of eventual national champions, Vanderbilt (2014) and Mississippi State (2021), respectively. If the Longhorns are going to make a run at the championship series, however, the miscues from Saturday's loss must be eliminated.

When the dust settled, Texas committed three errors, threw two wild pitches and hit four batters. Only two of the seven runs Volantis allowed were earned.

Seven of the 15 strikeouts against Volchko were recorded by the first three hitters in the lineup. Tinney’s one-out walk in the ninth inning was the only time he reached base (0-for-3 with two strikeouts); Aiden Robbins and Anthony Pack Jr. both went 0-for-4, with Robbins striking out twice and Pack fanning three times against Volchko.

The Longhorns took two of three from the Crimson Tide in April at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Alabama (42-20) suffered a 9-0 loss to Oklahoma in Saturday’s first game at Charles Schwab Field.

The No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Texas (45-13), is in the College World Series for an NCAA-record 39th time after a two-game sweep of 11th-seeded Oregon in the Austin Super Regional. One of five SEC teams in Omaha (the most CWS participants ever from one conference), the Longhorns’ first meeting with the 2026 season against the Bulldogs is the only CWS game in which the chalk held.

Georgia (51-12) entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 overall seed after claiming the SEC regular-season championship and winning the SEC Tournament. Like Texas, the Bulldogs swept through the regional before outlasting 14th-seeded Mississippi State in a pair of slugfests to win the Athens Super Regional.

On Texas Football will follow the Longhorns’ press conference, scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m., and pass along what Schlossnagle and the Texas players say before the Longhorns go for their 89th all-time CWS victory.

Still, the schedule isn’t expected to be set in stone.

The SEC typically utilizes a six-day window to announce kickoff times for flexed regular-season games. If a firm start time isn’t given, the game will be assigned one of four potential kickoff windows: the early window, with a kickoff time between 11 a.m. and noon; the afternoon (2:30-3:30 p.m.); the evening (5-7 p.m.); or it will be flexed for either an afternoon or evening kickoff.

Ahead of the TV window reveal, Texas has four game broadcasts locked in for the 2026 season:

Sept. 5 — Texas State (2:30 p.m., ESPN)

Sept. 12 — Ohio State (6:30 p.m., ABC)

Sept. 19 — UTSA (7 p.m., SEC Network+)

Nov. 27 — at Texas A&M (6:30 p.m., ABC)

The following games are the other SEC games on the Longhorns’ schedule. OTF will update the TV windows for each game as they're announced on Wednesday:

Sept. 26 — at Tennessee (11 a.m., ABC or ESPN)

Oct. 10 — Oklahoma (2:30 p.m., ABC or ESPN)

Oct. 17 — Florida (Early; 11 a.m.-noon)

Oct. 24 — Ole Miss (Flex; Afternoon or Night)

Oct. 31 — Mississippi State (Night; 5-7 p.m.)

Nov. 7 — at Missouri (Early; 11 a.m.-noon)

Nov. 14 — at LSU (Flex; Afternoon or Night)

Nov. 21 — Arkansas (Afternoon; 2:30-3:30 p.m.)

Will Sanford battled to keep the Ducks in the game through 3.2 innings and when Tanner Bradley’s 3.1-inning, 65-pitch scoreless gem out of the bullpen (one hit, one walk, two hit batters and five strikeouts) ended, the Longhorns’ 4-0 lead after the top of the second was gone. Facing a 5-4 deficit entering the eighth inning, Texas (45-13) loaded the bases with two outs after Oregon (43-18) closer Devin Bell walked Carson Tinney, hit Anthony Pack Jr. in the foot with a 1-1 pitch and saw Temo Becerra reach base on an infield single.

That’s when the Longhorns got the timely hit they needed to take back the lead for good.

In a 3-1 count, Adrian Rodriguez (2-for-5) slashed a two-run double down the left-field line and into the corner. Rodriguez’s team-leading 11th hit of the NCAA Tournament got by the outstretched glove of third baseman Drew Smith and brought Tinney and Pack home for the tying and go-ahead runs, respectively.

In its two wins over the Ducks, Texas went 7-for-23 at the plate with two outs and 6-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Oregon, on the other hand, was 2-for-24 in the Austin Super Regional with runners in scoring position, stranding 24 runners and striking out 28 times.

The eighth-inning decisive blow by Rodriguez, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI and one run scored in Saturday’s 11-3 victory over the Ducks, was the only bases-loaded hit of the Austin Super Regional (the Longhorns were 1-for-5 and Oregon was 0-for-6 with the bases juiced).

With the lead, Sam Cozart retired each of the nine Oregon batters he faced, striking out four en route to his ninth save of the season. The Longhorns got 5.2 gutsy innings from Ruger Riojas (six hits, four earned runs, one hit batter, four walks and seven strikeouts) before turning it over to the bullpen, which needed Thomas Burns to toe the rubber in the bottom of the seventh for three consecutive outs (including two strikeouts) after the go-ahead run reached third base with no outs against Brody Walls.

If the Longhorns win the second game of the Super Regional on Sunday (8 p.m., ESPN), they'd punch their ticket the College World Series for an NCAA-record 39th time.

A crowd of 8,550 fans at UFCU Disch-Falk Field and a national audience on ESPN watched Texas (44-13) battle through a three-hour, 53-minute affair that was downright sloppy at times. The two clubs combined to walk 17 batters and hit five more, with four combined runs scored on walks, hit batters or balks with the bases loaded.

When push came to shove, however, Volantis (5.1 innings, eight hits, two earned runs, four walks, 10 strikeouts, four wild pitches and one hit batter on a career-high 110 pitches) and the three other pitchers Jim Schlossnagle and Max Weiner used held the Ducks to an 0-for-14 night hitting with runners in scoring position. Oregon (43-17) only pushed two runs across after having the bases loaded with one out in the top of the third, runners in scoring position with no outs in the fourth and the bases loaded with no outs in the sixth.

Those two runs came home in the sixth, when Thomas Burns issued back-to-back walks in relief of Volantis. Luke Harrison, who has been in the starting rotation all season and appeared in two games in the Austin Regional (he started the team’s 19-1 win over Holy Cross last Friday and recorded the last out in a 6-4 victory over UC Santa Barbara last Sunday), struck out catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus to get the Longhorns out of the seventh.

Harrison struck out two and walked two in 1.1 hitless innings (27 total pitches) out of the bullpen.

The Ducks outhit the Longhorns, 9-8, but Texas made its hits count. The Longhorns jumped out to a 7-0 lead through five thanks to Adrian Rodriguez’s two-run double in the first inning, Borba’s solo homer (his 18th of the season and the 34th of his career, moving him into a tie with Kody Clemens for the sixth-most home runs in program history) and a sacrifice fly to right field by Aiden Robbins in the bottom of the second and an RBI single by Rodriguez highlighting a two-run fifth.

After Oregon cut into the deficit with two runs in the top of the sixth, Texas got those runs back and then some in the home half.

Anthony Pack Jr. and Temo Becerra moved into scoring position for Rodriguez, whose sacrifice fly to center field brought Pack home, a part of the sophomore shortstop’s 2-for-3 night at the plate with a career-high five RBI. With Becerra on third and one out, Mendoza obliterated a 1-0 pitch from right-handed relief pitcher Collin Clarke, crushing a 438-foot home run to left field.

Ahead of the first game of the best two-out-of-three series between Texas (43-13) and Oregon (43-16), both teams will practice on the Forty Acres and meet with the media on Friday. Schlossnagle will be joined at the press conference by left-handed starting pitcher Dylan Volantis and outfielder Anthony Pack Jr.

On Texas Football is reporting live from Disch-Falk Field for the Friday practices and press conferences and will have updates throughout the afternoon.

Texas (53-12) joined Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma and UCLA as the fifth NCAA softball program to win back-to-back softball national titles with a two-game sweep of Texas Tech (61-10). Teagan Kavan, who was named WCWS Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row, secured the final six outs of the game after Citlaly Gutierrez (4.1 innings) and Hannah Wells (0.2 innings) did their jobs in the circle to help the Longhorns overcome a one-run deficit.

Facing All-American pitcher NiJaree Canady and trailing, 1-0, Texas opened the fifth inning with back-to-back singles by Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney. After Jaycie Nichols reached on a fielder’s choice and the Red Raiders intentionally walked Katie Stewart with the bases loaded, a Viviana Martinez ground ball to the left side of the infield turned into a two-run error, putting the Longhorns on top, 2-1.

On the heels of Kavan retiring Texas Tech in order in the bottom of the sixth, Kayden Henry led off the top of the seventh with an opposite-field home run, taking Canady deep to left. With one out and runners on first and second, right fielder Lauren Allred couldn’t come up with a diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Leighann Goode, resulting in an RBI single to put Texas up by three runs, 4-1.

Kavan retired each of the six Red Raiders she faced, recording back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

— Jutus Terry is in the group of players (including Arch Manning) who underwent surgery after the Citrus Bowl against Michigan and were limited throughout spring practice.

The hope was that they’d be ready to go when summer conditioning started. Of the non-Texas Tech-related comments Steve Sarkisian made during the Touchdown Club of Houston luncheon on May 21, saying that everyone was on schedule and that there had been no setbacks among the group was arguably the most significant.

Terry can be the interior disruptor that the Texas defense didn’t have last season. That’s not a slight at what Alex January or Hero Kanu brings to the table. What Terry showed in brief flashes as a true freshman is the kind of playmaking potential that guys like Byron Murphy II and Alfred Collins had, which is to say that he can consistently generate organic pressure in the opposing quarterback’s face.

If Terry is healthy and uses the summer as a springboard to show up ready to get after it in preseason practice, Will Muschamp should have a chess piece capable of playing multiple shades up front. Terry can amplify what might already be the best pass-rushing defensive front in college football.

— Laurence Seymore was recruited to be the team’s starting left guard in 2026. Still, the Western Kentucky transfer must earn the job to fulfill the lofty expectations accompanying his arrival.

Part of the equation needed to put a better product on the field is one of Jaydon Chatmon, Jackson Christian or Dylan Sikorski pushing Seymore for the spot. The other part is for Seymore, who spent the spring semester on his own, to hit the ground running in summer conditioning to position himself to be the no-doubt answer Kyle Flood needs to round out what looks on paper to be an upgraded unit from 2025.

— I keep going back to Sarkisian’s comments around the time Muschamp was hired regarding Xavier Filsaime. Specifically, it was the idea that Filsaime could log snaps at nickel.

After being limited throughout the spring, Filsaime is capable of pushing Derek Williams Jr. for playing time at safety. Filsaime also profiles as the bigger nickel Muschamp has preferred in the past, making him an intriguing Swiss Army knife of sorts in the secondary.

Getting Filsaime and/or Williams to the point where they can run alongside Jelani McDonald with as minimal a drop-off as possible is one of the reasons why it was important for Sarkisian to get Blake Gideon back on the staff. Along with the fact that Gideon recruited Filsaime and Williams, his personal and professional relationship with Muschamp (he coached Gideon at Texas for three seasons and hired him for his first coaching job as a quality control coach at Florida in 2014) should make for clearer communication between Muschamp and the safeties, as well as helping his group understand Muschamp’s expectations for a position that plays a crucial role in the success of his system.

— Emmett Mosley V is another Longhorn who underwent surgery after the bowl game. Thankfully, Mosley’s recovery wasn’t as prolonged as his injury against Michigan might’ve initially indicated.

While Mosley’s delayed start to the 2025 season because of an offseason injury wasn’t the biggest reason why the offense was slow out of the blocks, it didn’t help. Mosley is a proven commodity and a reliable target for Manning, but he must take the necessary steps this summer to ensure that his body stands a better chance of holding up over the long haul.

As good a duo as Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo can be, Mosley can elevate the wide receiver to become one of the best in the country if he can be counted on as, effectively, WR3. Mosley's ability to play in the slot or be split out wide offers Sarkisian a lot of flexibility in both personnel groupings and formations, while also allowing Jermaine Bishop Jr. to settle into a specific role, without anyone feeling like the true freshman needs must have the kind instant impact Xavier Worthy did in 2021 for the offense to function properly (a lot like what bringing in Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers from the transfer portal can do for Derrek Cooper's development at running back).

That scenario can only come to fruition, however, if Mosley is on the field.

According to a source-and in direct contradiction to a statement made last week by Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire- the Red Raiders never received agreement from Texas State head coach GJ Kinne to cancel their game with Texas, nor did McGuire, athletic director Kirby Hocutt, or Tech chairman Cody Campbell receive it from any other athletic official at Texas State.

"All it was, was a PR stunt, clear as day," a source told On Texas Football.

During the Big 12 spring meetings last week, McGuire specifically told reporters that the Red Raiders were challenging Texas to a game in Week 1 of the season. Furthermore, McGuire said he had already talked to and received agreement from multiple parties needed to make such a match-up a reality, including gaining approval from the Horns' scheduled opponent, Texas State. 

“I’ve actually talked to (Abilene Christian head coach) Keith Patterson, and I’ve talked to (Texas State head coach) GJ Kinne, and they’re willing to take our games, and Abilene Christian will go to Texas State," McGuire told reporters. "We’ll buy our contract out of Abilene Christian. I’m sure, ‘cause Texas has got a lot of money, they can buy their contract out. But I do know there’s a lot of Red Raiders that will help them buy their contract out.”

According to a source, discussions resulting in such an agreement with Texas State never occurred.

Texas Tech chairman of the board of regents, in a show of bravado, went even further despite never having allegedly received such an agreement from Texas State.

Campbell tweeted, “Upping the ante: @TechAthletics will pay the buyout for both the ACU and Texas State games. Let’s go! @CoachSark @_delconte”.

Giving up a game with Texas would make little sense for Bobcats head coach GJ Kinne and his university, a newly minted member of the Pac-12 which is attempting to elevate its own growing program.

The timing of McGuire's and Campbell's comments are noteworthy given another major issue facing Texas Tech, and that’s quarterback Brendan Sorsby who is working to retain eligibility this season despite admitting to betting on his own team when he was at Indiana earlier in his career. The NCAA ruled Sorsby permanently ineligible, yet Sorsby is appealing and his attorney went before a judge in Lubbock this week to seek an injunction.

Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec and McGuire have both voiced their support of Sorsby to return to play this year despite the university voting against legalizing gambling for college athletes in the last year.

Campbell did not respond via text for comment and McGuire through Texas Tech Sports Information did not immediately return a call.

Texas State athletic director Don Coryell and head coach GJ Kinne did not respond for comment.

Abilene Christian issued a statement to the Abilene Reporter News following McGuire’s comments.

“We are planning on playing Texas Tech as scheduled on Sept. 5 in Lubbock," the release stated. "We look forward to playing the Red Raiders barring any changes.”

After last year’s disappointing exit in the regional as one of eight national seeds, the Longhorns (the No. 6 overall national seed) righted the ship this season. With a 19-1 rout of Holy Cross on Friday and a 16-2 dismantling of Tarleton State in the winner’s bracket game on Saturday preceding the late-inning comeback victory over the Gauchos, Texas (43-13) will host the winner of the Eugene Regional (either Oregon and Oregon State) in next week’s Austin Super Regional.

The Longhorns didn’t score until the sixth inning, but Jim Schlossnagle’s club stayed in the game because of the job Riojas did in his first extensive action in three weeks. Riojas, who battled shoulder tendonitis late in the regular season, scattered three hits and one walk while striking out six in five innings of one-run baseball.

UC Santa Barbara (40-20) built a 3-2 lead through six innings thanks to a first-inning home run and two Texas errors in the bottom of the sixth. With Casey Borba on first and one out in the top of the seventh, Robbins took the fifth pitch he saw from lefty Van Froling deep to right field for a two-run, opposite-field home run.

The Austin Regional Most Outstanding Player, Robbins, who hit his team-leading 23rd home run of the season, gave the Longhorns a lead they never relinquished. Still, the Gauchos made them work for the last nine outs.

A pair of eighth-inning insurance runs (Adrian Rodriguez scored from second on an RBI double down the left-field line by Ethan Mendoza, who scored from third with two outs on a failed pickoff attempt) came in handy after UCSB scored a run against Sam Cozart in the home half.

Cozart recorded the first two outs of the ninth inning, but he exited with the bases loaded after hitting a better. Luke Harrison, who started Friday's win over Holy Cross, came out of the bullpen to notch a two-pitch save (the third of his career and his first since March 5, 2022, against LSU), helping Texas earn a Super Regional berth for the first time since 2023.