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  1. OnTexasFootball has been informed that Texas A&M is out of contention for 5-star OT John Turntine III Texas vs. Michigan is where we hear the most noise right now. There is confidence in Austin ahead of July 4th announcement. Michigan does think they are in it. Stanford is the third team on the list.
  2. Hearing North Shore safety Chace Calicut may be cutting Georgia's way.
  3. Steve Sarkisian’s Texas organization is prioritizing three areas when recruiting high school prospects and devoting resources for talent acquisition: quarterbacks, top-notch linemen who can protect the quarterback and blue-chip defenders who can disrupt opposing quarterbacks. The approach was driven home on a weekend when Dia Bell (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage) was named MVP of the 2025 Elite 11 competition. The Longhorns added another body to what could evolve into a historic defensive line haul, reeling in Vodney Cleveland (Birmingham, Ala./Parker) while maintaining the lead in the race for Kendall Guervil (Fort Myers, Fla.). Richard Wesley’s (Chatsworth, Calif./Sierra Canyon) surprise commitment was arguably a bigger recruiting boon than if Texas had landed Dre Quinn (Atlanta, Ga./Buford) last Thursday. The Longhorns are one of three teams left standing for Trenton Henderson (Pensacola, Fla./Catholic) and remain in the running for Temple’s Jamarion Carlton. Texas also got the last in-person word with North Crowley offensive tackle John Turntine III ahead of his July 4 decision. Melissa’s Max Wright and Klein’s Nicholas Robertson were on campus with Turntine, who, along with Mansfield Lake Ridge’s Felix Ojo and Malakai Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kamehameha), is one of three elite offensive tackles Kyle Flood is aggressively pursuing. It’s fun to listen to Sarkisian, Flood and other coaches on the staff tout the program’s desire to recruit “big humans.” The trope, however, is a way of life. Sarkisian, general manager Brandon Harris, director of player personnel JM Jones and the rest of the organization’s approach to roster building in college football has the staying power needed to keep Texas in the national championship hunt for the foreseeable future. While the Longhorns won’t win every battle for coveted players who line up closest to the football, they’re winning enough of them to keep accelerating the program’s growth from Sarkisian’s forgettable 5-7 debut to producing an FBS-leading 23 NFL draft picks from clubs that won a combined 25 games and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals over the last two seasons. Of those 23 draft choices, 10 of them manned one of the Sarkisian regime’s foundational positions: one quarterback (Quinn Ewers); one EDGE (Barryn Sorrell); four offensive linemen (Kelvin Banks Jr., Hayden Conner, Christian Jones and Cameron Williams); and four interior defensive linemen (Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins, Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat). Bell is next in line behind Trey Owens and KJ Lacey to succeed Arch Manning. The offensive line has avoided heavy attrition under Flood and has benefited from evaluation wins with undervalued recruits, particularly what can be gleaned from Trevor Goosby's snaps last season and the early returns on guys like Nick Brooks and Nate Kibble. Now, it's time for Kenny Baker and LaAllen Clark to set up their respective rooms for bright futures. Texas is rightfully taking advantage of a 2026 cycle chock-full of difference-making defensive linemen, building the kind of roster that won't need five tackles from the portal to avoid massive gaps in the talent pipeline. Missing out on Carthage's KJ Edwards was a significant loss, especially considering how much Sarkisian values well-rounded running backs in his offense. The battles for Jalen Lott and Kaydon Finley could end with Texas losing to out-of-state competition (Oregon or USC for Lott and Notre Dame for Finley), which wouldn't be ideal scenarios for recruits with strong family ties to the Forty Acres. Still, since NIL resources aren’t limitless, the Longhorns would rather do what it takes to win line-of-scrimmage recruitments and, if necessary, snag as-needed skill talent from the transfer portal. It's more feasible to go into the portal and come out with Matthew Golden or Adonai Mitchell as opposed to using the significant capital it would take to secure a player capable of immediately impacting the trenches, assuming those types of players are available. There’s no wrong way to build a winning program. Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue against Sarkisian’s plan to keep Texas in the top tier of annual contenders to win the SEC and the CFP. View full news story
  4. I spoke with an SEC assistant coach who is involved in the recruitment of North Crowley offensive tackle John Turntine. This coach (and this program) have been recruiting him for quite some time, actually. The coach said that the Longhorns, along with Michigan and Texas A&M, are the three schools with a legitimate shot to land Turntine, which lines up with what @Gerry Hamilton has been saying. When asked which one he felt Turntine would ultimately end up at, he broke it down by percentages. “I’d say Texas leads. I think it’s somewhere around 50% Texas, 30% Michigan and 20% Texas A&M.” Obviously anything can change, but felt it was worth passing along. Turntine is set to announce next Friday, July 4th.
  5. Announcement date of July 11. Texas-South Carolina battle it feels like.
  6. Steve Sarkisian’s Texas organization is prioritizing three areas when recruiting high school prospects and devoting resources for talent acquisition: quarterbacks, top-notch linemen who can protect the quarterback and blue-chip defenders who can disrupt opposing quarterbacks. The approach was driven home on a weekend when Dia Bell (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage) was named MVP of the 2025 Elite 11 competition. The Longhorns added another body to what could evolve into a historic defensive line haul, reeling in Vodney Cleveland (Birmingham, Ala./Parker) while maintaining the lead in the race for Kendall Guervil (Fort Myers, Fla.). Richard Wesley’s (Chatsworth, Calif./Sierra Canyon) surprise commitment was arguably a bigger recruiting boon than if Texas had landed Dre Quinn (Atlanta, Ga./Buford) last Thursday. The Longhorns are one of three teams left standing for Trenton Henderson (Pensacola, Fla./Catholic) and remain in the running for Temple’s Jamarion Carlton. Texas also got the last in-person word with North Crowley offensive tackle John Turntine III ahead of his July 4 decision. Melissa’s Max Wright and Klein’s Nicholas Robertson were on campus with Turntine, who, along with Mansfield Lake Ridge’s Felix Ojo and Malakai Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kamehameha), is one of three elite offensive tackles Kyle Flood is aggressively pursuing. It’s fun to listen to Sarkisian, Flood and other coaches on the staff tout the program’s desire to recruit “big humans.” The trope, however, is a way of life. Sarkisian, general manager Brandon Harris, director of player personnel JM Jones and the rest of the organization’s approach to roster building in college football has the staying power needed to keep Texas in the national championship hunt for the foreseeable future. While the Longhorns won’t win every battle for coveted players who line up closest to the football, they’re winning enough of them to keep accelerating the program’s growth from Sarkisian’s forgettable 5-7 debut to producing an FBS-leading 23 NFL draft picks from clubs that won a combined 25 games and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals over the last two seasons. Of those 23 draft choices, 10 of them manned one of the Sarkisian regime’s foundational positions: one quarterback (Quinn Ewers); one EDGE (Barryn Sorrell); four offensive linemen (Kelvin Banks Jr., Hayden Conner, Christian Jones and Cameron Williams); and four interior defensive linemen (Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins, Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat). Bell is next in line behind Trey Owens and KJ Lacey to succeed Arch Manning. The offensive line has avoided heavy attrition under Flood and has benefited from evaluation wins with undervalued recruits, particularly what can be gleaned from Trevor Goosby's snaps last season and the early returns on guys like Nick Brooks and Nate Kibble. Now, it's time for Kenny Baker and LaAllen Clark to set up their respective rooms for bright futures. Texas is rightfully taking advantage of a 2026 cycle chock-full of difference-making defensive linemen, building the kind of roster that won't need five tackles from the portal to avoid massive gaps in the talent pipeline. Missing out on Carthage's KJ Edwards was a significant loss, especially considering how much Sarkisian values well-rounded running backs in his offense. The battles for Jalen Lott and Kaydon Finley could end with Texas losing to out-of-state competition (Oregon or USC for Lott and Notre Dame for Finley), which wouldn't be ideal scenarios for recruits with strong family ties to the Forty Acres. Still, since NIL resources aren’t limitless, the Longhorns would rather do what it takes to win line-of-scrimmage recruitments and, if necessary, snag as-needed skill talent from the transfer portal. It's more feasible to go into the portal and come out with Matthew Golden or Adonai Mitchell as opposed to using the significant capital it would take to secure a player capable of immediately impacting the trenches, assuming those types of players are available. There’s no wrong way to build a winning program. Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue against Sarkisian’s plan to keep Texas in the top tier of annual contenders to win the SEC and the CFP.
  7. 2027 Chandler (Az) running back Noah Roberts took a midweek visit to see Texas this afternoon. Roberts, a 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound running back was offered by the Longhorns on May 5 and already is showing interest with a visit to Austin. Texas has had plenty of success recruiting success in Arizona recently and Roberts comes in as the highest rated running back from the state of Arizona since Bijan Robinson.
  8. Couple of afternoon recruiting notes Wanted to pass along a couple of afternoon recruiting notes. Confidence around Texas remains with 4-star+ EDGE Dre Quinn and 4-star+ DL Vodney Cleveland. Texas is also doing pretty well with 4-star+ DL/EDGE Bryce Perry-Wright. But the Texas A&M visit looms. Clemson also in it. OTF doesn’t have as much confidence with 4-star++ WR Jalen Lott. Texas had a solid visit, but we believe there is still ground to be made up. USC is strong. Oregon takes their mighty swing this weekend.
  9. 2026 Miami (Fla.) Northwestern DL James Johnson to OV This Weekend Texas adds yet another massive front seven prospect to its official visit weekend with the re-addition of James Johnson to the list of official visitors. Johnson had previously been expected to take an official visit to Texas, and now he is fully expected to see the campus and city one more time. Other official visits for Johnson include: May 30 - Georgia June 6 - Miami June 13 - Florida June 15 - Florida State
  10. OTF four-star+EDGE Dre Quinn (Buford, Ga.) is expected to make the call on Thursday in a recruitment that’s come down to a battle between Texas and Clemson. Quinn’s decision is the first of many scheduled to be made in the coming weeks by Longhorn targets. The group of blue-chip recruits planning to pull the trigger includes defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland (Birmingham, Ala./Parker) on Saturday, running back Ezavier Crowell (Jackson, Ala.) next Thursday, offensive tackle Malakai Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kamehameha) next Friday, linebacker Xavier Griffin (Gainesville, Ga.) next Saturday and Frisco Panther Creek wide receiver Jalen Lott on July 8. Texas has some margin for error within most position groups ahead of the remaining summer decisions. The staff can withstand a loss or two, and the conditions could still be ripe to secure elite, difference-making positional hauls. Not all recruiting losses are created equal. Some will hurt more than others. There’s no way, for instance, to cushion the blow the Longhorns were dealt on Tuesday, when Carthage running back KJ Edwards committed to Texas A&M. If Crowell picks Alabama, Auburn or Georgia over the Longhorns, Chad Scott's running back board would reset heading into the fall. An uncertain running back outlook aside, CJ Vogel recently hit the nail on the head regarding the current state of recruiting on the Forty Acres. “You’re fighting for the right guys,” he said during last Wednesday’s “Longhorn Livestream” during a discussion regarding the possibility of the Longhorns’ 2026 recruiting class being the program’s third in a row to finish ranked among the top three in the country. I’ve been employed in the Texas market covering recruiting since 2008. Never has the hunt for talent been more widespread, with the Longhorns battling against perennial SEC and College Football Playoff contenders for prospects. The staff’s efforts in the Northeast have Texas in the mix for offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh (Wyndmoor, Pa./La Salle College), defensive lineman Damari Simeon (Richland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) and EDGE Luke Wafle (Princeton, N.J./The Hun School). The Longhorns are scheduled to welcome two California visitors to campus this weekend, tight end Keawe Brown (Corona, Calif./Centennial) and EDGE Richard Wesley (Chatsworth, Calif./Sierra Canyon). The Longhorns haven’t been shy about mixing it up for recruits within the SEC footprint, either. They’ve made their presence felt from Louisiana, through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and into Florida. Two of the biggest prospects left on the board are defensive lineman Kendall Guervil (Fort Myers, Fla.) and EDGE Trenton Henderson (Pensacola, Fla./Catholic), who will begin their official visits to Texas on Friday. Steve Sarkisian’s organization didn’t suddenly decide to ramp up its recruiting efforts throughout the Southeast. It’s a benefit to joining the SEC that Sarkisian and the Longhorns have tried to maximize, particularly with consecutive trips to the CFP semifinals, allowing Texas to conduct business from a position of strength. “I think the move into the SEC has probably been more beneficial for us,” Sarkisian said at a Touchdown Club of Houston luncheon in May. "A lot of people are changing conferences right now, but this one really resonated with us.” He mentioned how the program’s ability to recruit from within the Lone Star State and head eastbound along the Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 corridors changed the staff’s approach. “It's easy for those kids, it's natural for those kids to want to come to Texas,” he said. “There's a ton of players, so as much as we value recruiting the state of Texas, which is critical for our success, this made sense for us to work directly east, as opposed to the Big 12.” The Longhorns won’t win every cutthroat recruiting battle for the top talent from a part of the country that’s buoyed almost every national championship-winning roster over the last 25 years. Still, Texas has won enough to claim a place at the top of college football’s talent acquisition food chain. And with a stomach strong enough to withstand the ebbs and flows, Sarkisian has everything he needs to keep the Longhorns there for the foreseeable future. “I love the competitiveness of the SEC, but also love the recruiting aspect of the SEC,” he said. “We're able to go into Georgia and sign three or four players a year. We're able to go into Louisiana, we're able to go into Florida — very talent-rich areas to go along with what we have here in the state of Texas. “It’s been a win-win for us on those two things.” View full news story
  11. OTF four-star+EDGE Dre Quinn (Buford, Ga.) is expected to make the call on Thursday in a recruitment that’s come down to a battle between Texas and Clemson. Quinn’s decision is the first of many scheduled to be made in the coming weeks by Longhorn targets. The group of blue-chip recruits planning to pull the trigger includes defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland (Birmingham, Ala./Parker) on Saturday, running back Ezavier Crowell (Jackson, Ala.) next Thursday, offensive tackle Malakai Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kamehameha) next Friday, linebacker Xavier Griffin (Gainesville, Ga.) next Saturday and Frisco Panther Creek wide receiver Jalen Lott on July 8. Texas has some margin for error within most position groups ahead of the remaining summer decisions. The staff can withstand a loss or two, and the conditions could still be ripe to secure elite, difference-making positional hauls. Not all recruiting losses are created equal. Some will hurt more than others. There’s no way, for instance, to cushion the blow the Longhorns were dealt on Tuesday, when Carthage running back KJ Edwards committed to Texas A&M. If Crowell picks Alabama, Auburn or Georgia over the Longhorns, Chad Scott's running back board would reset heading into the fall. An uncertain running back outlook aside, CJ Vogel recently hit the nail on the head regarding the current state of recruiting on the Forty Acres. “You’re fighting for the right guys,” he said during last Wednesday’s “Longhorn Livestream” during a discussion regarding the possibility of the Longhorns’ 2026 recruiting class being the program’s third in a row to finish ranked among the top three in the country. I’ve been employed in the Texas market covering recruiting since 2008. Never has the hunt for talent been more widespread, with the Longhorns battling against perennial SEC and College Football Playoff contenders for prospects. The staff’s efforts in the Northeast have Texas in the mix for offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh (Wyndmoor, Pa./La Salle College), defensive lineman Damari Simeon (Richland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) and EDGE Luke Wafle (Princeton, N.J./The Hun School). The Longhorns are scheduled to welcome two California visitors to campus this weekend, tight end Keawe Brown (Corona, Calif./Centennial) and EDGE Richard Wesley (Chatsworth, Calif./Sierra Canyon). The Longhorns haven’t been shy about mixing it up for recruits within the SEC footprint, either. They’ve made their presence felt from Louisiana, through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and into Florida. Two of the biggest prospects left on the board are defensive lineman Kendall Guervil (Fort Myers, Fla.) and EDGE Trenton Henderson (Pensacola, Fla./Catholic), who will begin their official visits to Texas on Friday. Steve Sarkisian’s organization didn’t suddenly decide to ramp up its recruiting efforts throughout the Southeast. It’s a benefit to joining the SEC that Sarkisian and the Longhorns have tried to maximize, particularly with consecutive trips to the CFP semifinals, allowing Texas to conduct business from a position of strength. “I think the move into the SEC has probably been more beneficial for us,” Sarkisian said at a Touchdown Club of Houston luncheon in May. "A lot of people are changing conferences right now, but this one really resonated with us.” He mentioned how the program’s ability to recruit from within the Lone Star State and head eastbound along the Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 corridors changed the staff’s approach. “It's easy for those kids, it's natural for those kids to want to come to Texas,” he said. “There's a ton of players, so as much as we value recruiting the state of Texas, which is critical for our success, this made sense for us to work directly east, as opposed to the Big 12.” The Longhorns won’t win every cutthroat recruiting battle for the top talent from a part of the country that’s buoyed almost every national championship-winning roster over the last 25 years. Still, Texas has won enough to claim a place at the top of college football’s talent acquisition food chain. And with a stomach strong enough to withstand the ebbs and flows, Sarkisian has everything he needs to keep the Longhorns there for the foreseeable future. “I love the competitiveness of the SEC, but also love the recruiting aspect of the SEC,” he said. “We're able to go into Georgia and sign three or four players a year. We're able to go into Louisiana, we're able to go into Florida — very talent-rich areas to go along with what we have here in the state of Texas. “It’s been a win-win for us on those two things.”
  12. Received a message yesterday in regards to the two-sport freshman who has joined the Longhorns for on-field summer workouts: "He is a freak." Williams was given some time to catch his breath following the conclusion of the Texas Baseball season, but is now with the football team for summer conditioning workouts. The early returns have been superb. The caveat added to my conversation was the focus on keeping him healthy is and will be a main focus for the staff.
  13. 2027 Cedar Hill DL Jalen Brewster on Campus Wednesday The Longhorns are hosting 2027 Cedar Hill DL Jalen Brewster for a midweek unofficial visit Wednesday afternoon. Brewster is currently ranked as the No. 1 defensive lineman and No. 7 overall prospect in the country per the composite in the 2027 class. The Cedar Hill prospect was at Texas A&M, camping for the Aggies on Tuesday, and Indiana over the weekend. Notable Offers: Alabama Auburn Florida State Georgia Indiana LSU Michigan Nebraska Oklahoma Ohio State Oregon Penn State Texas Texas A&M Texas Tech USC
  14. Start the countdowns! The 2025 Texas Longhorn football season is officially 100 days away. Texas of course will begin their 2025 campaign in Columbus, Ohio agains the reigning National Champions in a revenge game from the Cotton Bowl just a few months ago. How a lesser, but still important note, we are nine days away from the remaining members of the 2025 class and the spring transfer portal additions from arriving on campus as well. Summer workouts will begin the first week of June.
  15. Three of afternoon recruiting nuggets OTF brings a trio of afternoon nuggets. Lamar Brown ... The 5-star DL is scheduled to make an UOV to Texas June 18-19, prior to his June 20-22 OV to LSU. He will be at Texas A&M this weekend. Miami is the fourth school in the mix. The Longhorns are very much in the hunt with the 6-foot-5, 285-pounder. James Johnson ... The 4-star++ DL out of Miami/Northwestern is locked in for a June 20-22 official visit per a source in the Sunshine State. That also happens to be his birthday weekend. Texas is in the game along with Miami, Georgia, Florida and Syracuse. Justice Fitzpatrick ... The Georgia pledge and 4-star++ DB will mske an OV to Ohio State this weekend. Per a source close to St. Thomas Aquinas, the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder does remain scheduled to make an OV to Texas June 20-22. We shall see if this visit to Texas actually happens.
  16. Official Visit Weekend Thread for June 6–8 As visitors arrive in Austin for the first weekend of Official Visits, we will keep you updated with everything going on around The 40 Acres.
  17. Game one of the 2025 NCAA Softball World Series begins tonight. We have talked about the pitching matchup at length and it is finally upon us – Teagan Kavan vs. Nijaree Canady.
  18. The Women's College World Series begins this evening at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN. Texas and Texas Tech are no longer in the same conference following the Longhorns move to the SEC, but the Red Raiders remain a familiar foe. On top of that, Tech's star pitching Nijaree Canady is a face Mike White's squad is seen plenty over the last two seasons. *** In The Circle Two of the top arms in all of the country will face off this evening – Teagan Kavan for the Horns and Canady for Texas Tech. It doesn't take more than a quick look at the body of work in the Women's College World Series to understand each are playing at their peak at the moment. Kavan came in relief of Mac Morgan, who Texas will incorporate at some point in this series, against Tennessee to clinch their spot in the WCWS Championship Series. This exact meeting has occurred already this season – during the Bevo Classic back on February 14. Texas won that meeting 2–1 in a nine inning affair that saw both Kavan and Canady go the distance in the circle. Kavan: 9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 18 K, 147 pitches Canady: 8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 11 K, 151 pitches The game-winning run for the Longhorns came via a fielders' choice that turned into an error which allowed Joley Mitchell to score. For those wondering, that was the second time in as many games that Texas had walked off Canady via error. When Texas faced Stanford, the Longhorns scored the game's lone run via a botched rundown attempt by Stanford. That game sent Texas to the 2024 Championship Series. Game two between the Red Raiders and Longhorns from this season was one in which Nijaree Canady was absent from the circle. Texas ended up victorious in that matchup by the score of 11–0 in five innings. Kavan: 4 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 69 pitches Gutierrez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 12 pitches As for Texas Tech, the Longhorns were able to plate two on Samantha Lincoln in the first inning, then plated the remaining nine runs over three innings on Chloe Riassetto, neither of whom have pitched in the Women's College World Series so far. *** One other nugget to add, star catcher Reese Atwood has yet to break out in Oklahoma City. Should her bat heat back up in this series, the Longhorns will be very well positioned to hoist the National Championship. Atwood so far in the WCWS: 0–8 with 1 RBI and 4 K. Atwood is now hitting .398 on the season with 21 HR and 86 RBI.
  19. Texas. Texas Tech. Teagan Kavan. Nijaree Canady. The 2025 Women's College World Series is set! The best of three will decide the sport's next National Champion and for the first time in five years, it won't be Oklahoma.
  20. Today's offers 2027's Lathan Whisenton, RB, Waco (Texas) Midway Alvin Mosley, WR/ATH, Fort Bend (Texas) Crawford Aden Starling, WR, Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek Briceson Thrower Jr., WR, North Forney (Texas) Caden Moss, OT, Jackson (Miss.) Jackson Academy Peyton Miller, IOL. Anna (Texas) Reed Ramsier, OL, Orlando (Fla.) First Academy Ismael Camara, OL, Gilmer (Texas) Cameron Hall, EDGE, Mansfield (Texas) Summit Kaden McCarty, EDGE,LB, Houston (Texas) CyFalls Eli Johnson, S, Cibolo (Texas) Steele Karnell James, DB, Alvin (Texas) Manvel Brandon Sherrard, DB, Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek Elijajuan Houston, DB, Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley Trenton Blaylock, CB, Humble (Texas) Atascocita 2028's Jayden Wade, QB, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Neimann Lawrence, QB, Miami (Fla.) Northwestern Micah Rhodes, RB, Klein (Texas) Oak Jai'storm Knight, OT, Converse (Texas) Judson Jamarios Canton, OL, Center (Texas) IMG Academy James Foster III, DL, Lancaster (Texas) Jackson Vaughn, EDGE, Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic
  21. Through four innings of Saturday’s 9-7 loss to UTSA in the Austin Regional, Texas looked the part of the No. 2 overall national seed. A two-out, two-run single through the right side of the Roadrunner infield by Jonah Williams and Casey Borba’s RBI double to left field highlighted a five-run, four-hit third inning for the SEC regular-season champions. Leading 6-1 with reliable lefty Luke Harrison toeing the rubber, the Longhorns seemed well on their way to a winner’s bracket victory when they took the field for the top of the fifth. Unfortunately, Texas (43-13) suffered a catastrophic blowout, derailing what had been a relatively smooth ride. Jim Schlossnagle’s club suddenly looked like the one that had lost seven of its previous 11 games before going down at the hands of UTSA (46-13) for the second time in as many meetings. A fielding error charged to Adrian Rodriguez (one of two on the night for the Longhorns, who couldn’t overcome a tidal wave of defensive mishaps) and Harrison issuing free passes loaded the bases to open the frame. Jalin Flores didn’t quite catch up to a ground ball up the middle off the bat of second baseman Nathan Hodge. Hodge scored with one out after his two-run single kickstarted a four-run inning for the Roadrunners, pulling off a double steal while occupying third base with one out. Right fielder James Taussig made it a one-run game by ripping a double to right-center. "It was just a back-and-forth game from that point on," Schlossnagle said. Texas failed to get a run back in the home half, which ended on a Max Belyeu strikeout with the bases loaded. Max Grubbs opened the fifth by recording two outs on two pitches, but Flores misread Hodge’s blooper, one of three consecutive singles for the Roadrunners, who grabbed a 7-6 advantage. UTSA didn't trail the rest of the way. The defensive issues, combined with the Longhorns stranding 13 runners on a woeful 3-for-18 night at the plate with runners in scoring position, and ace right-hander Braylon Owens ending each of his four relief innings for the Roadrunners with one of the seven strikeouts he fired put Texas in a situation where it has to win twice on Sunday to force a winner-take-all regional championship on Monday. "We lit the fire and they stoked it and ran with it," Schlossnagle said of coach Pat Hallmark's team, which has notched the first two NCAA Tournament wins in program history with two wins in as many days at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. "The message to the team is we can't be thinking about playing anything other than just one pitch at a time. I know it sounds coachy, but that's the fact. If we start thinking about the overall scheme of things, it won't ever happen that way. What the Longhorns will attempt isn’t unprecedented. As a regional host in 2005, Texas dropped a winner’s bracket game to Arkansas before beating Miami (Ohio) and dispatching the Razorbacks twice en route to the school’s sixth national championship. The Longhorns made a similar trek to Omaha in 2011, eliminating Texas State and notching two wins over Kent State to survive the regional. Nevertheless, Schlossnagle’s club must overcome Rodriguez, Williams and Ethan Mendoza continuing to battle injuries and a depleted pitching staff (Ruger Riojas will get the ball in the elimination game, but all bets are off thereafter) to advance to a second elimination game Sunday night. UTSA has every reason to be confident it will join the 81 percent of regional champions who started 2-0 since the NCAA adopted the Super Regional format in 1999. "This isn't some jackleg team that's gotten hot," Schlossnagle said of the Roadrunners. "They're really good." Texas, on the other hand, knows extending the season to Monday is a tall order. "The goal moving forward is just to win one pitch at a time and not try to look ahead or think about winning two games or trying to win three games," said catcher Rylan Galvan, who did his part in the late innings, crushing his team-leading 15th home run of the season to left field in the bottom of the seventh. "Just win one pitch at a time. If we can do that, we'll put ourselves in the position." The Longhorns are facing an uphill battle, 27 outs away from the curtain coming down on Schlossnagle’s memorable debut. The only option Texas has is to start the climb. Whether it has enough gas in the tank to make it to the summit is another story. "We may have lost this battle, but we didn't lose the war yet," Galvan said. "There's still a lot of baseball to be played." View full news story
  22. Through four innings of Saturday’s 9-7 loss to UTSA in the Austin Regional, Texas looked the part of the No. 2 overall national seed. A two-out, two-run single through the right side of the Roadrunner infield by Jonah Williams and Casey Borba’s RBI double to left field highlighted a five-run, four-hit third inning for the SEC regular-season champions. Leading 6-1 with reliable lefty Luke Harrison toeing the rubber, the Longhorns seemed well on their way to a winner’s bracket victory when they took the field for the top of the fifth. Unfortunately, Texas (43-13) suffered a catastrophic blowout, derailing what had been a relatively smooth ride. Jim Schlossnagle’s club suddenly looked like the one that had lost seven of its previous 11 games before going down at the hands of UTSA (46-13) for the second time in as many meetings. A fielding error charged to Adrian Rodriguez (one of two on the night for the Longhorns, who couldn’t overcome a tidal wave of defensive mishaps) and Harrison issuing free passes loaded the bases to open the frame. Jalin Flores didn’t quite catch up to a ground ball up the middle off the bat of second baseman Nathan Hodge. Hodge scored with one out after his two-run single kickstarted a four-run inning for the Roadrunners, pulling off a double steal while occupying third base with one out. Right fielder James Taussig made it a one-run game by ripping a double to right-center. "It was just a back-and-forth game from that point on," Schlossnagle said. Texas failed to get a run back in the home half, which ended on a Max Belyeu strikeout with the bases loaded. Max Grubbs opened the fifth by recording two outs on two pitches, but Flores misread Hodge’s blooper, one of three consecutive singles for the Roadrunners, who grabbed a 7-6 advantage. UTSA didn't trail the rest of the way. The defensive issues, combined with the Longhorns stranding 13 runners on a woeful 3-for-18 night at the plate with runners in scoring position, and ace right-hander Braylon Owens ending each of his four relief innings for the Roadrunners with one of the seven strikeouts he fired put Texas in a situation where it has to win twice on Sunday to force a winner-take-all regional championship on Monday. "We lit the fire and they stoked it and ran with it," Schlossnagle said of coach Pat Hallmark's team, which has notched the first two NCAA Tournament wins in program history with two wins in as many days at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. "The message to the team is we can't be thinking about playing anything other than just one pitch at a time. I know it sounds coachy, but that's the fact. If we start thinking about the overall scheme of things, it won't ever happen that way. What the Longhorns will attempt isn’t unprecedented. As a regional host in 2005, Texas dropped a winner’s bracket game to Arkansas before beating Miami (Ohio) and dispatching the Razorbacks twice en route to the school’s sixth national championship. The Longhorns made a similar trek to Omaha in 2011, eliminating Texas State and notching two wins over Kent State to survive the regional. Nevertheless, Schlossnagle’s club must overcome Rodriguez, Williams and Ethan Mendoza continuing to battle injuries and a depleted pitching staff (Ruger Riojas will get the ball in the elimination game, but all bets are off thereafter) to advance to a second elimination game Sunday night. UTSA has every reason to be confident it will join the 81 percent of regional champions who started 2-0 since the NCAA adopted the Super Regional format in 1999. "This isn't some jackleg team that's gotten hot," Schlossnagle said of the Roadrunners. "They're really good." Texas, on the other hand, knows extending the season to Monday is a tall order. "The goal moving forward is just to win one pitch at a time and not try to look ahead or think about winning two games or trying to win three games," said catcher Rylan Galvan, who did his part in the late innings, crushing his team-leading 15th home run of the season to left field in the bottom of the seventh. "Just win one pitch at a time. If we can do that, we'll put ourselves in the position." The Longhorns are facing an uphill battle, 27 outs away from the curtain coming down on Schlossnagle’s memorable debut. The only option Texas has is to start the climb. Whether it has enough gas in the tank to make it to the summit is another story. "We may have lost this battle, but we didn't lose the war yet," Galvan said. "There's still a lot of baseball to be played."
  23. How Friday’s 7-1 win over Houston Christian in the opening game of the Austin Regional unfolded went a lot like the 2025 season has played out for Texas. The Longhorns didn’t win with style points en route to capturing the SEC regular-season championship and the No. 2 overall national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The way Texas (43-12) grounded out wins, surpassing the most optimistic expectations for Jim Schlossnagle’s first season on the Forty Acres, was how it advanced into the winner’s bracket for a Saturday tilt with either UTSA or Kansas State. Offensively, the Longhorns righted the ship with only four strikeouts after fanning 10 more times in seven of their last 10 games, a stretch in which the Texas bats racked up 128 strikeouts. At the same time, the lone extra-base the Longhorns recorded against the Southland Conference Tournament champion Huskies was Will Gasparino’s fifth-inning RBI double to left field, which capped a five-run, six-hit frame. Texas didn’t mash the ball all over UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Instead, it took advantage of three Houston Christian (32-24) errors and manufactured more than enough runs to put itself one step closer to the program hosting a Super Regional for the first time since 2021. "You've got to give Parker Edwards credit," Schlossnagle said of the Huskies' starting pitcher. Edwards did his job, holding the Longhorns to one hit before Texas finally created separation in the fifth. "Any time you look on the roster, and you see a guy is a No. 1 starter for a team that's in a regional, and he's a senior, that just tells you he's been around the block," Schlossnagle said. "He's not going to be spooked. He's running it up there 95 [mph]. He had a good cutter going today. "Sometimes," he added, "it's OK for the other team to be good." Gasparino drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the third inning, stole second base, advanced to third on an infield chopper freshman phenom Jonah Williams turned into a single and scored when Ethan Mendoza was retired on a 6-3 groundout. Second baseman Jeremy Rader, who left the game with an undisclosed upper body injury after a violent fifth-inning collision with Williams, couldn’t handle a ground ball off Max Belyeu’s bat, bringing Williams home and putting the Longhorns in front for good. "Somebody needed to come up with a big hit," said Kimble Schuessler, whose two-run single highlighted the productive Texas fifth. "We were able to get some guys on base, and then were able to come up with that big hit." Schuessler’s decisive blow brought Williams home and allowed Mendoza to score, even though a play at the plate had to be reviewed before the second run could be officially tallied. After a bullet from right fielder Tevis Payne nailed Mendoza at the plate in the first inning, a second issue sliding into home nearly brought another Texas inning to an abrupt end. Schlossnagle was visibly upset with Adrian Rodriguez, who contributed to the chaos as the lone man in a home uniform in Mendoza’s line of vision as he tried to cross the plate in both situations. "If the ball is coming from right field, you've got to tell him to not just slide, but to get to the back side of home plate," Schlossnagle said. "The same thing when the ball is coming from left field. "That was a pretty inexpensive experience," he added. "It can be expensive real quick this time of year, so we have to be better." Rodriguez made up for it, though, bringing Schuessler home from second with an RBI single up the middle. Jalin Flores and Casey Borba made it three consecutive Texas singles, the latter bringing Rodriguez home before Gasparino ended the scoring. Friday’s win felt like a typical midweek game. Thankfully, the Longhorns got a similar result to their 12-2 seven-inning run-rule win over Houston Christian on April 8 by playing an error-free game in the field behind three pitchers — lefty Ethan Walker, Grayson Saunier and hard-throwing righty Hudson Hamilton — who scattered eight hits over nine innings, struck out six and issued only two free passes (a hit batter charged to Saunier and a walk charged to Hamilton). As for the offense, an unspectacularly solid performance is one Schlossnagle wants the Longhorns to build on as they continue a road they hope takes them to Omaha for an NCAA-record 39th time. "We got on them pretty good the last five or six days," Schlossnagle said. "We challenged the offense. It wasn't meant to build pressure. It was meant to hold it to a little bit of a higher standard. If you're going to be gritty about anything, have it be the preparation. Then, when the game gets here, you need to do the opposite: you have fun. I think, early on, everybody feels it. You haven't played in a week, and you want to score nine runs, and your coaches have been onto you about being a better offensive team. We put together some good swings, and how we end up with a north wind and Austin, Texas, on May 30, I'll never know. "I think if we had those balls carry out of the ballpark or something like that, we maybe feel a little bit better," he added. "But, 7-1? We'll take it and keep moving on." View full news story
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