Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle framed his decision to start freshman Dylan Volantis against Santa Clara on Sunday as an act of experimentation.
The test tube sprouted brilliance.
Volantis pitched 5 ⅓ innings and allowed just one run in his first career start, leading the Longhorns to a 6-1 victory over the Broncos at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
The southpaw’s efforts helped secure a series sweep for the Longhorns (13-1), who have now won 13 in a row and are off to their best start to a season since 2005, when they won the national championship.
Spotting his sharp curveball with a low-90s fastball, Volantis allowed just four hits ‒ all of them ground balls ‒ as he struck out three Broncos (7-7). Crucially, he walked only one batter while throwing 42 of his 66 pitches for strikes.
The Texas offense proved opportunistic behind him. Ethan Mendoza scored on an error in the first, and Jalin Flores slugged his third homer of the season to make it a 2-0 lead for the Longhorns in the third.
Tommy Farmer IV delivered a two-out, two-run single in the sixth to give Texas some breathing space, and Mendoza poked a two-run single of his own in the eighth to blow the game open.
A spotless bullpen performance closed the game out. Andre Duplantier, Kade Bing, Thomas Burns and Bryce Navarre each contributed to that effort, with Navarre handling the heaviest load. The freshman lefty retired four of the five batters he faced.
Texas returns to action when it hosts UT Arlington at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Texas baseball score updates vs Santa Clara
Thomas Burns benefitted from a double play and a leaping grab from Jalin Flores at shortstop as he closed out the win.
Bryce Navarre sidestepped a leadoff walk and benefitted from some nifty glovework at first base from Kimble Schuessler to start a double play. Ethan Mendoza came through with a bases-loaded single in the bottom half of the frame to extend Texas’ lead.
Kade Bing and Bryce Navarre combined to work a scoreless seventh for the Longhorns, with Navarre entering to strand runners on the corners.
Jim Schlossnagle sent Dylan Volantis out to record one final out before removing him for Andre Duplantier II. He allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three and issuing one walk.
In the bottom of the inning, Tommy Farmer IV smashed a two-out, two-run single to give the Longhorns some breathing room.
Dylan Volantis worked around a two-out walk in the top of the fifth, his first free pass of the game. Similarly, Texas failed to cash in Max Belyeu’s two-out base on balls.
Santa Clara turned a leadoff double by Ben Cleary into its first run of the game thanks to a pair of productive outs. Kimble Schuessler led off the Texas half of the fourth with a single and stole second but three consecutive strikeouts left him stranded.
Santa Clara’s third ground-ball single of the game was erased on a strong pickoff move by Dylan Volantis. Jalin Flores’ hot streak continued for the Longhorns in the bottom of the frame, when he slugged his third homer of the year for his 13th extra-base hit in the last nine games.
Texas starter Dylan Volantis struck out the side in the top of the second. In the bottom of the frame, Jaquae Stewart poked his first career hit up the middle but the Longhorns couldn’t manage any more offense.
Dylan Volantis negated a pair of softly-hit Santa Clara singles with a double play as he pitched a scoreless top of the first. Ethan Mendoza scored an unearned run for the Longhorns in the bottom of the frame thanks to an errant pickoff throw.
What time does Texas baseball play Santa Clara today?
- Time: 1 p.m. CT
- Date: March 9
- Location: UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin.
How to watch Texas baseball vs Santa Clara today
- TV: N/A
- Streaming: SEC Network+
- Radio: The Longhorn Radio Network
Texas lineup
- 2B Ethan Mendoza
- RF Max Belyeu
- SS Jalin Flores
- 3B Adrian Rodriguez
- 1B Kimble Schuessler
- C Cole Chamberlain
- CF Will Gasparino
- DH Jaquae Stewart
- LF Easton Winfield
Santa Clara lineup
- LF Mateo Garcia
- SS Ben Cleary
- C Johnny Luetzow
- 1B Dylan Joyce
- RF Max Ross
- DH Tate Medicoff
- 2B Malcolm Williams
- CF Andrew Rayment
- 3B Niko Olson
Texas baseball starting pitcher
LHP Dylan Volantis (1-0, 1.86 ERA)
Santa Clara baseball starting pitcher
RHP Max Bayles (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at deckert@gannett.com. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more.
