Image credit:
(Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
When Jim Schlossnagle left Texas A&M for rival Texas last summer, he brought with him more than just a winning pedigree—he brought a quiet conviction.
The Longhorns, he said, had “plenty of talent” and “a critical belief in each other.” He believed those blend of qualities would carry them into the fire of the Southeastern Conference in his first season.
Ten weeks later, that belief has manifested into dominance.
Now ranked No. 1 for the first time in 2025, Texas is 29-5, an SEC-best 13–2 in conference play and a perfect 9–0 in weekend series.
“I’m just really proud of our team and how they battled,” Schlossnagle said Sunday. “I talked to the team before [Sunday’s series finale against Kentucky] about the opportunity to show toughness and they showed it.”
The Longhorns’ latest series win was emblematic of what carried them to the top: resilience, depth and grit in the biggest moments. After dropping a 15-inning heartbreaker on Saturday, the Longhorns responded behind righty Ruger Riojas, who delivered a composed outing in a narrow 5-4 win.
Riojas is one of several players enjoying breakout seasons for the Longhorns.
Arizona State transfer Ethan Mendoza is pacing the offense with a .363 average, while veteran catcher Rylan Galvan and center fielder Will Gasparino have each launched a team-leading 11 home runs. Freshman Adrian Rodriguez, shortstop Jalin Flores, and others have provided steady contributions at the plate as well.
On the mound, Indiana State transfer Jared Spencer (3.08 ERA, 65 strikeouts in 49.2 innings), junior lefthander Luke Harrison (2.93 ERA, 43 strikeouts in 40 innings), and Riojas (3.35 ERA, 46 strikeouts in 45.2 innings) have anchored a staff that ranks among the best in the country.
In the bullpen, Dylan Volantis (1.15 ERA, eight saves), Max Grubbs (1.71 ERA, four saves), Thomas Burns (2.61 ERA, two saves), and Grayson Saunier (3.00 ERA, one save) have formed a reliable late-inning core.
“Grayson Saunier did great,” Schlossnagle said. “Ruger Riojas was outstanding. We had some different guys pitching that hadn’t pitched in a while.”
Texas has now won 15 straight regular-season weekend series dating back to last season, including two early-season invitationals in 2025. It has shown the ability to win in a variety of ways.
The team’s pitching staff owns a 3.03 ERA. The offense averages 7.4 runs per game. The defense—though tested at times—has delivered in key moments.
Still, Schlossnagle remains measured.
“We were a couple outs away from sweeping, couple outs away from getting swept or losing the series,” he said. “We learned a lot about Aiden Moffett, Thomas Burns and Grayson Saunier. Hopefully, those opportunities make our team better down the road.”
That road ahead won’t be forgiving.
Texas hosts No. 7 Auburn this weekend then closes the regular season with series against Texas A&M, Arkansas, Florida and Oklahoma. All four teams that have spent time ranked in the top 10 and two (Texas A&M and Arkansas) have held the No. 1 spot.
The margin for error is slim. But, for now, the Longhorns have separated themselves from the pack.
“I think we’re a long way from playing our best baseball,” Schlossnagle said. “But we need our best players to do that.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
