The hire of Jim Schlossnagle as head coach stole the headlines this summer, but joining Schlossnagle on the 40 Acres is heralded pitching coach Max Weiner. Weiner, who is 29 years old, did wonders in his one season at Texas A&M, improving the Aggies team ERA from 5.67 in 2023 to 3.86 in 2024. Before his time in College Station, Weiner spent 5 years as the pitching coordinator for the Seattle Mariners.
Texas experienced a lot of inconsistency on the mound in 2024, ending the season with a 4.91 ERA. The Longhorns must replace standout closer Gage Boehm (2.53 ERA, 8 saves) and weekend starter Lebarron Johnson Jr. (5.60 ERA, 15 starts), but several other key pieces return and the addition of Weiner combined with an intriguing group of new arms should excite Texas fans heading into the 2025 season.
The Returners
Max Grubbs (3.67 ERA, 73.2 innings) and Ace Whitehead (4.16 ERA, 67 innings) ended the 2024 season as the Friday and Saturday starters for the Longhorns. Both return in 2025 but may be destined for different roles. Grubbs did not throw much in the fall following a heavy workload last year, while Whitehead underwent surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome following last season and is not expected to be ready for opening day.
Several key members of the bullpen return, headlined by 6th-year senior Andre Duplantier, who enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024 (3.09 ERA, 3 saves in 43.2 innings). Duplantier debuted a new arm slot during last weekend’s alumni game and will be a key clog in the bullpen. Former position player Cade O’Hara made 13 appearances on the mound a season ago, finishing with a 2.75 ERA. O’Hara is expected to be on the mound full-time moving forward. Sophomores Easton Tumis (5.08 ERA in 21 appearances) and Hudson Hamilton (5.40 ERA in 11 appearances) got their feet wet as freshmen a year ago and could be line for bigger roles in 2025. Redshirt junior Cody Howard started four games for the Longhorns last year before being moved to the bullpen. The Baylor transfer struggled with control, walking or hitting 26 batters in 24.1 innings, but had a good summer and is being stretched out as a potential starting option.
When looking at the returning pitchers, there are two wildcards: lefties Will Mercer and Luke Harrison. Mercer missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but came to Texas with a strong track record from his time at Notre Dame and was up to 97 MPH in his appearance during the alumni game. Harrison returned last season after undergoing Tommy John in 2023 and struggled to regain his old form (9.28 ERA in 13 appearances), but is now two years removed from surgery and reportedly had an outstanding fall.
The Newcomers
Texas will have 14 new pitchers on the roster this season, 8 transfers and 6 freshmen. Indiana State transfer Jared Spencer and UTSA transfer Ruger Riojas headline the portal group. Spencer, a lefty, is likely to open the season as the Friday night starter and appeared in 59 career games for the Sycamores, including a strong 2024 season where he struck out 72 batters in 53 innings with a 4.08 ERA. Riojas will likely be the to-go bullpen arm to open the season and led the Roadrunners in appearances, wins, ERA, saves and strikeouts in 2024.
Weiner and Schlossnagle also grabbed a trio of right handed pitchers from fellow SEC programs: Grayson Saunier (Ole Miss), Connor McCreery (South Carolina) and Aiden Moffett (LSU). Saunier has weekend starting experience, while McCreey and Moffett will slot into the bullpen. Moffett was electric in his lone inning last Saturday, touching 97 MPH. Arizona State transfer Thomas Burns is another name to know. Burns became the first true freshman to start opening day in Arizona State history. He is likely to begin his Texas career in the bullpen and can be up to 95-96 MPH in short stints.
Texas also dipped into the junior college ranks for a pair of lefties: Kade Bing and Ethan Walker. Bing comes from powerhouse McClennan College and has been mentioned by Schlossnagle as one of the best strike throwers on the team. Walker, who retired the only batter he faced in the alumni game, has a bit of a funky delivery/arm slot and will used out of the bullpen.
The Longhorns flipped several incoming freshmen late in the recruiting cycle, which will likely pay dividends for years to come. LHP Bryce Navarre (Texas A&M), RHP Drew Rerick (Texas A&M) and LHP Dylan Volantis (USC) all joined the recruiting class late in the summer, with Volantis being drafted and turning down an opportunity to start his pro career. Volantis started the alumni game and will pitch meaningful innings right away. Rerick and Navarre may start their careers in the bullpen, but both possess some of the best pitches in the program, with Rerick’s power fastball and Navarre’s devastating curveball.
Two other true freshmen to note are RHP Jason Flores and LHP/OF Jonah Williams. Flores turned down the opportunity to be drafted and has been up to 96 MPH. Schlossnagle has compared him to former Texas A&M RHP Chris Cortez. Williams is a familiar name for those who follow football recruiting. The outstanding safety joined the baseball program in January and is rehabbing from an injury suffered last fall on the football field. Once cleared, he could find some innings on the mound.
Projected Roles
Friday Starter- LHP Jared Spencer
Saturday Starter- LHP Luke Harrison
Sunday Starter- LHP Kade Bing/LHP Dylan Volantis
High-leverage bullpen arms: RHP Andre Duplantier, RHP Ruger Riojas, RHP Thomas Burns, RHP Conner McCreery, LHP Will Mercer, RHP Aiden Moffett
