Texas completed a late-game comeback to defeat Oregon 6-5 in Game 2 after a dominant win in Game 1, punching its ticket to the College World Series for the first time in four years. At Texas, the goal isn’t just to make Omaha—it’s to make noise once you get there. That said, you have to get there first to have that opportunity. There were high expectations for the 2026 Texas baseball team, and they’ve met them so far. Now the real test begins: can Texas win its first national championship since 2005?
The opener at Charles Schwab Field could be Texas’ toughest game for several reasons. First, it comes against SEC regular-season champion Georgia. Not only did the Bulldogs win the regular-season title, they also took the SEC Tournament, and did both convincingly. That doesn’t mean Georgia is unbeatable. In their Super Regional against Mississippi State, they were pushed to the limit. After trailing 7-0 in Game 1, Georgia rallied to win 13-12, then followed it up with an 11-9 extra-innings win in a back-and-forth Game 2. Mississippi State easily could have taken one, or both, of those games.
The old saying “styles make fights” applies here. Texas pitching, led by ace Dylan Volantis, versus the Georgia offense is strength versus strength. That’s not to say Texas can’t win with its offense- they can, but pitching has been the team’s identity all season.
Can Dylan Volantis Slow Down Georgia’s Offense?
Texas sophomore ace Dylan Volantis has everything you want in a Friday-night starter. He currently leads the NCAA in career ERA at 2.00, even after one of his rougher outings in Game 1 against Oregon. In that game, Volantis tied a season high with four walks and lasted just 5.1 innings, but still picked up the win while striking out 10 and allowing only two runs.
In his 15 starts this season, Texas lost just once, with that lone loss coming late in the year at Tennessee. Volantis should be sharper against Georgia than he was against Oregon, but the challenge will be significant.
Georgia has the best offense Texas has faced all season. The lineup is led by Golden Spikes finalist catcher Daniel Jackson, who enters Omaha with 31 home runs and 26 stolen bases – numbers that are almost unheard of for a catcher, putting him within reach of a 30/30 season. While Georgia plays in a smaller park, the production still stands out, with five players hitting at least 19 home runs. The Bulldogs are batting .326 as a team, a clear sign there are no easy outs.
Texas will need a strong outing from Volantis to have a real shot. In recent trips to Omaha, Texas has dropped the opener and struggled to fight back into the winner’s bracket. Winning Game 1 is critical if this team wants to make a serious run at a national title.
Will Texas Continue to Struggle Away from Home?
Texas finished the 2026 season with an outstanding 34-4 record at home. Away from Austin, however, it was a different story. The Longhorns went just 8-8 in true road games and 3-1 in neutral-site games. Omaha technically falls into that neutral category, but the reality is Texas has been inconsistent away from home.
The struggles haven’t been isolated to one area—it’s been a combination of pitching, offense, and overall execution. If Texas wants to extend its stay in Omaha, it will need to play its most complete baseball of the season away from Disch-Falk Field. There have been flashes, like taking two of three at Auburn earlier in the year when the Tigers were a top-five team. But consistency down the stretch wasn’t there.
For Texas to contend, both the pitching staff and offense must perform together and play complementary baseball – the kind championship teams rely on.
One major positive in the postseason has been the play of shortstop Adrian Rodriguez. After battling a hand injury for much of the season, Rodriguez is starting to look like himself again. In the postseason, he’s 11-for-15 with nine RBIs and four walks, reaching base at an elite rate.
He delivered in a big moment against Oregon in Game 2. With two outs in the eighth inning and Texas trailing 5-4, Rodriguez ripped a two-RBI double to give the Longhorns a lead they wouldn’t give back. If he continues swinging the bat like this, it adds another dimension to the lineup and makes Texas much tougher to pitch to. With the arms Texas has, even modest run support can be enough to make them a difficult out for anyone in Omaha.
Texas and Georgia will get underway at Charles Schwab Field at 7:00 PM on Saturday night.
