Adrian Rodriguez turned in a career performance to lead No. 6 Texas to an 11-3 win over No. 11 Oregon in Game 1 of the NCAA Austin Super Regional on Saturday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
The Longhorns (44-13) are now one win away from securing their 39th trip to the College World Series, but head coach Jim Schlossnagle made it clear the focus remains firmly on what’s next.
“Excited about the win, but it’s one win,” Schlossnagle said. “It means nothing other than we have to have another ball game tomorrow… we’re certainly aware of who they have available to pitch tomorrow, so it’s going to be a dogfight.”
Rodriguez fueled Texas offensively with a career-high five RBIs, delivering a two-run double in the first inning before adding an RBI single in the fifth to help build a 7-0 cushion. He later contributed sacrifice flies in the sixth and eighth, consistently capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
“I thought we played good team offense,” Schlossnagle said. “[Rodriguez] had a lot of really good at-bats, scoring runners from third base… we just happened to execute a little bit better than them to score the runs.”
Power also played a key role for Texas, as Casey Borba and Ethan Mendoza each homered in front of a record crowd of 8,550. Borba’s solo shot in the second inning marked his 34th career home run, tying Kody Clemens for sixth in program history. The blast also pushed Texas to 100 home runs on the season, making the Longhorns the first Power Four program since 2011 to reach both 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases in the same year.
Mendoza added a 438-foot drive to left-center in the sixth inning for his 10th home run of the season, a new career high.
On the mound, Dylan Volantis (10-1) worked through constant pressure but delivered when it mattered, striking out 10 over 5 1/3 innings while allowing two runs. He threw a career-high 110 pitches and stranded 10 baserunners.
“I thought Dylan pitched great,” Schlossnagle said. “He created some traffic, but he made pitches to get out of a lot of jams. I don’t know that we had a clean inning, but he did a great job.”
Texas’ bullpen trio of Thomas Burns, Luke Harrison, and Brody Walls limited Oregon to just one run on one hit over the final 3 2/3 innings, preserving the lead. Harrison’s appearance was part of a broader pitching plan as Texas eyes closing out the series.
“We felt like we were going to use our six best guys,” Schlossnagle said. “Luke threw around 25 pitches, and he’ll be fine if we need him again.”
Oregon starter Cal Scolari (5-1) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs over 3 2/3 innings. Despite surrendering only two hits, the right-hander issued six walks and hit a batter, contributing to Texas’ early momentum.
While the final score reflected a decisive margin, Schlossnagle noted the game was tighter than it appeared.
“I think both teams had an opportunity to win,” he said. “There were a lot of free bases given up by both teams, and we just executed a little better in key situations.”
Texas will look to punch its ticket to Omaha on Sunday, with Ruger Riojas expected to get the start. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Disch-Falk Field.
