The third ranked Longhorns head into the weekend with a 4-0 record and look to add to their early season resume. Texas swept UC Davis at Disch-Falk Field, outscoring them 27-7. Should the Longhorn offense continue to support quality pitching with that kind of offensive firepower, it will be a good season in Austin. The competition takes a step-up on Friday as they welcome the Michigan State Spartans to The 40 Acres.
While Michigan State is not known as a baseball powerhouse, they sent a message to the country last weekend. The Spartans took two of three on the road against No. 8 Louisville. It is still early in the season, but this weekend we will learn a lot about both both Texas and Michigan State when the series gets underway at The Disch on Friday.
Can Texas Starting Pitching Continue to Dominate?
Texas starting pitching received high praise from head coach Jim Schlossnagle prior to the season, and after Weekend One it is easy to see why. The trio of Ruger Riojas, Luke Harrison and Dylan Volantis performed exceptionally well against UC Davis. The three combined for 17.1 innings pitched with just three earned runs. Beyond that, only 4 walks were allowed to compliment 23 strikeouts. That is the kind of command that makes a pitching staff very hard to beat. In recent years walks were an issue for Longhorn pitchers, and it was cleaned up last year, but this year the control looks to have taken another step forward.
In their two wins against then #8 Louisville, Michigan State hit 5 home runs and scored 17 total runs. The Spartans are sure to test the Texas pitching more than UC Davis did. They struck out 11 times in their win last Friday, but in their win over the Cardinals on Saturday they struck out just four times. The Texas pitching staff as a whole will need to throw strikes in this series, or Michigan’s State patient approach will make them pay. It will be a good test for the Schlossnagle’s pitching staff before they head to Houston next weekend for the Bruce Bolt College Classic, which includes a showdown with No. 6 Coastal Carolina.
The Texas Offense Must Continue to Have Productive At-Bats
Coming into the season, Schlossnagle was adamant that the offensive strikeouts needed to improve. Things were better in the opening series, with 19 strikeouts. Texas averaged 12 strikeouts per game last season. Every at bat will not result in getting on base, but working the count makes the pitcher’s job much more difficult. The Longhorns have less power in the lineup this year compared to last, but they may be a more patient and balanced compared to 2025.
In the three game set against Louisville, Michigan State’s pitching gave up 12 walks while striking out 23. The Texas bats will need a patient offensive approach or they will find themselves struggling. The Longhorn pitching staff is good enough, provided they do not give up too many walks, that the offense likely needs to provide just a few runs. As a team, if Texas does not give out free bases and free outs on a consistent basis, they will be a tough opponent for any team in the country.
