Texas hits the road this weekend for the final time in SEC play, heading to Knoxville. The Longhorns are coming off a hard-fought series win against No. 10 Mississippi State, one that required overcoming a five-run deficit on Sunday. It wasn’t always pretty, but you’ll take a top-10 series win however you can get it.
That series perfectly captured what Texas is in 2026, showing both why they’re a national title contender and why questions still remain. With the win over Mississippi State, it’s hard to imagine Texas falling out of a top-eight national seed, regardless of how they close the season. These final six games are more about identifying who can be trusted in the bullpen and who can solidify the bottom of the lineup.
This isn’t the same Tennessee team we’ve seen over the past seven years under Tony Vitello. In a surprising October move, Vitello left for the San Francisco Giants, and assistant coach Josh Elander was elevated to head coach. Losing your head coach after fall ball is a tough spot for any program, especially with only a few months before the season begins. It left Elander trying to stabilize things on the fly.
Even so, Tennessee is still projected as a No. 3 seed in a regional. It may not be the season fans in Knoxville expected, but make no mistake – this will still be a rowdy environment.
Can Texas Produce with Runners On?
Last weekend was, in many ways, a microcosm of the Texas offense in 2026. In wins on Friday and Sunday, Texas stranded 13 runners. In Saturday’s loss alone, they left 17 on base, including multiple innings with the bases loaded. When you leave that many runners out there, it’s hard to beat anyone, especially a top-10 team.
Jim Schlossnagle made an interesting point after Saturday’s game, saying he doesn’t get overly upset about stranded runners. His reasoning: it’s more concerning when you’re not getting runners on base at all. That’s fair—no baserunners usually means no hits or walks.
Still, the bottom line is this: Texas has to capitalize with runners on base. We saw last postseason against UTSA how missed opportunities can catch up to you. The middle of the order needs to deliver. Casey Borba swung it better last weekend, and Ethan Mendoza has been quietly productive. Schloss also made a lineup adjustment by inserting freshman outfielder Maddox Monsour, who brings speed similar to Duplantier but with more upside at the plate. If Monsour can consistently put together quality at-bats, it could give this offense a needed boost.
How Will Texas Pitching Hold Up in Knoxville?
For the most part, Texas pitching has been excellent in 2026. The concern is how that performance translates on the road. The series in College Station was rough across the board, and outside of Volantis, things didn’t improve much in Nashville against Vanderbilt.
Road environments can snowball quickly for pitchers, and that matters, even if Texas secures a top-eight seed. If they take care of business at home, they’ll eventually head to Omaha, which presents a road-like atmosphere on an even bigger stage.
Senior pitcher Ruger Riojas has struggled in his last three road starts, allowing 16 runs in just 11 innings. That’s simply not good enough, especially from your No. 2 starter. He’ll face another tough test against a solid Tennessee lineup, and a fourth straight rough outing would raise real concern.
Freshman reliever Sam Cozart also had his worst road appearance at Vanderbilt, blowing a save before picking up the win in extras. Getting another taste of a hostile environment before the postseason could be valuable for him. If Texas is going to reach its ceiling, both Riojas and Cozart are going to be major X-factors.
