Longhorns ignite offense early, shutting out Michigan State 4-0. Pitching dominates, securing a dominant series sweep and a perfect 7-0 start.
One of the biggest factors in a successful college baseball season is getting off to a hot start. Early momentum helps build confidence during preseason play and sets the tone for the demanding conference schedule that follows just a few weeks later.
With the first seven games down, the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns have executed that plan to near perfection, jumping out to a 7-0 start after finishing a series sweep in Austin on Sunday with a 4-0 victory over Michigan State.
The Horns wasted no time taking control, putting some pressure on the Spartans with the bases loaded in the opening inning. Texas capitalized on the early traffic when dual-sport star Jonah Williams drew a walk, bringing Ethan Mendoza home from third.
The momentum didn’t stop there. In the very next at-bat, junior first baseman Casey Borba grounded out to the shortstop, but not before Adrian Rodriguez crossed the plate, giving Texas a 2-0 lead right out the gate.
In the top half of the second, Texas found itself defending a bases-loaded jam of its own after pitcher Dylan Volantis surrendered three singles to C.J. Deckinga, Dayton Murphy, and Trent Rice.
But Volantis worked out of trouble, striking out Nick Williams at the top of the order keeping the Spartans scoreless.
In the bottom of the third, it appeared the Longhorns were headed for a quiet inning after two quick pop-fly outs. But junior catcher Carson Tinney sparked the offense with a double, and Jonah Williams followed, delivering again in a big way. Williams sparked a single to right field, driving Tinney home from second to extend the lead to 3-0.
Texas kept applying pressure in the fourth. Singles from junior left fielder Ashton Larson & freshman right fielder Anthony Pack Jr. gave the inning early life. After Michigan State starting pitcher Logan Pikur exited, senior right-hander Tommy Szczepanski entered in relief hoping to limit the damage. That plan unraveled quickly, as a balk in his first matchup allowed Larson to score from third while Pack Jr. advanced to second, pushing the Texas lead to 4-0.
That would be the final offensive push for Texas, as the Longhorns were held scoreless after the fourth inning. Spartan relievers Tommy Szczepanski and Brady Chambers settled in, combining to allow just three hits the rest of the way.
Sophomore Southpaw Dylan Volantis turned in an impressive outing for the burnt orange, tossing seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts while surrendering five hits.
Right-handed relievers Brett Crossland and Thomas Burns closed the door, each delivering a scoreless inning to keep Michigan State off the board to secure the victory.
The sweep gives Texas a strong confidence boost heading into Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. CT matchup against UTRGV in Austin, with some tougher competition on the horizon this weekend at Daikin Park in Houston.