Texas Freshmen Deliver All-America Statement

Texas baseball didn’t just reload with young talent, the Longhorns unleashed two freshman stars who already look like national headliners.

Anthony Pack Jr. and Sam Cozart were both named first-team D1Baseball Freshman All-Americans, making Texas the only program with two players on D1Baseball’s top freshman team.

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That’s a statement about where the Longhorns are headed.

Pack Jr. was one of the most dangerous first-year hitters in college baseball. The 5-10, 190-pound outfielder played with the polish of a veteran and the juice of a future star, leading all Power Four freshmen with a .480 on-base percentage, 47 walks and 21 stolen bases.

Pack Jr. hit .355 with 77 hits, 12 home runs and 56 RBI while posting a 1.074 OPS. Among Power Four freshmen, he ranked third in batting average, hits, WRC+ and wOBA, while finishing fourth in slugging percentage, OPS and RBI.

That’s elite production from a player who was supposed to be adjusting to college pitching.

Instead, Pack Jr. became one of Texas’ most reliable offensive weapons. His season included the first three-homer postseason game in Longhorns history, and his 21 steals were the most by a Texas freshman since Drew Stubbs in 2004.

Then there’s what he did in SEC play, where the competition gets nasty fast. Pack Jr. hit .400 in conference games with a .511 on-base percentage, becoming the first SEC freshman to hit .400 in league action since Jake Mangum did it at Mississippi State in 2016.

Cozart was just as electric on the mound.

The 6-6, 260-pound right-hander turned into one of the most overwhelming freshman pitchers in the country, finishing 6-0 with nine saves and 77 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.

He tied for the national freshman lead in saves and gave Texas a late-game hammer with swing-and-miss stuff.

Cozart led all Division I pitchers with at least 50 innings in WHIP at 0.73 and batting average against at .140.

His 1.72 ERA ranked second nationally behind only UC Santa Barbara’s Jackson Flora.

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By the end of the season, Cozart had piled up honors from the ABCA/Rawlings, Baseball America, D1Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game, while also taking home NCBWA Stopper of the Year and Freshman Pitcher of the Year recognition.

Texas baseball has had stars before. But Pack Jr. and Cozart give the Longhorns something even more dangerous: young cornerstones who already look ready for the biggest stage.