Texas Baseball Ace Has MCWS Chance to Prove Voters Wrong

It's the greatest show on dirt. And this opening round, especially, might bring us the best possible pitcher-hitter matchup throughout the Men's College World Series: Texas pitcher Dylan Volantis vs. Georgia slugger Daniel Jackson.

Volantis has picked up where he left off from his national freshman of the year campaign in 2025. The lefty ace has posted a 10-1 record, a minuscule 2.03 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, and has recorded 126 strikeouts in his 88.2 innings pitched.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' catcher Jackson has raked to the tune of a .396 batting average with 31 home runs, both top marks in the nation and among those who have reached Omaha.

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Where the two competitors have gotten separated is in the postseason awards consideration. Jackson has been named one of the three finalists for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, or the college baseball equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.

Volantis, for the second year in a row as one of the nation's best arms, was snubbed in the voting from semifinals to finals.

Making matters worse for Longhorns fans, the two finalists other than Jackson - UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and Arizona State outfielder Landon Hairston - both compete for teams that did not make the MCWS.

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Volantis will likely have the opportunity this weekend to prove the voters wrong if he gets the start and pitches well against Jackson and the Dawgs.

And of course, powering the Horns to what could be a seventh national championship in Texas' storied postseason history.

Still, the pitching staff will be debuting in Omaha with some recognition. Closing pitcher Sam Cozart was named the national freshman pitcher of the year, making Texas the first school ever to have back-to-back recipients of that award.

Volantis and Cozart were named first-team All-Americans by Perfect Game USA. Key pieces in the lineup like Anthony Pack Jr. (first team), Carson Tinney (second) and Aiden Robbins (second) also received All-America nods by the NCBWA. Additionally, Pack was named Baseball America's national freshman of the year.

The Longhorns hit the field in Omaha in primetime at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. The game will broadcast live on ESPN from Charles Schwab Field.