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Takeaways from Texas' fall exhibition versus Texas Tech

by: Justin Nash09/28/25
Jim Schlossnagle
© Aaron E. Martinez/American Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yesterday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, we were able to get a sneak peek at the 2026 Texas Baseball squad during a 12-inning exhibition against Texas Tech that the Longhorns won 9-3. From that peek, it was evident this program is primed to be impressive for years to come. We’ll look at a potential depth chart and share some plays you may have missed at home since it wasn’t televised.

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Starting off with the depth chart and general reactions. There is a lot of fluidity to this lineup. Yesterday Anthony Pack Jr. started off in center field, but that’s a spot that belongs to Jonah Williams whenever football season is done. Aside from that, the starters looked to be in the same place they will open the 2026 season at.

Ethan Mendoza is YOKED. The second baseman for the Horns looks borderline unfamiliar. He added 20 lbs in the offseason. Last year he played at 180 lbs, right now he is at 202 lbs. From what I have heard, he has been smashing the ball.

Casey Borba is still a stud at the plate. For a player that is known more for his ability to hit, he had a really good defensive 2025 season at third base but struggled more than he would have liked at the plate. He was hitting the seams off the ball yesterday.

Carson Tinney is a stud at catcher. His mechanics throwing down to second base just look clean, and he is throwing “catch and tag” balls where the recipient doesn’t have to move their glove. He is going to be a fun player to watch.

Aiden Robbins is probably the position player that has the best hopes for the Golden Spikes Award in 2026. This dude is as legit as advertised. After a fantastic summer in the Cape Cod League, he looks to have picked up right where he left off. He had three hits, five RBIs, and five total bases against TTU.

The pitching staff may be a young group, but boy are they talented. Max Weiner has plenty of options for starting pitching at his disposal, and he’ll get an expanded look at the staff considering Dylan Volantis is not pitching this fall. Luke Harrison gave up two of the three runs to Tech but there’s no cause for concern. Most of the guys we saw had fastballs living in the 91-95 mph range with movement.

Inning 1

Haiden Leffew started off on the mound for the Horns. He looked really good in some moments with two strikeouts in the opening inning, he did however walk the bases loaded. None of the runners touched home plate.

Mendoza led off the Horns with a walk, and Adrian Rodriguez was the first Longhorn with a hit.

Tinney smoked this ball off of the bat at 110 mph, which ironically prevented Mendoza from scoring due to how fast it got to the fielder.

That set the table for Robbins to collect his first hit and RBI as a Texas Longhorn.

Inning 2

Thomas Burns pitched the second inning, he didn’t appear to be throwing with full force. The changeup looked nice and with his velocity, Burns may be a real weapon in 2026.

Not much happened in the 2nd inning for the Longhorns offense, but we did get a walk from Pack Jr. for the first time at the plate. Josh Livingston had a fairly loud out.

Inning 3

Harrison gave up the bulk of the runs on Saturday. After some struggles, it was nice to see Harrison regain control of the inning and close it out.

In his second at bat as a Longhorn, Tinney hit another line drive for a single. However, the Horns were not able to capitalize off of the base hit.

Inning 4

Ruger Riojas took the mound in the 4th and looked to be his usual self. He was living 94-95 mph but got the fastball up to 96 mph. He only allowed one hit on the day.

Temo Becerra picked up his first hit as a Longhorn in the 4th inning. This is a guy that won’t hit a lot of long balls, but he will certainly get on base at a really high rate with a lot of hits. Not much else happened in the 4th for the Horns.

Inning 5

Cal Higgins went to work in the 5th inning. He allowed an infield hit, however he recovered picking up the strikeout and subsequently picking off the runner he allowed on base.

Mendoza JUST missed a homer at Dell Diamond, picking up a double as a consolation prize. He was brought in a few batters later with a two-run RBI double off the bat of Robbins.

Inning 6

President of the Max Grubbs fan club here, and his tock just keeps on rising. He retired the side with little to no issue and still looks like his usual studly-self on the mound.

Breaking News: Robbins is a stud. He picked up another RBI double, this time with the bases juiced. This guy is going to be a dangerous threat at the plate.

Inning 7

We saw the first freshman appearance on the mound with Jack McKernan. He looked solid with good velo on the fastball and a sweeping slider. He gave up a single, but ultimately didn’t allow a run to cross the plate.

The Horns didn’t get much working in the 7th, but Maddox Monsour found his way on base.

Inning 8

At 6’5″ 240lbs, Brett Crossland is an absolute unit on the mound. The guy has an intimidating stature and has a fastball to back it up, reaching up to 96 mph.

Not much happened in the in the 8th inning, but the Horns did get a few runners on base.

Inning 9

We got to see Brody Walls this time, and man he looked like a really fun pitcher to watch. We also got a look at Presley Courville.

Monsour reached base via walk again, and this time he got to show off his wheels. Stealing second and third with ease, this is a guy we will see coming into pinch run regularly. Reminiscent of Mike Antico.

Inning 10

Sam Cozart was a massive draft day win for the Longhorns 2026 squad, and he looked nice. However, his appearance was overshadowed by the previously mentioned Monsour.

Monsour came up with a fantastic diving grab in right field… a SportsCenter top 10 level play.

Inning 11

Grady Westphal had his fastball sitting low 90s. He allowed a pair of base runners in the inning.

Another inning, another Monsour highlight. He swiped another pair of bases after reaching first base. It was nice to see Monsour recognize a ball in the outfield and grab a free 90 feet, too.

Inning 12

Michael Winter came in for some late work versus Texas Tech. He had to leave early due to a comebacker at the mound that resulted in an infield single. Nothing looked too wrong and the move felt precautionary given he was allowed to pitch briefly after that.

Ethan Walker entered in his place and capped off the day on the mound for the Longhorns.

Final Score: Texas 9 – Texas Tech 3

This was a really encouraging first look at the 2026 squad for many of the fans, and a shoutout to the fans. Dell Diamond was well attended for some burnt orange action during the football team’s bye.

It’s easy to lose focus in a game that doesn’t really matter, but the team looked great and dialed in. Texas looked every bit the part of a top 10 team with expectations to make it to Omaha. The Longhorns may not be a team that hits a ton of homers, but they will focus on swinging at the right pitches and picking up a ton of base hits.

The flexibility of the lineup is outstanding with many players having experience at multiple places on the field. Even Kade Bing got some work in center field. This is a squad that will be able to power their way through potential injuries.

The pitching is looking like it will be taking a step forward from the last season’s top five unit. The freshman look dialed in, and the veterans looked like their usual selves.

In a year where Omaha is certainly the expectation, the new pieces have gelled together and Texas will have multiple players make a run for post season awards.

The fans showed out for both teams, and it was really cool to see it played in the Dell Diamond. It would be awesome if Texas can make this a regular appearance every fall, and potentially schedule some midweek Tuesday games there.

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