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Talented LHP Luke Dotson Commits to Texas

by: Justin Nash06/16/25
Luke Dotson
Luke Dotson (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Jim Schlossnagle and Max Weiner just picked up a much needed left handed pitcher from the transfer portal. Luke Dotson, a transfer out of Mississippi State, ranks No. 51 in the portal overall, and was the No. 24 ranked pitcher in the portal. In 2025 he had an ERA of 3.09, posting a 1-2 record with two saves.

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Texas needed to get left handed pitchers on board for the 2026 season. Currently of the 14 pitchers Texas has on the roster, only four are left handed and two of them are starters. Add on the freshman incoming class only having two (before the MLB draft), and it puts Texas in a situation where left-handed pitching was a dire need.

Enter Dotson, who’s a lefty that can get the fastball up to mid-to-high 90s. He has a career ERA of 4.84 in 35.1 innings pitched. He really improved as a sophomore dropping his ERA from 8.25 to 3.09. His opponent batting average saw a similar drop in a good way.

His advanced stats aren’t mind blowing but they certainly paint the picture of an impact grab for the Longhorns. In 2025 he struck out 34.7% of batters while walking 12.2%, allowing a opponent batting average of just .214 and an opponent slugging percentage of .357. Under 20% of batted balls are line drives. It is hard to create good contact against Dotson.

Of his 18 appearances, eleven came vs a conference opponent or in the NCAA tournament. This is not just some random arm pulled off the Mississippi State roster. He was one of the most consistent relief pitchers to be used versus solid competition.

Evan Veith just wrote an article talking about the needs for Texas out of the portal, here’s what he had to say about out need for lefty pitchers:

“Left-Handed Reliever: With freshman phenom Dylan Volantis likely heading to the weekend rotation, Texas has just Ethan Walker to show for when it comes to lefty arms in the bullpen. Texas doesn’t need an All-SEC arm here, and this position is very hard to find production from in the portal. It will likely be an underachiever from a top program or a JUCO/D2 ace who wants a chance to play at the highest level. Texas mostly needs depth here.”

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Texas has certainly added on another talented arm that fills a dire need on the roster. He has not only already seen what the SEC looks like, but has done well vs top competition picking up a 3.71 ERA in those games. Schlossnagle and co. clearly have a plan that they are executing, and Dotson is a big part of it.

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