No. 2 Texas beats Ole Miss 8-2 as Dylan Volantis makes first SEC start

March 16, 2026

Dylan Volantis made his first SEC start for Texas and turned in a season-defining outing Sunday in Austin, striking out 11 while working a career-high 102 pitches. He navigated trouble in the second and third innings, escaping both frames with runners on and no outs, and managed to limit damage despite a shaky stretch in the fifth inning.

Volantis allowed one run over his outing, continuing the Longhorns' plan to move him from the bullpen into the rotation. Afterward he said he embraces high-pressure moments and focuses on attacking hitters rather than giving free passes, an approach that helped him work through traffic on the bases.

Freshman reliever Sam Cozart followed and delivered three innings without an earned run to notch his first career save. Cozart, who typically starts midweek games, earned the weekend opportunity and provided steady, experienced-looking innings despite his youth, prompting praise from coaches and teammates.

Jim Schlossnagle pointed to the bullpen's young depth as a season strength, noting Cozart's composure and the way the group has continued to grow. Junior catcher Carson Tinney highlighted Cozart's maturity, saying the freshman behaves far beyond his 19 years when entering game action.

Offensively, Texas combined a steady string of singles with two home runs, one from Tinney and one from junior first baseman Casey Borba. Tinney collected three hits and drove in three runs, marking season-highs for both categories as the Notre Dame transfer appears to regain form after a slow start to the year.

Borba’s long ball added to a productive week at the plate for him, as he picked up his fourth home run of the stretch after having just three on the roster before last Tuesday. Corner outfielders Jayden Duplantier and freshman Anthony Pack Jr. also helped, combining for three hits in seven at-bats.

The series ended with Texas outscoring Ole Miss 27-13, a margin that reflects Longhorns dominance across the weekend despite dropping one inning in Friday’s game. Schlossnagle praised the club’s consistency over roughly 27 innings of play, saying the weekend was strong overall.

Texas returns to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday to host Tarleton State at 6:30 p.m., aiming to build on the momentum from the series win and continue developing arms and lineup consistency.