KSR's 2025 SEC Baseball Preview: Texas

With the 2025 College Baseball season just around the corner, KSR will be previewing all 15 SEC teams that will be competing with Kentucky for an SEC crown this season. Up next; the Texas Longhorns.

The second all-time winningest program in College Baseball history is joining the SEC this season.

Texas is entering a new era, led by former Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle. Schlossnagle, who is fresh off a run to the 2024 Men’s College World Series Finals at Texas A&M A&M, will become just the sixth head coach at Texas in the past 113 years. Schlossnagle conjured up a firestorm this offseason when he departed A&M for rival Texas just days after they lost to National Champion Tennessee. He’ll look to get the Longhorns back to the Men’s College World Series in 2025, and if he does, it will mark the 39th in program history.

Texas’ 38 Men’s College World Series appearances (with the last one coming in 2022) are 13 more than any other program (Miami FL with 25).

Last season, the Longhorns compiled a 36-24 (20-10) record in their final season in the Big 12. They were placed in the College Station Regional, but were eliminated in three games after losses to Texas A&M and Louisiana.

Returning Players:

• Jr. INF Jalin Flores (2024: 60 G, .340 AVG, 22 2B, 18 HR, 56 RBI, .656 SLG%, .408 OBP%)
• Jr. OF Max Belyeu (2024: 59 G, .329 AVG, 15 2B, 18 HR, 53 RBI, .667 SLG%, .423 OBP%)
• So. OF Will Gasparino (2024: 59 G, .252 AVG, 13 2B, 12 HR, 47 RBI, .495 SLG%, .300 OBP%)
• Gr. C/INF Kimble Schuessler (2024: 53 G, .343 AVG, 14 2B, 10 HR, 30 RBI, .601 SLG%, .420 OBP%)
• Jr. C Rylan Galvan (2024: 53 G, .287 AVG, 14 2B, 8 HR, 37 RBI, .506 SLG%. .392 OBP%)
• So. INF Casey Borba (2024: 34 G, .256 AVG, 7 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .488 SLG%, .371 OBP%)
• So. OF Tommy Farmer IV (2024: 16 G, .200 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .200 SLG%, .385 OBP%)
• Jr. INF/OF Jayden Duplantier (2024: 13 G, .111 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .111 SLG%, .375 OBP%)
• So. C Oliver Service (2024: 3 G, .750 AVG, 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1.000 SLG%, .800 OBP%)

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• Jr. RHP Max Grubbs (2024: 18 APP, 12 GS, 6-4, 3.67 ERA, 73 2/3 IP, 50 K, 18 BB, .270 B/AVG)
• Sr. LHP Ace Whitehead (2024: 15 APP, 10 GS, 4-2, 4.16 ERA, 67 IP, 48 K, 24 BB, .237 B/AVG)
• R-Sr. RHP Andre Duplantier II (2024: 29 APP, 0 GS, 2-2, 3.09 ERA, 43 2/3 IP, 53 K, 17 BB, .192 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Easton Tumis (2024: 21 APP, 1 GS, 3-1, 5.08 ERA, 28 1/3 IP, 27 K, 15 BB, .245 B/AVG)
• R-Jr. RHP Cody Howard (2024: 11 APP, 4 GS, 2-2, 10.36 ERA, 24 1/3 IP, 17 K, 21 BB, .347 B/AVG)
• Jr. RHP Cade O’Hara (2024: 13 APP, 0 GS, 2.75 ERA, 19 2/3 IP, 12 K, 6 BB, .229 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Hudson Hamilton (2024: 11 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 16 2/3 IP, 14 K, 7 BB, .319 B/AVG)
• R-Jr. LHP Luke Harrison (2024: 13 APP, 1 GS, 1-0, 9.28 ERA, 10 2/3 IP, 10 K, 13 BB, .341 B/AVG)

Departing Players:

• So. INF/OF Jared Thomas (2024: 60 G, .349 AVG, 15 2B, 16 HR, 47 RBI, .635 SLG, .434 OBP% – 2nd Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• R-Sr. UTIL Peyton Powell (2024: 60 G, .318 AVG, 11 2B, 9 HR, 44 RBI, .485 SLG%, .406 OBP% – Graduated)
• R-Sr. OF Porter Brown (2024: 55 G, .215 AVG, 8 2B, 8 HR, 24 RBI, .407 SLG%, .344 OBP%)
• Fr. INF Dee Kennedy (2024: 52 G, .209 AVG, 5 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .351 SLG%, .329 OBP% – Transferred to Kansas State)
• Sr. INF Jack O’Dowd (2024: 44 G, .207 AVG, 7 2B, 5 HR, 19 RBI, .405 SLG%, .272 OBP%)
• Fr. C Nik Sanders (2024: 9 G, .056 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .056 SLG%, .105 OBP%)
• Jr. OF Casey Cummings (2024: 6 G, .111 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .111 SLG%, .200 OBP%)
• R-Jr. OF Seth Werchan (2024: 6 G, .000 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .000 SLG, .000 OBP%)
• Fr. IF Sam Ardoin (2024: 4 G, .000 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .000 SLG, .500 OBP% – Transfer Portal)
• R-Jr. UTIL Cam Constantine (2024: 2 G, .000 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .000 SLG, .000 OBP%)

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• R-Jr. RHP Lebarron Johnson Jr. (2024: 17 APP, 15 GS, 3-4, 5.60 ERA, 72 1/3 IP, 84 K, 44 BB, .279 B/AVG – 5th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• R-So. RHP Gage Boehm (2024: 25 APP, 0 GS, 5-3, 2.53 ERA, 53 1/3 IP, 60 K, 17 BB, .187 B/AVG)
• Sr. RHP Charlie Hurley (2024: 18 APP, 9 GS, 5-0, 6.36 ERA, 46 2/3 IP, 39 K, 26 BB, .281 B/AVG – Graduated)
• R-Jr. LHP Chase Lummus (2024: 15 APP, 2 GS, 2-0, 4.09 ERA, 22 IP, 20 K, 16 BB, .250 B/AVG)
• Jr. LHP David Shaw (2024: 18 APP, 0 GS, 1-1, 7.79 ERA, 17 1/3 IP, 23 K, 14 BB, .275 B/AVG – Transfer Portal)
• R-So. RHP Grant Fontenot (2024: 11 APP, 2 GS, 1-1, 2.45 ERA, 11 IP, 14 K, 8 BB, .295 B/AVG – Transferred to LSU)
• Sr. RHP Heston Tole (2024: 13 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 6.55 ERA, 11 IP, 13 K, 2 BB, .304 B/AVG – Graduated)
• R-Jr. RHP Tanner Witt (2024: 5 APP, 2 GS, 0-1, 5.79 ERA, 9 1/3 IP, 6 K, 8 BB, .212 B/AVG – 14th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Fr. RHP Cole Selvig (2024: 7 APP, 1 GS, 0-2, 9.72 ERA, 8 1/3 IP, 6 K, 1 BB, .400 B/AVG – Transferred to Minnesota)

Incoming Transfers:

• So. OF Easton Winfield (2024: 54 G, .332 AVG, 8 2B, 10 HR, 40 RBI, .546 SLG%, .414 OBP% – Transferred from Louisiana-Monroe)
• So. INF Ethan Mendoza (2024: 53 G, .315 AVG, 11 2B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, .443 SLG%, 367 OBP% – Transferred from Arizona State)

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• Jr. RHP Ruger Riojas (2024: 26 APP, 1 GS, 10-3, 3.25 ERA, 69 1/3 IP, 75 K, 18 BB, .234 B/AVG – Transferred from UTSA)
• Sr. LHP Jared Spencer (2024: 18 APP, 9 GS, 6-0, 4.08 ERA, 53 IP, 72 K, 33 BB, .216 B/AVG)- Transferred from Indiana State)
• Jr. RHP Grayson Saunier (2024: 11 APP, 10 GS, 4-3, 5.64 ERA, 44 2/3 IP, 35 K, 16 BB, .278 B/AVG – Transferred from Ole Miss)
• So. RHP Thomas Burns (2024: 6 APP, 6 GS, 1-1, 4.75 ERA, 30 1/3 IP, 39 K, 24 BB, .213 B/AVG – Transferred from Arizona State)
• Jr. RHP Connor McCreery (2024: 19 APP, 0 GS, 3-1, 4.37 ERA, 22 2/3 IP, 25 K, 15 BB, .190 B/AVG – Transferred from South Carolina)
• Jr. RHP Aiden Moffett (2024: 16 APP, 0 GS, 0-1, 5.60 ERA, 17 2/3 IP, 21 K, 12 BB, .269 B/AVG – Transferred from LSU)

Texas returns five of its seven best offensive players from last season along with 52% of its innings on the mound. In short, the Longhorns return one of (if not the most) strongest cores in SEC along with a bountiful haul from the Transfer Portal.

The Longhorns will be led offensively by Preseason All-SEC First Teamer outfielder Max Belyeu and Second Teamer catcher Ryan Galvan. Belyeu and Galvan are just two of five returners who played in at least 50 games last season and hit for a plus-.280 average.

Although no Texas pitcher was selected to a Preseason All-SEC team, a ton of experience returns on that side of the ball as well. Junior right-hander Max Grubbs (started in 12 games last season) and senior lefty Ace Whitehead (started 10 games last season) will look to anchor a staff that posted a team 4.91 ERA in 2025.

Along with its eight returning arms however, five pitchers were hauled in from the Transfer Portal. This class is headlined by 2024 American All-Conference Second Team right-hander Ruger Riojas (UTSA), 2023 MVC All-Conference First Teamer left-hander Jared Spencer, and three arms from the SEC (RHP Grayson Saunier from Ole Miss, RHP Connor McCreery from South Carolina, and Aiden Moffett from LSU).

In just his first season as head coach, it seems like Jim Schlossnagle’s team is set up to compete in its new conference right away. The Longhorns are projected to finish eighth in the SEC.

Texas, who will open the 2025 season ranked at No. 19, is scheduled to face five of the top six SEC teams present in D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 25 Rankings this season (No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 3 LSU, at No. 5 Arkansas, No. 8 Georgia, No. 10 Florida, at No. 18 Mississippi State). Their April 25-27 series against A&M is one of the most anticipated of the College Baseball season.

Kentucky will host Texas this season in its first ever weekend series against the Longhorns. These programs have faced off once before however, as Texas downed the Wildcats 8-3 in the 1993 NCAA Tournament. The first time series will take place the weekend of April 11-13 at Kentucky Proud Park.