Dylan Volantis, Ethan Mendoza shine as Texas completes sweep against Dartmouth

Texas baseball hadn’t had a perfect start to the weekend by most standards.

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Even with two wins on the board and a series win against the Dartmouth Big Green, Texas’ offense had faltered in the first two games of the weekend and command from some of the teams most trusted pitchers seemed to have been lost since returning from last weekend’s games against far superior opponents.

But even with the Longhorns staying below five runs for the third straight game, only totaling 11 throughout the entire series, Texas fans will come away from Sunday’s game with more confidence ahead of another travel series.

Texas’ 4-1 win came off the backs of two unlikely candidates. While stars like Max Belyeu and Adrian Rodriguez continued to produce offensively, it was 5-foot-10, 185 pound nine-hole-hitting 2B Ethan Mendoza who not only brought the spark to Texas’ offense, but the power.

Mendoza finished the day 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, one coming from when he drove himself in. With the game still tied as the Longhorns took the plate for the fifth inning, Texas needed some kind of momentum to make up for a grueling first few innings of baseball, much more reminiscent of the previous two days.

Mendoza stepped to the plate and battled, getting himself into a 2-2 count. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Mendoza took the payoff pitch to the opposite field, carrying the ball deep down the right field line and banging it off the fair pole. It was the first Texas home run for the sophomore who hit just three in his first year of college at Arizona State.

Even up to that point, Mendoza had put together a great game. Texas was down 1-0 in the bottom of the third when he led things off with a bunt single then advanced to second on a throwing error. His speed helped Texas onto the board off a Max Belyeu single, where he easily scored thanks to a strong secondary lead off second base.

Mendoza then knocked in the last piece of insurance Texas needed, driving in Tommy Farmer IV on a single in the eighth inning for Texas’ fourth run of the game. Pairing that with a strong defensive game at second, Mendoza earned the love of Texas fans and coaches alike.

While Mendoza was methodically piecing apart the Big Green pitchers, a new face in Austin carved through the Dartmouth bats. Dylan Volantis is a striking figure on the mound. The freshman stands at 6-foot-6, donning the highest number possible in No. 99, a digit that hasn’t been worn in Austin in over 16 years. Sunday wasn’t Volantis’ first appearance for Texas; he appeared in relief against Oklahoma State. But it was the first time Texas fans were introduced to the massive ceiling of the young fireballer at the Disch.

Volantis’ pitches were hitting up to 94 mph as he worked through 4.2 innings of one hit baseball, his sole base runner coming in the ninth and final inning. Volantis was magical on the mound in the win, flexing a looping slider to create impressive punch-outs and force weak contact. Volantis gave up zero runs and struck out four of his 13 batters, with seven others forced to ground out to the infield.

While Volantis stole the show, it’s important to note the strength of starter Kade Bing. The LHP had a rough start to the year. He was taken out in the first inning against Oklahoma State the week prior and struggled once again in the first on Sunday. Bing gave up three base runners and a run in the first inning but settled down for his next 3.1 innings, only allowing runners via two hit by pitches. His command still needs some work, but he showed why Jim Schlossnagle trusted him to start a Sunday game.

Texas’ offense still has not hit the stride it’s looking for to start the year, but the Longhorns did register 15 base runners between eight hits, four walks and three HBPs. Belyeu was only retired once in his five plate appearances, and Texas only struck out five times total. Unfortunately, three of those came from the hands of Easton Winfield, the DH who has just two hits and nine Ks in 17 ABs.

Texas’ weekend was an odd one, but unlike SEC powerhouses like LSU, the Horns escaped each and every game with a win. As some of our readers have pointed out, it felt like a few of these games last year could’ve gone Dartmouth’s way with that roster and staff. Schlossnagle’s Longhorns are now 5-1 to start the year and should end up 6-1 after a Tuesday matchup with Incarnate Word.

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After Sunday’s game, Texas is less than 20 days away from SEC play, with the next big matchup coming next Friday when the Longhorns take on the Washington Huskies, Texas Tech Raiders, and Illinois Fighting Illini in Las Vegas Ballpark.