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The Other Guys: Unsung heroes of Max Weiner's elite Texas baseball bullpen

by:EvanVieth•05/01/25
Jason Flores
Jason Flores -- Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas baseball pitching coach Max Weiner’s pitching staff is the best in the nation, and it’s not particularly close.

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Sure, Conference USA powerhouse Western Kentucky has a better overall ERA than the Longhorns this year, but there’s a big difference between playing weekend games against FIU and facing the best offense in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs.

Texas’ 3.07 ERA is the best among Power 5 schools, a full 0.28 points ahead of second-place Tennessee. Texas also is inside the top two in key stats like WHIP and hits per nine innings. This dominance, of course, stems from starting pitching and two main bullpen arms, Dylan Volantis and Max Grubbs, who have combined for a 0.99 ERA in SEC play. That’s not a typo.

However, the Longhorns have received 36 innings of relief in SEC play from names beyond their All-American-level closers. Among the seven other relievers who have faced SEC powerhouses like the Bulldogs and LSU, Texas boasts a 3.50 ERA, a number that would still be better than all but two Power 5 teams.

Texas’ sixth through twelfth pitchers feature a mix of handedness, velocity, arm slots, and personality that makes them extremely difficult to match up against. No player has stepped up more in the last few weeks than RHP Thomas Burns, a burly 6-foot-3 fireballer whose first pitch against Texas A&M last Saturday hit 99 MPH.

Burns has assumed the role of the third man out of the bullpen, usually pitching on Saturdays after Grubbs handles long relief and Volantis closes the Friday game. Burns has allowed just two earned runs in nearly 10 innings pitched in SEC play, and his ability to hit the high 90s on his fastball pairs extremely well with Saturday starter Luke Harrison, who focuses on a heavy pitch mix with finesse and movement on fastballs that rarely eclipse 93 MPH.

Texas has discovered a few more gems after Burns, most notably freshman RHP Jason Flores and RHP Ole Miss transfer Grayson Saunier. Flores struggled in a starting role against Texas A&M last Sunday, which may be his long-term spot. But from the bullpen, he has been lights out, allowing just one earned run in over six innings of SEC work.

Flores’ best outing came against Auburn, where he threw nearly four innings and gave up a lone home run as Texas routed the Tigers. He has strong command of the zone, even as a freshman, and allows very few base hits (only Volantis has a better opponent batting average among top pitchers) but struggles with hit-by-pitches.

Saunier has been a late bloomer, pitching in just four games before the Kentucky series. He’s given up just one earned run in his three innings pitched and was a key reason Texas swept A&M last Sunday, throwing 1.1 innings and keeping the Aggies off the scoreboard. Saunier exhibits a funky stretch delivery that focuses on painting slow sliders on the outside corner to righties. He gave up three hits to the Aggies, two of which were on weak contact. His bread and butter is the BABIP (batting average on balls in play) stat. He gets opponents to hit it where the fielders are.

Three other pitchers—Cody Howard, Aiden Moffett, and Ethan Walker—have combined for 4.2 scoreless innings in the SEC, with Howard’s scoreless 2.1 against LSU being the most impressive. Though it came during Texas’ only uncompetitive loss this year, he showed an aptitude for getting ahead in counts and specifically fending off lefties with his 94 MPH fastball and 80 MPH changeup combo on the outside corner. Moffett is a flamethrower from LSU who played well against Kentucky but sustain an injury concern during his outing against Auburn, and Walker is Weiner’s one-out specialist. His 0.2 innings pitched came against Auburn and A&M, where he faced one lefty in each game and forced an out in each at-bat.

There are still a few arms that haven’t been mentioned, believe it or not. The only real disappointment in this bullpen is Andre Duplantier II, a sixth-year pitcher who was elite last season but holds a 7.71 ERA in conference play—the only pitcher north of 5.00. This mostly stems from the Friday LSU loss, where he gave up four runs in less than two innings, but he’s been improving. He came in early against A&M and delivered a solid performance, all things considered.

There are also some additional lefties, alongside Walker and Volantis, who are expected to make a difference in the postseason, though all have dealt with injuries. Kade Bing entered the season as the Sunday starter but has yet to pitch in the SEC. He’s been excellent in his last five appearances, mostly Tuesday starts.

We’re still waiting to hear about Ace Whitehead and Will Mercer. Whitehead, a fan favorite nicknamed “Boogie,” was one of the few solid arms last year for Texas but hasn’t pitched all year. He underwent surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, an injury affecting his upper body from the ribs to the collarbone to his throwing hand. Mercer pitched early in the year but looked off and has been sidelined with an injury. Both should return by the time Omaha talks heat up.

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Texas has a few other arms to watch out for, most notably sophomore RHP Hudson Hamilton, who can help turn this staff into a 15-man group with Friday starter Jared Spencer now out for the year. It’s unheard of to rely on 10 guys to pitch in the postseason, let alone 15. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle has an embarrassment of riches on his hands with this group of pitchers.

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