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Two sport star Jonah Williams shines in series deciding win against No. 8 Auburn

by:EvanVieth•04/18/25
Jonah Williams
Jonah Williams (Sara Diggins-Austin American-Statesman)

For all the Texas baseball (or more likely football) fans who have been clamoring for freshman OF/LHP/SAF Jonah Williams to play more for Texas baseball: you might’ve been right.

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A two-sport athlete and most notably the No. 1 recruit in Texas’ 2025 football class, Williams received his first start of the season in a Friday night matchup against Auburn. Williams was tasked with hitting eighth in the order, occupying what has been by far Texas’ weakest position on the diamond this season: the left field spot.

While it was a strong team win in Austin, it’s hard not to chalk up a lot of the praise in Texas’s 8-3 victory to Williams’ two hits and three RBIs.

“What a great boost. We knew he’d be super competitive in there, but to have a guy who’s supposed to be in high school right now, 17 years old, in that setting, tells you what a special competitive athlete (he is),” Schlossnagle said about Williams. “He is fun to watch.”

Williams’ performance was a breath of fresh air for Longhorn fans for multiple reasons. The left field spot has been a problem ever since Max Belyeu went down with an injury during the Missouri series. The combination of Jayden Duplantier, Easton Winfield, and even a bit of Adrian Rodriguez had been an absolute black hole offensively and a liability at times on defense. It had started to feel like no one could occupy that spot until Belyeu’s hopeful return in the postseason.

But Williams stepped in today and not only filled the stat sheet but passed the eye test. His first AB was a strikeout looking, but not before working a seven-pitch AB and taking a close pitch for strike three. In his ensuing AB, Williams stepped up with RF Tommy Farmer IV, who had a great game himself, standing on second with one out. Williams looked to have hit an RBI XBH down the first base line, but an extremely controversial foul ball kept him in the batter’s box. Not fazed, Williams delivered a screaming line drive up the middle, scoring Farmer.

“A lot of persistence and patience, staying consistent with my work ethic, just getting to it every day,” Williams said about the process of finding his way into the starting lineup. “That’s all I can ask for.”

His next at-bat came in the sixth inning with two runners in scoring position. It seemed like fate that the most popular freshman on the Forty Acres was stepping up in this scenario. Williams battled back from an 0-2 count and delivered a similarly strong swing into center field, scoring two runners and notching his third RBI of the game.

Texas’ bats as a whole had a great night even without Belyeu or Adrian Rodriguez in the lineup, notching 11 hits, three for extra bases, and scoring four runs in the final three innings. The bottom of the order, featuring Williams, Farmer, and Duplantier, went 5-for-11 with five RBIs and three runs.

LHP Luke Harrison gave Texas a solid 5 1/3 innings, with his main blemish coming from a two-run homer off the bat of Ike Irish, an All-SEC-level hitter, that progressed from a routine flyout into a home run thanks to some strong winds. Harrison’s command was off, hitting three batters and walking another three, but allowing only four hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings was exactly what Texas needed.

“I think when you truly have an opening day mentality like these guys do, it’s hard to doubt,” Schlossnagle said. “You know, grit is such an awesome character trait, and this team surely has it.”

Texas has already notched a series win and reached the 15-win mark in the SEC, a near-surefire indicator that Texas will be hosting a regional come postseason. For all that coach Schlossnagle has talked about hitting this win total during the season, even he couldn’t deny it was a remarkable feat to achieve in their sixth SEC series.

Texas will face off against Auburn at noon tomorrow with a chance at a series sweep and an SEC-leading 16 wins in the conference. And yes, coach Schlossnagle has confirmed Williams will be a part of the lineup tomorrow.

“It feels amazing. I’m grateful to be put in this opportunity, in this position,” Williams said. “The fans were great. The fans are always amazing, even when bad things are happening. I can’t ask for a better crowd.”

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