Dominant Pitching Headlines Alumni Game. The 2026 Texas Longhorns leaned on dominant pitching to earn a 2–1 victory over the Alumni in their annual exhibition, with several freshmen making early statements on the mound and behind the plate.
Freshman pitchers Brett Crossland, Brody Walls, and Jack McKernan combined for six innings of one-run baseball, showcasing poise and command well beyond their years. Fellow freshman Sam Cozart also stood out while pitching for the Alumni Team, setting the tone with four hitless innings, five strikeouts, and just three base runners allowed. This group illustrates the type of depth and immense talent that the Longhorns have on the team this year, which is one of the main reasons they are ranked #3 in the D1Baseball preseason Top 25 poll.
The veteran arms followed suit, as Jason Flores, Thomas Burns, and Cal Higgins closed things out with three scoreless innings, striking out five without issuing a walk. Thomas Burns was extremely impressive in his outing as his fastball sat 96-97 and he offset that with some really good secondary stuff. Burns is already known for his electric fastball which gets up to 100, but his command of his secondary pitches and the ability to throw them for strikes should have all fans excited.
Offensively, transfer catcher Andrew Ermis provided the difference for the Horns with a two-run double in the seventh inning.
Defensively, freshman Anthony Pack Jr looked very comfortable in RF and CF and fellow freshman Presley Courville did a great job behind the plate receiving the ball and framing pitches. Another freshman, Maddox Monsour showed off his athleticism and glove late in the game when the aforementioned Anthony Pack hit a hard liner to left field. Monsour initially misread the ball but was able to make the catch as he fell backwards to prevent a double.
While Adrian Rodriguez and Jonah Williams both did not play in the Alumni game out of precaution, both took part in pregame activities and Rodriguez continues to look very comfortable at shortstop.
The Alumni roster featured several notable names, including MLB veterans Tres Barrera, David Hamilton, and Hoby Milner, along with fan favorites Trey Faltine, Jalin Flores, and Rylan Galvan.
For all the play by play action, check out the Alumni Game Thread.
The exhibition capped off Texas’ annual Fan Appreciation Day, where fans got to UFCU Disch-Falk Field early to meet players and coaches, play catch on the field, and take photos with Bevo XV.
Texas opens its second season under head coach Jim Schlossnagle on Feb. 13 against UC Davis, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Disch.
