State Falls Short In Top 10 Pitching Duel

Friday, May 1

Austin, Texas

7:30 p.m.

Mississippi State

35-11, 0

Texas

34-9, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	6	0
Texas	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	X	3	5	0

Photo by: Will Porada/MSU Athletics

State Falls Short In Top 10 Pitching Duel

May 01, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

AUSTIN, Texas - No. 10 Mississippi State put the tying run aboard in the eighth inning Friday night, but No. 4 Texas held off the Diamond Dawgs for a 3-1 win at Disch-Falk Field in a top-10 SEC matchup.

Texas starter Dylan Volantis struck out 12 over six scoreless innings, and the Longhorns' bullpen survived Mississippi State's late push after Gehrig Frei homered to left field leading off the eighth.

The Bulldogs (35-11, 13-9 SEC) were held to six hits and struck out 19 times, but State still had a chance to change the game late. After Frei's solo shot trimmed the deficit to 3-1, Ace Reese walked and Blake Bevis singled through the left side with one out. Texas went to Thomas Burns, who struck out Vytas Valincius and got Bryce Chance to ground out to second to strand two runners.

Sam Cozart then struck out the side in the ninth for his seventh save, closing out a pitching-heavy series opener for the Longhorns.

Mississippi State starter Tomas Valincius took the loss despite keeping MSU within reach. The left-hander allowed three runs on four hits over five innings, striking out five and walking two. Maddox Miller followed with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit with three strikeouts, and Jack Gleason worked a clean eighth.

Texas (34-9, 14-7) broke through in the second when Ethan Mendoza doubled down the left-field line, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Ashton Larson's RBI groundout. The Longhorns added two more in the fifth after Maddox Monsour singled and stole second. Aiden Robbins followed with an RBI single to right center, then stole second before Carson Tinney was hit by a pitch. Anthony Pack Jr. delivered another run-scoring single to left to make it 3-0.

The Diamond Dawgs had scattered chances before the eighth but could not solve Volantis. Kevin Milewski doubled and walked, Bryce Chance, Aidan Teel, Noah Sullivan and Bevis each singled, and Frei provided State's only damage with his eighth home run of the season.

Volantis improved to 7-0 after allowing three hits and two walks. Haiden Leffew gave up the Bulldogs' lone run, Burns escaped the eighth-inning jam and Cozart finished it.

Texas managed only five hits, one fewer than Mississippi State, but the Longhorns made the most of their limited opportunities.

The Diamond Dawgs will try to even the series on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on SEC Network+. Sophomore right-hander Duke Stone (6-1, 4.64 ERA) gets the start to MSU while the Longhorns counter with senior righty Ruger Riojas (5-2, 3.88 ERA.

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