Texas vs Oregon baseball: Adrian Rodriguez leads Horns to win in Game 1 of super regional
On Saturday night, the Texas baseball team moved one step closer to a return to the College World Series.
Behind the play of Adrian Rodriguez and two big swings from Casey Borba and Ethan Mendoza, Texas coasted to an 11-3 win over Oregon in front of a record crowd at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. With the victory, UT seized a 1-0 lead in its best-of-three super regional.
The second game of this series is set for 8 p.m. on Sunday. Texas will advance to its 39th College World Series with a victory, but the Longhorns haven't been to Omaha since 2022.
The No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Texas (44-13) scored four runs over the game's first two innings and never looked back. Rodriguez led the offensive charge with a two-run double, an RBI single and two different sacrifice flyouts that brought home a teammate. Borba and Mendoza also homered.
That was enough offense to support an uneven start by Texas ace Dylan Volantis, who allowed eight hits and four walks while also striking out 10 batters over 5 1/3 innings. Oregon, however, was unable to tag Volantis for any runs until reliever Thomas Burns walked in two of the runners that he inherited in the sixth inning.
Volantis and Burns were two of the four pitchers used by Texas. One of those pitchers was Luke Harrison, an expected starter in this super regional who instead made a relief appearance on Saturday and threw 27 pitches over 1 1/3 innings while also getting the Longhorns out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning.
Oregon (43-17) recorded nine hits on Saturday, and senior Drew Smith hit a homer in the eighth inning. But the Ducks stranded 17 runners and hit a putrid 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Saturday's game was watched by an announced crowd of 8,550. With the exception of the 10,000 fans drawn to see a 1977 exhibition game against the Texas Rangers, that was the largest crowd in the history of UT's 51-year-old stadium.
Texas vs. Oregon baseball: Live updates, highlights
End 8: Texas 11, Oregon 3
Adrian Rodriguez now has five RBIs tonight after a sacrifice flyout brought home Anthony Pack Jr. in the eighth inning. As Brody Walls attempts to close this one out, the freshman is scheduled to face Naulivou Lauaki, Maddox Molony and Jack Brooks in the final frame.
Mid 8: Texas 10, Oregon 3
Oregon cut into the Texas lead with Drew Smith's team-leading 16th homer of the season. The Ducks, however, are running out of outs at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
End 7: Texas 10, Oregon 2
After Oregon stranded two runners in the top of the seventh, Texas was retired in order in the inning's bottom half. Texas freshman Brody Walls will exit the Texas bullpen and replace Luke Harrison, a season-long starter who threw 27 pitches in a surprise appearance out of the Texas bullpen.
End 6: Texas 10, Oregon 2
After Oregon made Texas sweat a little in the top of the sixth inning, the Longhorns returned the favor. Adrian Rodriguez recorded his career-high fourth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly before Ethan Mendoza pounded a two-run homer to left field.
Texas-Oregon game draws record crowd at UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Texas has announced a crowd of 8,550 for tonight's game against the Ducks. That is the second-largest crowd to see a baseball game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, and that tidbit comes with an asterisk. Texas recognizes the 10,000 fans who saw a 1977 exhibition against the Texas Rangers to be the stadium's attendance record, but tonight is a record for an NCAA-sanctioned game.
Tonight's crowd bested the 8,502 who attended an NCAA regional game against Louisiana Tech on June 4, 2022.
Mid 6: Texas 7, Oregon 2
Things have gotten interesting at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. After wasting ample scoring opportunities over the first five innings, Oregon got on the scoreboard by drawing two bases-loaded walks. Those two runs forced Texas to make its second pitching change of the inning, and UT senior Luke Harrison struck out Burke-Lee Mabeus to get the Longhorns out of the jam.
The appearance by Harrison is notable. Even though Texas had not yet announced a starter for the second game of this super regional, Harrison seemed like the front-runner for the gig. Ruger Riojas now seems like the likely candidate to start on Sunday. If Texas needs to put together a pitching plan on Monday, how much Harrison pitches tonight will be a factor.
End 5: Texas 7, Oregon 0
Four innings after he got Texas on the scoreboard with a two-run double, Adrian Rodriguez struck again in the fifth inning with an RBI single. In the NCAA Tournament, Rodriguez is now 9-for-14.
Rodriguez is responsible for two of UT's four hits this evening. He later scored in the fifth inning when Dariyan Pendergress was hit by a Leo Uelmen pitch with the bases loaded.
Mid 5: Texas 5, Oregon 0
The Ducks left a runner on third base for the fourth time tonight as Dylan Volantis struck out Oregon designated hitter Naulivou Lauaki to end the inning. While allowing seven hits and three walks, Volantis has thrown 96 pitches through five innings. Texas does not yet have any serious action happening in its bullpen.
End 4: Texas 5, Oregon 0
Texas forced Oregon starter Cal Scolari out of the game by loading the bases with two outs in the fourth inning, but reliever Jonah Barkoff was unable to limit the damage. Barkoff, a second-year left-hander who had thrown 5 1/3 innings in his collegiate career, was called for a run-scoring balk while facing UT slugger Carson Tinney
Mid 4: Texas 4, Oregon 0
Oregon continues to squander scoring opportunities. The Ducks got runners to second base and third base with no outs in the fourth frame, but Dylan Volantis struck out two batters before Angel Laya grounded out to first base.
Oregon has stranded eight runners today. The Ducks are 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-12 with runners aboard. Four of Volantis' seven strikeouts have been recorded with a Duck on third base.
Mid 3: Texas 4, Oregon 0
Oregon loaded the bases with one out in the third inning, but Texas got out of the jam with a Dylan Volantis strikeout and a groundout to second base. Through three innings, Volantis has allowed three hits and three walks while throwing a career-high three wild pitches. He has thrown 58 pitches.
End 2: Texas 4, Oregon 0
During the Austin regional, six Longhorns - Anthony Pack Jr., Aiden Robbins, Jayden Duplantier, Carson Tinney, Ethan Mendoza and Adrian Rodriguez - went deep. On Saturday, Casey Borba got in on the fun with the first homer of UT's super regional. The 395-foot blast into the Ford tailgate area in right field was the 18th home run of Borba's junior season.
That home run was also the 100th of UT's season. With that swing, Texas joined FDU as the only teams to record 100 homers and 100 steals this season. According to Texas, no other baseball program from a Power 4 conference has reached that milestone in the past 15 years.
But while Borba provided Texas with a highlight, the inning's biggest play may have involved speedy outfielder Dariyan Pendergrass and Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle. With one out, Pendergrass was called out on an attempted steal of third base. Pendergrass and third-base coach Nolan Cain immediately implored Schlossnagle to challenge the play, which he did. After the call was overturned, Pendergrass scored UT's fourth run on a sacrifice fly.
End 1: Texas 2, Oregon 0
Texas is on the scoreboard first. With two outs, Adrian Rodriguez brought home two teammates with a double off of Oregon starter Cal Scolari. The double was Rodriguez's 15th of the season, which ranks on the Texas roster behind just the 16 doubles recorded this season by Anthony Pack Jr.
Mid 1: Oregon 0, Texas 0
Oregon got its leadoff hitter to third base with two outs in the opening inning, but Dylan Volantis' third strikeout of the inning ended the threat. Volantis threw two wild pitches in the first inning, which tied a career-high for the sophomore left-hander.
Texas baseball vs Oregon time, TV info
When: 7 p.m. CT Saturday
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
TV/radio: ESPN, 1300 AM
Texas starting lineup
1. RF Aiden Robbins
2. C Carson Tinney
3. LF Anthony Pack Jr.
4. 2B Temo Becerra
5. SS Adrian Rodriguez
6. DH Ethan Mendoza
7. 1B Ashton Larson
8. 3B Casey Borba
9. CF Dariyan Pendergrass
Oregon starting lineup
1. LF Jax Gimenez
2. RF Angel Laya
3. 2B Ryan Cooney
4. 3B Drew Smith
5. 1B Brayden Jaksa
6. C Burke-Lee Mabeus
7. DH Naulivou Lauaki
8. SS Maddon Molony
9. CF Jack Brooks
Texas starting pitcher
LHP Dylan Volantis (9-1, 1.94 ERA)
Oregon starting pitcher
Oregon RHP Cal Scolari (5-0, 2.70 ERA)
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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 7:02 PM.