Preview: Texas Baseball vs UTRGV

• Who: No. 3 Texas Longhorns vs. UTRGV Vaqueros
• What: Eighth game of the year for both teams
• When: Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 PM CT. 
• Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field (Austin, Texas)
• TV/Streaming: SEC Network+
• Radio: Longhorn Radio Network, Sirius XM 374
• Radio Announcers: Craig Way (Play-by-play), Roger Wallace (Color Analyst)
• Last season: The Longhorns experienced their best season since 2010, storming to a 44-14 in their first season in the Southeastern Conference, but were dropped in their own regional to an upstart UTSA. UTRGV went 36-18, capturing the Southland Conference Championship and posting a program-record RPI of 43. Despite boasting their best season in over 30 years, the Vaqueros narrowly missed the NCAA Regionals. 
• Series History: Texas leads the series 51-9, dating to 1970. UTRGV’s most recent victory came in 2024, snapping a 48-game losing streak against the Longhorns.

Meet the Coaches

Jim Schlossnagle, Texas: Schlossnagle enters his second season at Texas after arriving from Texas A&M, where he reestablished the Aggies as a national contender. One of the most respected coaches in college baseball, he’s totaled 990 career wins across previous stops at UNLV, TCU and Texas A&M, the sixth-most Division I victories among active skippers. Schlossnagle is looking to guide the Longhorns back to Omaha after last season’s early regional exit.

Derek Matlock, UTRGV: Matlock enters his ninth season as the Vaqueros’ head coach after five seasons as West Virginia’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator and 19 years of coaching in Texas. Since taking over, Matlock has transformed UTRGV into a perennial contender, leading the Vaqueros to their first Southland Conference Championship in 2025 and multiple 30+ win seasons.

What to Know About the Vaqueros

Despite posting their best season in 30 years in 2025, capturing the Southland Conference title and achieving a program-record RPI of 43, the Vaqueros did not hear their name called on the NCAA Tournament selection show last May. The program failed to make its first regional appearance in 40 years.  

But the 2026 campaign is already looking promising for the Vaqueros. 

UTRGV is coming off a 2-1 series win over the Houston Cougars, the second-straight season in which the Vaqueros (3-4) have won three games against Big 12 competition after another win over Kansas State to open the season.

The Vaqueros enter this season on the heels of a 2-1 series victory over Houston, marking the second straight year UTRGV has won three games against Big 12 competition. Junior infielder Julius Ramirez went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs in Sunday’s clincher, while senior Thomas Williams added a two-run single and three RBIs.

On the mound, senior Kike Cienfuegos earned the win with 3.2 innings of relief, and sophomore Mason Engel has shown early-season dominance, retiring nine of the first 11 batters he faced in relief. The Vaqueros return a deep pitching staff led by Southland Newcomer of the Year Víctor Loa, Daren Barrera, Wyatt Wiatrek, and Harrison Thayer, with a bullpen anchored by Cienfuegos and Steven Oliva.

UTRGV has already shown it can compete with power-conference opponents, so this matchup could remain close if Texas falls behind offensively.