Preview: Texas Baseball's Opener vs. UC Davis

• Who: No. 3 Texas Longhorns vs. UC Davis Aggies
• What: First game of the season for both teams
• When: Friday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 PM CT, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 PM CT, and Sunday, Feb. 15 at 12 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 stormed through SEC play last season, winning 22 conference games and capturing the SEC title, but suffered a surprising early exit against UTSA in the Austin Regional. UC Davis put together a competitive 2025 campaign in the Big West, finishing in the middle of the conference standings, but fell short of an NCAA tournament berth.

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.

Tommy Nicholson, UC Davis: Nicholson enters his fifth season at the helm of UC Davis in 2025 after being named the program’s 11th head coach in December 2021. A former Texas infielder and 11th-round MLB Draft pick, Nicholson previously coached on the Forty Acres as both a volunteer assistant and recruiting coordinator. With prior stops at Stanford and Sacramento State, he has steadily rebuilt UC Davis into a respectable contender. 

What to Know About the Aggies

UC Davis enters the 2026 season looking to build on its most successful campaign in recent years under fifth-year head coach Tommy Nicholson, who has guided the Aggies from six wins in 2022 to back-to-back competitive seasons, including a 27-28 finish in 2025. The season also marks the Aggies’ final campaign in the Big West before transitioning to the Mountain West in 2027.

Pitching is the clear strength of this roster. Left-hander Bryan Green anchors the rotation after posting a 2.55 ERA last season, the best in the Big West and among the top marks nationally. Out of the bullpen, Mason Lerma emerged as one of Division I baseball’s most dominant relievers, recording a 1.01 ERA across 28 appearances and earning a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year preseason watch list.

While questions remain entering Opening Day, UC Davis arrives with experienced arms and a program trending upward.