Dylan Volantis dominates as Texas Longhorns beat Michigan State: Recap

Dylan Volantis hasn’t just looked good since his transition into the Texas baseball rotation at the start of the 2026 season. He’s looked like a pitcher who intends to give the opposition no chance. 

Volantis cut through a helpless Michigan State offense on Sunday afternoon, pitching seven scoreless frames in a 4-0 Texas win at UFCU Disch-Falk Field that secured a series sweep for the No. 3-ranked Longhorns (7-0).

The 6-foot-7 lefthander struck out nine Spartans (2-4) to set a new career high. Of the five hits he allowed, four were infield singles. Including a sparkling outing against UC Davis last week, Volantis has not allowed an earned run yet this year in 14 innings of work. 

The performance finished out a spectacular weekend for the Texas pitching staff. Michigan State scored 18 runs in a series win against a top-10 Louisville team on opening weekend. The Longhorns limited the Spartans to two runs in the three-game set. Texas’ offense came from executing well in little moments. Jonah Williams drove in a run with a first-inning walk and Casey Borba followed with an RBI groundout to put the Longhorns in command for good. 

From there, the Longhorns were in cruise control mode. Williams drove in another run with a third-inning single, then Asthon Larson came around on a Michigan State balk for Texas’ final run of the afternoon. 

The Longhorns host UTRGV on Tuesday before they get set to take on Coastal Carolina, Baylor and Ohio State in Houston next weekend. 

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Brett Crossland came on to relieve Volantis and generated three quick ground balls for a clean inning. The Longhorns also went down in order in their half of the frame. 

Dylan Volantis completed an outstanding seven-inning masterpiece with three strikeouts in his final inning of work. In 14 innings as a starter, he has not allowed an earned run. 

The sixth strikeout of Volantis’ afternoon completed a perfect sixth inning. After a rocky start by Logan Pikur, the Spartans have found some stability of their own on the mound in Tommy Szczepanski, who has pitched 2⅔ scoreless frames. 

Dylan Volantis induced three ground balls in a quick-and-easy fifth inning. The lefty needed 61 pitches to get through five innings of work, throwing 44 of them for strikes. 

Dylan Volantis picked up a strikeout to close the fourth and up his whiff total to five on the afternoon. In the bottom half of the frame, Ashton Larson and Anthony Pack Jr. singled, and the Longhorns brought around their fourth run on a balk. 

Jonah Williams collected a second RBI with a well-struck single to right field that plated Carson Tinney, who doubled. That sequence extended the Texas lead to 3-0. 

Dylan Volantis encountered some trouble in the second inning after Michigan State used three softly-struck singles to load the bases, but he used a devastating curveball to strike out Nick Williams and escape the jam unscathed. 

After Dylan Volantis worked around an infield single in the top of the frame, the Longhorns used two hits and two walks to plate two runs in the bottom half. Jonah Williams worked a run-scoring walk, and Casey Borba delivered an RBI groundout. 

Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field 

TV/Radio: SEC Network+, 1300 AM 

1. 2B Ethan Mendoza 
2. SS Adrian Rodriguez 
3. CF Aiden Robbins 
4. C Carson Tinney 
5. DH Jonah Williams 
6. 1B Casey Borba 
7. LF Ashton Larson
8. 3B Temo Becerra 
9. RF Anthony Pack Jr. 

1. LF Nick Williams 
2. 2B Ryan McKay 
3. 1B Randy Seymour 
4. C Adam Broski 
5. RF Parker Picot 
6. 3B CJ Deckinga 
7. DH Cole Van Ameyde 
8. SS Dayton Murphy 
9. CF Trent Rice 

LHP Dylan Volantis (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 

RHP Logan Pikur (0-0, 12.00 ERA)