Jim Schlossnagle Reveals Rotation for Michigan State Series

While we may only be four games into the 2026 season, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns have looked as advertised. This rings especially true for a pitching staff that had preseason expectations to be one of the top units in both the SEC and the country.

Depth was a key component to the hype they received, however a lot of the noise surrounding this staff was undoubtedly in the starting rotation. In their first series, the Longhorns trotted out Ruger Riojas on Friday, Luke Harrison on Saturday and Dylan Volantis on Sunday.

On Thursday afternoon coach Jim Schlossnagle confirmed that the rotation for the series against the Michigan State Spartans will remain the same. This doesn't come as too much of a surprise, as it is early in the season and the Longhorns still have plenty of time to tinker with the order as they see fit.

Pitching has been a strong suit for the Longhorns so far in 2026

Texas Longhorns pitcher Luke Harriso — Texas pitcher Luke Harrison (53) tries to pick off a runner against Texas Tech. | Chase Seabolt/For the Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

For now, though, if something isn't broken then there is definitely no need to worry about trying to fix it. Which is certainly the case for the weekend rotation in Austin. A look at their numbers from the series sweep of UC Davis will show you that much.

All three starters looked phenomenal in their respective debuts. Each gave the Longhorns at least five innings, with Volantis lasting the longest at a career-high seven innings. They also all racked up at least five strikeouts, as Riojas tallied nine and came up one short of his career-high 10, followed by Volantis with eight and Harrison with six.

Eventually, there is a strong chance that the rotation will be adjusted with Volantis moving up to take over the Friday night role while Riojas swaps and shifts into the Sunday slot. Either way, though, it isn't hard to see why this trio was so highly touted heading into the campaign.

And even if they don't switch, having someone of Volantis' caliber trotting out on Sunday to either complete a sweep or secure a series win is already a massive advantage for the Longhorns. Following two studs in Riojas and Harrison just makes it that much better for Texas and that much worse for its opponents.

Against the Spartans, they'll look to match the success they found against the Aggies and continue building the foundation for what could potentially be a special season on the mound for the Longhorns. If they can do that, then there is no telling just how dominant of a rotation they can be.