No. 3 Texas Rides Red Hot Offense to Sweep of USC Upstate: Longhorns Notebook

Vibes are certainly high in Austin, as the No. 3 Texas Longhorns (15-0) wrapped up another strong weekend on Sunday afternoon. They secured another series sweep, this time taking down the USC Upstate Spartans (7-10) in run-rule fashion to keep their undefeated season alive.

The bats stayed red hot, scoring 10-plus runs for the fifth straight game and jumping all over the USC Upstate staff. Leading the way was Josh Livingston, as he blasted a grand slam and then the game-ending two-run shot to give him six RBI in the Longhorns' 14-3 run-rule victory.

There has been a lot to like about what the Longhorns have shown this season, even if the campaign is still young. For now, though, they can enjoy being undefeated with conference play right around the corner.

Texas Longhorns outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. — Texas Longhorns' outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. celebrates a grand slam against the USC Upstate Spartans. | Texas Longhorns Athletic

Three key takeaways from the Longhorns' sweep of the Spartans

Offense continuing to impress

Entering their series against the Spartans, the Longhorns had been dialed in at the plate. Through their first 12 games they’d tallied five games with at least 10 runs and four run-rule victories. That continued in this series as they plated 10-plus runs in each game.

Friday night saw them secure their fifth run-rule win in a 14-2 rout after a six-run eighth inning, capped by Anthony Pack Jr. 's game-ending grand slam. And while Saturday’s contest was perhaps a bit too close for comfort, their bats were hot again and plated 11 runs in their 11-9 win.

Putting a bow on the weekend on Sunday, they kept the bats rolling and won in resounding fashion, 13-3. Fueled by Josh Livingston's two home runs and six RBI, it was the team's sixth run-rule win and showed how potent it can be when firing on all cylinders.

Riojas and Harrison deal, Volantis stumbles

Through the first two games of this series, the starting duo of Ruger Riojas and Luke Harrison completely dismantled the Spartans lineup. They combined for 10.2 innings and allowed four runs, three of which were earned, while striking out 19 in Texas’ victories.

Volantis, however, was a bit off his usual dominant self. He cruised through the first four innings, but after getting two outs in the fifth would give up three runs and fail to make it through five innings for the second straight outing.

There’s no need to panic, though. His start to the season has still been phenomenal, and Volantis still has the makings of a staff ace. As he continues to adjust to life as a starter, he’ll continue to learn and grow throughout the season.

Hot start rolls on

It was far from easy at times, but the Longhorns took care of business this weekend in a sweep of the Spartans. With this, they continue their impressive start to the 2026 season and remain undefeated with conference play looming large on the horizon.

While the competition at times has not been the best they'll face all season, the Longhorns have repeatedly taken care of business. The pitching staff has been as advertised while the bats are scorching hot, with now six-run rule victories in just 15 games.

No, they are undoubtedly not going to go undefeated, as great as that would be. However, this start shows that they're one of the nation's best teams and that they appear poised to make a deep postseason run.

What’s next for Texas?

The Longhorns are back in action on Tuesday evening, when they hit the road for a midweek clash against the Texas State Bobcats at 6 p.m. CT.