Texas Baseball Announces New Start Time for Opener Against Mississippi State

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns are again impacted by inclement weather, this time coming in their opener against the No. 10 Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Texas Longhorns Aiden Robbins, Casey Borba and Anthony Pack Jr. throw up the Hook 'Em Horns. | University of Texas Athletic

It wouldn't be springtime in the state of Texas without the constant rain showers that come in the months of April and May. Unfortunately for the No. 4 Texas Longhorns, the weather has been a thorn in their side in recent weeks.

That'll again be the case for their opener against the No. 10 Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday evening. With inclement weather in the area, the original first pitch time of 6:30 has now been pushed back to 7:30 p.m. CT.

pushin' things back to 7:30 PM 🌧️#HookEm pic.twitter.com/ci8rsEOfXg

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 1, 2026

Weather has certainly not been kind to the Longhorns so far this season. First, they were forced into a lengthy delay in their second game against No. 7 Texas A&M, a game which they would go on to lose 11-4 before seeing the finale canceled due to, you guessed it, weather.

Another game impacted by weather for the Longhorns

Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle stands in the dugout ahead of the Lone Star Showdown. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It didn't get any better from there, as one week later they were set for an always exciting midweek matchup against Air Force. Mother Nature had other plans for that one, however, as weather in the Austin area unfortunately led to that evening's contest being canceled.

Now, they're forced to deal with the elements again with a red-hot Mississippi State squad rolling into Austin. The Bulldogs have won nine straight games, including their last six in conference play with sweeps of both South Carolina and LSU, as well as a non-conference game against No. 17 Ole Miss.

It'll be an absolute slugfest between these two squads from the first pitch. Which, unless delayed even further due to weather, will be Friday evening to kick off perhaps the most thrilling series of the weekend in college baseball.

Set to take the mound in the opener is the southpaw sensation Dylan Volantis. Fresh off back-to-back outstanding outings against No. 24 Alabama and Vanderbilt, the sophomore is making his case for SEC Pitcher of the Year and handling the Friday night responsibilities flawlessly.

This is undoubtedly a big, big series for both teams. For the Longhorns, another series win over a top 10 conference opponent could potentially solidify their spot as a national seed. That would mean an Austin Regional and should they win that, Austin Super Regional. It would also keep them in the hunt for a conference crown.

All of these points apply to the Bulldogs, too. They are in sole possession of fourth in the standings and taking two from the Longhorns would keep them in the hunt as the season comes down the home stretch.

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