Texas Baseball Strikes Again, Lands Talented Portal Commit Cal Higgins

The Texas Longhorns maintain their aggressive approach to the portal with another solid pickup.

Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Folks, chalk up another win for the Texas Longhorns in the transfer portal. Staying aggressive in their mission to retool the roster ahead of the 2026 season, Jim Schlossnagle and his staff have come out of the gates red hot this offseason in terms of adding players via the portal.

That hot streak continued on Friday afternoon, as the Longhorns landed another commitment. This one came from one of the top arms available in Western Kentucky's Cal Higgins. It is the sixth addition the Longhorns have made from the portal since it opened earlier this month.

As for how good of a pickup it is, well, it is safe to say Higgins has the potential to be a big-time arm for Texas -- especially as he prepares to work under pitching coach Max Weiner, who transformed the pitching staff during his first season and helped pave the way for a sparkling 3.71 team ERA.

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

Building on a solid first two seasons, Higgins was phenomenal on the mound for the Hilltoppers in 2025 and a key piece of their NCAA Tournament squad. He tied for the most appearances on the team with his 22 outings, all of which came in relief.

Dominant whenever he toed the rubber, the southpaw sported a dazzling 1.87 ERA, which tied for the 10th-best single-season mark in program history. Working 43.1 innings across the campaign, he held opponents to a mere .190 average while striking out 52 to earn a All-Conference USA Second Team selection.

Already boasting a deep pitching staff with plenty of returning talent, the Longhorns will look to continue building in their second season under Weiner's guidance. As for the rest of the offseason, you shouldn't anticipate Schlossnagle and his staff to slow down even remotely. They've displayed time and time again that they know how important the portal is and that they are more than willing to be aggressive to get the players they want.