These Texas Longhorns Have the Most to Gain in Hoover

By the time Texas baseball takes the field in the SEC Tournament, much of the heavy lifting will already be done.

The Longhorns finished second in the Southeastern Conference, secured the No. 2 seed in Hoover and appear destined for a top-eight national seed in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Their postseason résumé is largely complete.

But that does not mean this week is meaningless. For several players, the SEC Tournament represents one final opportunity to solidify roles and earn greater trust from head coach Jim Schlossnagle before the NCAA Tournament begins.

“We want to win it,” Schlossnagle said. “It’s good for us to stay sharp, our hitters to get competitive at-bats, and some guys who haven’t pitched in a while to get super important innings.”

Here are four Longhorns with the most to gain in Hoover.

Cody Howard

around da horn 🤝#HookEm pic.twitter.com/Y1oT9M7vxQ
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 16, 2026

Schlossnagle has already indicated Texas plans to lean heavily on its bullpen this week rather than overtaxing its starting pitchers. That should create ample opportunities for Howard, who may have done more than any reliever to boost his stock last weekend.

The fifth-year right-hander looked good against Missouri, retiring the first nine batters he faced and striking out three over 3 2/3 innings. While he didn’t emerge as a true factor until late in the season, his outing suggested he could be in line for a larger postseason role.

And if Howard performs well in Hoover, he could see some valuable innings during regional play.

Kaleb Rogers

pretty, pretty sweep day 🧹#HookEm | @kalebrogers_2 pic.twitter.com/gGUARftAWj
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 16, 2026

After making his first appearance of the season in the final game of the regular season — effectively burning his redshirt — Rogers appears poised for additional opportunities.

Rogers handled a tense ninth inning with relative ease Saturday after recording the final out. And while it was just ⅓ of an inning, it was enough to show that the coaching staff believes he can help immediately.

“We want to see him pitch,” Schlossnagle said. “I’d rather see him pitch in the SEC Tournament than in a sim game.”

With Max Grubbs out for the season, Texas will need every available arm it can get, especially when Texas finds itself knee deep into a tournament. Hoover could give Rogers a chance to further prove his value.

Dariyan Pendergrass

Before suffering a hamstring injury against Alabama, Pendergrass looked more than capable of being a major contributor for Texas. He impressed against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, driving in three runs in his first start of the season.

He quietly put together a productive weekend against Missouri despite entering the series less than 100 percent, drawing two walks and driving in two runs.

When healthy, the outfielder adds considerable versatility to the bottom of the lineup. And if he continues to get healthier and maintain a good rhythm, Texas looks that much deeper.

Ethan Mendoza

A similar situation to Pendergrass, Mendoza will just want to get healthy.

Schlossnagle said the veteran infielder will not play defense in Hoover, but he is still expected to get some competitive at-bats. Mendoza showed signs of progress against Missouri. After going hitless on Friday, he improved Saturday by going 1 for 2 with two walks and a sacrifice fly.

Texas already knows how valuable Mendoza is when healthy. The SEC Tournament offers him a chance to continue building toward full strength before the NCAA Tournament begins.

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