2024 College Top 25 Preview: No. 13 Texas
Image credit: Lebarron Johnson Jr. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Last season: 42-22 (15-9), lost in Stanford Super Regional
Final ranking: No. 9
Coach (record at school): David Pierce (261-138, seven seasons)
The good news: Texas was one of college baseball’s winners in the MLB draft. Righthander Tanner Witt didn’t sign as an 18th rounder and outfielder Porter Brown, righthander Lebarron Johnson Jr. and third baseman Peyton Powell all went unpicked. The Longhorns also got prized outfielder Will Gasparino, who was a top-100 draft prospect, to campus as a freshman. The result is a talented, experienced team this spring at Disch-Falk Stadium. With Johnson and Witt back in the fold, Texas has a chance to have one of the best one-two punches in the country. Witt is something of a wild card, however. He missed almost all of last year as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery, and when he did return in May, he didn’t have the same level of stuff he showed before injury. But he’s now had several more months to continue his recovery and it’s reasonable to expect him to look more like himself this spring. With Charlie Hurley set to round out the rotation and impressive depth in the bullpen, led by righthander David Shaw, Texas projects to again impress on the mound after ranking 10th nationally in team ERA (4.10).
The bad news: As well as the draft went for Texas, it did lose Big 12 player of the year Dylan Campbell. Also gone are outfielder Eric Kennedy, who led the team in home runs, as well as catcher Garret Guillemette and shortstop Mitchell Daly. With Guilemette and Daly gone, Texas will turn to sophomores Rylan Galvan and Jalin Flores for those up-the-middle positions. That duo could represent an upgrade, but it’s undoubtedly a loss in experience. Gasparino and fellow freshman Nik Sanders also provide high-level talent to the lineup. The four regulars Texas lost accounted for more than half of Texas’ home runs a season ago and replacing that pop won’t be easy. Texas did add Luke Storm through the transfer portal and the big switch-hitter hit 20 homers in the last two seasons at Duke, which plays in one of the most pitcher-friendly environments among major programs. His presence should ease the pressure on Texas’ youngsters.
Player to know: Lebarron Johnson Jr., SP. Johnson was one of the breakout stars of 2023. He moved into the rotation midway through the season and finished the year 8-4, 2.91 with 98 strikeouts in 86.2 innings. Now, he’ll move to the front of the rotation, taking over as No. 1 starter from All-American Lucas Gordon.
Path to Omaha: Texas last year nearly made it to the CWS for the third straight season and it figures to firmly be in the mix again in 2024. To get back to Omaha, the Longhorns will need their pitching staff to live up to its potential and for a hitter or two to take a step forward. Texas has done impressive developmental work in recent seasons, with players like Johnson, Powell and Campbell making big jumps after a few seasons in the program. If the Longhorns have a player ready to make that step forward, they could be in strong shape this spring. Adding to the optimism for Texas is the ability Pierce has shown to make midseason adjustments and get the most out of his teams. The Longhorns have averaged 46.3 wins over the last three seasons, and there’s no reason to think they’re going to take a step back this season.
| Pos. | Name | Year | AVG | OBP | SLG | AB | HR | RBI |
| C | Rylan Galvan | So. | .226 | .356 | .405 | 84 | 4 | 19 |
| 1B | Luke Storm | R-Jr. | Transfer—Duke | |||||
| 2B | Jack O’Dowd | Sr. | .284 | .353 | .441 | 222 | 6 | 37 |
| 3B | Peyton Powell | R-Sr. | .339 | .431 | .548 | 230 | 10 | 46 |
| SS | Jalin Flores | So. | .175 | .293 | .311 | 103 | 4 | 23 |
| OF | Porter Brown | R-Sr. | .323 | .426 | .545 | 235 | 12 | 59 |
| OF | Jared Thomas | So. | .321 | .398 | .484 | 215 | 4 | 29 |
| OF | Will Gasparino | Fr. | HS—Los Angeles | |||||
| DH | Nik Sanders | Fr. | HS—Waco, Texas | |||||
| Pos. | Name | Class | W | L | ERA | IP | SO | SV |
| SP | Lebarron Johnson Jr. | R-Jr. | 8 | 4 | 2.91 | 87 | 98 | 1 |
| SP | Tanner Witt | R-Jr. | 2 | 1 | 10.97 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| SP | Charlie Hurley | Sr. | 5 | 0 | 4.42 | 55 | 45 | 3 |
| RP | David Shaw | Jr. | 2 | 2 | 3.09 | 32 | 30 | 1 |
| RP | Gage Boehm | R-So. | Transfer—Blinn (Texas) JC | |||||
| RP | Luke Harrison | R-So. | Did not play—Injured |
