While Longhorns baseball entered the 2026 campaign with high expectations, one of their key players is taking on a new role. Star left-hander Dylan Volantis, who excelled as a reliever last year, moved over to the starting rotation. Through two starts, the change has gone well as the California native has picked up where he left off last season.
In 14 innings, the Longhorns’ Sunday starter has not allowed an earned run and walked two batters. He has kept hitters off balance with 17 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .125 batting average. Against UC Davis and Michigan State, Volantis showed that his success as a freshman was just the start of a special run.
Although Volantis has only a small sample size, he is reaching new heights each week. Against Michigan State, he set career highs in pitches with 91 and strikeouts with nine. It was an encouraging sign for Texas to see that as the pitch count increased, the Westlake High Alum continued to dominate.
The success of Volantis comes as no surprise to many who have watched his career. As a freshman, he posted a 1.94 ERA in 23 games. In high-pressure situations, he was one of the best in the nation with 12 saves. That included 11 in conference play, which were the most ever by a freshman in the SEC.
With Volantis thriving as the third starter, the Longhorns have had one of the best rotations in the nation. Their pitching staff has only allowed more than two runs in a game twice this season. That has partly been due to Volantis shutting down an offense every three days.
After entering the season with high expectations, Volantis has been better than expected through two starts with no signs of slowing down. For a team with national title aspirations, their veteran lefty has provided a reminder of just how good he is.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Former closer Dylan Volantis thriving as starter for Texas baseball
Reporting by Jamie Gatlin, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
