During the 2026 baseball season, the Texas Longhorns have been one of the best teams in the nation. While their roster is full of talent, three players who have stood out are Carson Tinney, Aiden Robbins, and Dylan Volantis. On Friday, the trio was rewarded for their play by being named semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy. The award is given annually to the top college player in the nation.
In his first season in the Forty Acres, Tinney has been one of the Longhorns’ most potent bats. In 51 games, the talented catcher has posted a .311 batting average and driven in 51 runs. He also brought needed power with 29 extra-base hits, including 20 home runs. After arriving on campus with high expectations, the former Notre Dame star has not disappointed.
Like Tinney, Robbin joined Texas out of the transfer portal in the offseason. Since putting on a Longhorns uniform, all he has done is hit. Through 201 at-bats, Robbins has posted a .348 batting average and driven in 53 runs. While it is only his first year in the SEC, the Pennsylvania native has been a tough out at the plate and added 19 home runs to his resume.
Rounding out the trio is Volantis, who has frustrated hitters on a weekly basis. In a career-high 74.2 innings, the Longhorns’ lefty has posted a 2.05 ERA and struck out 105 batters. He has held opponents to a .188 batting average and was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
Over the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see how the list of candidates for the Dick Howser Trophy is narrowed. All three Longhorns have made compelling cases and rank in the top five in multiple categories. That should be enough for one of the three, if not all, to be finalists.
The focus for Texas is on winning a national title, but if Tinney, Robbins, or Volantis can bring home one of college baseball’s biggest awards, there will be reason for celebration in Austin.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Three Longhorns named semifinalists for Dick Howser Trophy
Reporting by Jamie Gatlin, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
