Texas rolls past Oregon 11-3 in Game 1 of Austin Super Regional

Texas opened the Austin Super Regional with a statement, beating No. 11 Oregon 11-3 in Game 1 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. No. 6 Texas established early separation, scored in six of eight innings, and closed the door after Oregon made the Longhorns earn every run. With the win, Texas moved one victory from returning to the College World Series for the first time in four years.

The Longhorns’ offensive burst centered on Rodriguez, the sophomore shortstop delivering a career-high five RBIs. Texas struck for a two-run double from Rodriguez in the first, then added more damage in the second when Casey Borba hit a solo home run. By the time Texas led 7-0 through five innings, the Ducks had already watched their chances multiply on the bases and disappear at the plate.

Volantis did the other key work, giving Texas a pitching performance that never looked entirely comfortable but stayed dominant enough to control the game’s tempo. The sophomore left-hander went 5 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts, and his 110-pitch outing turned into a springboard for Texas to keep the lead from changing hands. Texas’s bullpen then limited Oregon over the final 3 2/3 frames, combining with Volantis to hold the Ducks to one run on one hit after the fifth inning.

Texas’s run production also featured a second wave of extra-base impact. Ethan Mendoza hit a 438-foot home run in the sixth, and the Longhorns’ patience at the plate created free baserunners that Oregon struggled to convert into scoring. In the Texas order, Rodriguez’s run-scoring sequence included a sacrifice fly in the sixth and eighth innings to cap a night where Texas converted its scoring opportunities into a clear margin.

Oregon, for its part, showed why Super Regional baseball swings quickly when situational hitting and command fall out of sync. The Ducks outhit Texas 9-8, but Texas took advantage of Oregon’s 17 stranded runners, and Oregon went 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Oregon also combined to draw 11 walks and five hit-by-pitches, yet still could not turn those pitches into the sustained inning production needed to threaten the lead.

The crowd made it feel even bigger. Texas said the game drew a record-setting 8,550 fans, and the program highlighted Borba and his line drive home run coming in front of that attendance mark. Sunday’s Game 2 now carries the urgent tone Oregon anticipated, with the Ducks needing to respond to avoid a series-clinching loss. Texas will have to repeat its focus on both sides of the ball, while Oregon will have to convert its chances earlier and more consistently if it wants to extend the series.