Last night, Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle called on senior pitcher Luke Harrison to start on the mound for the Longhorns in a win-or-go-home game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the College World Series.
To put it lightly, Harrison delivered.
The Longhorns' veteran leader in the bullpen held the white-hat Georgia bats scoreless through four innings, only giving up one run in the fifth while racking up a resounding 11 strikeouts, proving exactly why he deserved to be Schlossnagle's guy in the elimination game.
However, Texas couldn't find its offense, once again, against the Bulldogs, and the Horns' season ended with a heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Georgia. Afterward, Harrison couldn't contain his love for the program he spent five years with during the postgame press conference.
"As a guy that's been a Longhorn for five years, that's my job, it's to show 'em what it's like to be a Longhorn," Harrison said as tears came to his eyes and he began to choke up. "I'll never get to wear this uniform again, but I'll be a Longhorn for the rest of my life."
Of course, any collegiate baseball player's goal is to make it to the College World Series and to win the whole thing if they can. Harrison touched on that, sharing that he let the team know at the beginning of the season that if Texas didn't make it to Omaha, he would have considered his tenure on the 40 Acres as a failure.
"I'll never get to wear this uniform again, but I'll be a Longhorn for the rest of my life."
— Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) June 17, 2026
Texas pitcher Luke Harrison showed his emotions following the Horns season-ending loss ... both about his time at Texas - and pitching coach Max Weiner. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/4V8aCUqGc3
"A couple of things didn't go our way, but very proud of this team and how far we've come to get here," Harrison said. "Bitter ending, but I'll remember this time with a smile forever."
Jim Schlossnagle is ready for more at Texas
Schlossnagle, proud of his team and excited about the current state of college baseball, was his usual stoic self, but you could see the love he had for this roster and everything that this Texas team accomplished.
"Really proud of the team and the season we had ending in Omaha, and I look forward to being back," Schlossnagle said after the game.
Unsurprisingly, he is already primed to do more next year in his third season with the Longhorns. Every year he's been at the program, Texas has taken at least a few more steps in the right direction, suffering an early elimination in the Regional Round last year before making it to the CWS this season.
Also read: Jim Schlossnagle won't forget who built the Texas program he's taking back to the CWS
Last night, freshman pitcher Sam Cozart came in to finish off the job for Harrison and gave up three hits, but only gave up one more run in his 3.2-inning performance. On the offensive side of the ball, Texas struggled mightily for a second time against the Bulldogs' bullpen. The Horns only put up four total hits while striking out on 12 occasions.
In 2027, Schlossnagle will have a different roster to lead to Omaha, especially with seniors like Harrison and outfielder Aiden Robbins reaching the end of their collegiate eligibility. However, the Longhorns' head coach has continuously taken any team he's led to the CWS, so signs are pointing in the right direction on the 40 Acres.
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