Texas Longhorns Baseball got some unexpected news last night that might put a wrench in their 2026 National Championship dreams. The MLB Draft took place on Sunday night, and the Texas Rangers selected Gavin Fien with the 12th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Fien was one of the top high school players in the country, and before the MLB Draft, he said he was committed to the Longhorns regardless of where he was selected in the first round. However, plans changed quickly once his name was called.
Get to know 2025 first round pick @fien_gavin 👇 pic.twitter.com/3dGbIMtZUk
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) July 13, 2025
It was announced that Fien will back out of his commitment to the Longhorns and sign with the Texas Rangers. Texas had an outstanding shortstop committed to playing with them next season, and in an instant, those plans went out the window. The Longhorns will now have to find a way to move on without him and prepare for next season. Let's examine what the Longhorns will be missing out on and how they can overcome the loss of Fein joining the program next season.
Texas Longhorns Baseball: What Fien brings to the table?
Gavin Fien would have brought an excellent bat to the Longhorns' lineup next season. He had a batting average of .358 during his senior season with the Great Oak Wolfpack. The one thing that stood out to MLB teams was his ability to drill the ball deep into the outfield and get on base frequently. While he wouldn't be getting tons of playing time in his freshman season at Texas, he would have been a quality bench player if the Longhorns had a string of injuries in the infield.
Texas Longhorns Baseball: Where do the Longhorns go from here?
The Longhorns are going to need their other shortstops to step up next season if they want to have a deep run in the College Baseball Tournament. Jalin Flores will have to be on his best if the Longhorns want to make it to Omaha next year. While having Fien in the lineup would have helped out if Flores had a bad stretch of games at the plate, that plan is out the window, and the Longhorns will have to rely on the players they have on next year's roster.
Texas Longhorns Baseball: Conclusion
Texas will still have a talented baseball team next season without Fien in the lineup. Many players are returning to Austin in search of making it to Omaha next season. UTSA put a wrench in those plans this past season. The Longhorns were one of the top teams in college baseball last season. Just because one player has decided to sign with the MLB team that drafted him doesn't mean next season is over. The Longhorns baseball program has a promising future ahead in 2026.