The Texas Longhorns have stormed back to a place of prominence in their first year under new head coach Jim Schlossnagle. While they've jumped back and forth from the No. 1 ranking in the nation, it's impossible to deny that some of the Horns are the best college baseball players out there.
In D1Baseball's most recent player position rankings, seven Longhorns earned top-55 spots, with one more teammate earning a top-110 position.
Catcher Rylan Galvan has been a starter for the Longhorns since he was just a freshman. This season, he has stepped into a leadership position as one of the returning upperclassmen for Texas. So far, he has earned a career high 27 assists while behind the plate and a resounding 47 runs and 42 RBIs (including 14 home runs) while at bat.
Homegrown pitching phenom Dylan Volantis stepped onto the Forty Acres just a few months ago, and already, the true freshman has taken over the world of college baseball, earning the No. 1 ranking at the relief pitcher position. So far, Volantis has earned 61 strikeouts while allowing a minimal nine runs, earning three wins and giving up zero losses.
Another relief pitcher to earn a top-10 spot at his position is junior right-handed pitcher Max Grubbs. As a sophomore last year, he earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, and this season, he is trending toward being one of the top pitchers in the SEC. Already, Grubbs has racked up five saves, allowing just 11 runs and earning 51 strikeouts.
Second baseman Ethan Mendoza has had an almost perfect season up until this point. With a fielding percentage sitting at 98.6 percent, Mendoza has committed just two errors while earning 65 putouts and 73 assists. He has earned 38 RBIs on 62 hits and five home runs, racking up 47 runs of his own.
Jalin Flores is one of the best defensive players on Texas's roster and is the No. 15 shortstop in the nation, according to D1Baseball. The junior has earned 89 putouts and 127 assists while committing just six errors so far this season. On the other side of the ball, he has produced 51 RBIs on 52 hits and 13 home runs. He has also found round third and headed home for 42 additional runs.
Ruger Riojas is one of two Texas starting pitchers to crack the top 100 of D1Baseball's latest player rankings. The right-handed junior has earned a resounding 56 strikeouts and eight wins during his first year with the Longhorns, transferring from UTSA ahead of this season. Riojas also has 10 putouts and 10 assists, while committing just one error.
The other starting pitcher on the list for Texas is left-handed redshirt junior Luke Harrison, who first joined the program in 2022. In his 13 appearances, he has brought home four wins and given up a singular loss (to the Kentucky Wildcats). Most impressively, he has already earned 65 strikeouts this season and allowed just 31 runs over 60.1 innings.
Sophomore outfielder Will Gasparino has become a pivotal part of the Longhorns' offensive and defensive fronts. With 105 putouts, one assist, and just one error, Gasparino has a fielding percentage sitting above 99 percent. On offense, he has earned 47 RBIs on 48 hits and 13 home runs. He has also come home for 39 runs of his own.