The University of Texas began varsity competition in baseball in 1894. Texas is thewinningest NCAA Division I college baseball program of all time[2] in terms of win percentage, with an all-time win–loss record of 3774–1442–32 (.722) as of the end of the 2024 season, including a 3604–1294–28 (.734) record versus collegiate opponents. The Longhorns rank second in all-time wins, behind theFordham Rams. Texas has won 80 regular-season conference championships and 16 conference tournament championships in baseball.[3]
The Longhorns have won sixNCAA baseball national championships (1949,1950,1975,1983,2002,2005)—the third most behindLSU's total of seven andSouthern California's total of 12—and have been the runner-up in theCollege World Series (CWS) Championship Game or Championship Series on six other occasions (1953,1984,1985,1989,2004,2009).[4] Texas holds the records for most appearances in the College World Series (38), most individual CWS games won (88), most overallNCAA Tournament games won (258), and most NCAA tournament appearances (63); the second-place programs in these categories have 25 CWS appearances (Miami), 74 CWS game wins (Southern California), 207 overall NCAA Tournament wins (Florida State), and 60 NCAA tournament appearances (Florida State), as of the end of the 2024 season. As such, Texas is often considered to be one of the greatest programs in college baseball history.
Texas hired first-year head coachJim Schlossnagle away from rivalTexas A&M on June 25, 2024.[5] From 1997 to 2016, the Longhorns were led by head coachAugie Garrido, who ranks second in total wins inNCAA baseball history behind former Florida State head coachMike Martin.
The Longhorn baseball team gives theHook 'em Horns sign after a game.
The Longhorn baseball program has been remarkably stable over the last century. Over a 105-year period (1911–2016), it had only four full-time coaches—Billy Disch (1911–1939),Bibb Falk (1940–1967),Cliff Gustafson (1968–1996), andAugie Garrido (1997–2016).David Pierce, previously head coach atTulane University, was hired as Texas' fifth head coach on June 29, 2016.
The Longhorns have won national titles in 1949, 1950, 1975, 1983, 2002, and 2005.
The Texas Longhorns baseball team started in 1894, with the first game in 1895. Records from the first two years are incomplete. The first collegiate victory was over Add-Ran College, what is todayTexas Christian University, on April 21, 1897. Seven different managers, including some that were also the school'sfootball coach, led the team. Four times, the team won a conference title, including one in theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and three in the Southwestern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The team played its home games in the firstClark Field during this time.
In 1911,Billy Disch took over the reins of the program. Disch retired following the 1939 season. During this time, he led the Longhorns to 22 conference titles, with two in theTexas Intercollegiate Athletic Association and 20 in theSouthwest Conference. This included a run of 10 consecutive conference titles from 1913 to 1922. Disch won 465 collegiate games during his tenure with the Longhorns. In 1928, the team moved to the secondClark Field, which was famous for its limestone cliff and goat path in left-center field.
In 1940, former Longhorn baseball andmajor league outfielderBibb Falk became the head coach. Except for a three-year period from 1943 to 1945, during which the team was led by assistant football coachBlair Cherry, Falk coached the team until 1967. Under Falk's guidance, the Longhorns won 20 Southwest Conference titles; the Longhorns won two conference titles under Cherry. Under Falk, Texas won its first twoCollege World Series championships (in1949 and1950). The Longhorns won 434 collegiate games during his tenure.
Falk retired after the 1967 season and was succeeded by one of his former players,Cliff Gustafson. During his time in Austin, Gustafson led the Longhorns to 22 conference titles, 11 conference tournament championships, and College World Series championships in1975 and1983. Texas won 1,427 collegiate games during his tenure. In 1975, the school moved from the second Clark Field into the newDisch-Falk Field, which was named for Billy Disch and Bibb Falk.
After Cliff Gustafson retired in 1996,Augie Garrido took over the helm at Texas. During his tenure, the school won sevenBig 12 Conference titles, fourconference tournament championships, and two national championships, in2002 and2005. Garrido died on March 15, 2018.
On June 29, 2016, it was announced thatDavid Pierce (previously head coach at Tulane and Sam Houston State) would take over being head coach at the Longhorns after the announcement of Augie Garrido's resignation.[citation needed]
Through 2018 Coach Pierce's teams have appeared in the NCAA baseball tournament in all seven years he has been a head coach (2012–2018), including 2017–2018 with the Longhorns.
In 2018, the Texas Longhorns won the Big 12 Championship for the first time since 2011. In the 2018 NCAA tournament they advanced to and hosted an NCAA Super Regional for the first time since 2008 by defeating Texas Southern, Texas A&M and Indiana University in the NCAA Austin regional. They defeated Tennessee Tech in three games to advance to the 2018 College World Series.
Texas fired Pierce on June 24, 2024. The Longhorns finished 2024 with loss to Louisiana-Lafayette at the College Station Regionals setting their 2024 record to 36-24. The team under Pierce finished with a 4.91 ERA as a team. The program's highest single-season ERA since the 1999 team posted an ERA of 5.92.
Texas won their sixth National Championship in school history by defeatingFlorida 4–2 and 6–2 in the championship round. Notable players on the team includeTaylor Teagarden,Drew Stubbs, andDavid Maroul.
On May 30, 2009, the Longhorns andBoston College played in the longest game in college-baseball history—a 25-inning game, during theNCAA Division I Baseball Championship regional tournament atAustin, Texas. The Longhorns—who were designated the visiting team despite playing on their home field—won, 3–2. The game lasted seven hours and three minutes.[7][8]
WP: Austin Dicharry (8–2) LP: Mike Dennhardt (5–2) Home runs: TEX: Kevin Keyes (5) BC: None Attendance: 7,104 Umpires: Phil Benson, Bill Speck, Mark Ditsworth, Darrell Arnold Notes: Duration: 7:03 Boxscore
National champions College World Series participants Conference regular-season champion Conference regular-season and conference tournament champion Division regular-season champion Division regular-season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion
^The Southwest Conference did not crown a champion in 1944 due to war conditions.
Texas's rivalry withBaylor dates back April 4, 1903, when the Longhorns beat the Bears 13–1 in Austin. Since then, the schools have competed in an annual series, alternating between campuses as host.
Texas's rivalry withOklahoma dates back May 9, 1910, when the Longhorns beat the Sooners 3–2 in Austin. Oklahoma was part of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association and later the Southwest Conference until 1997, when both schools joined the Big 12, playing each other for one series every year from 1940 to 1972. often in the NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
Texas's rivalry withOklahoma State dates back May 1, 1913, when the Longhorns beat the Cowboys 4–1 in Austin. Oklahoma State, then known as Oklahoma A&M, was part of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association and later the Southwest Conference until 1925. Between 1919 and 1997, when both joined the Big 12, the schools played each other sporadically. When they did compete, it was often in NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The Longhorns rivalry withTexas A&M is part of theLone Star Showdown. The baseball rivalry dates back to April 24, 1903, when the Longhorns defeated the Aggies 6–2 inCollege Station. The Longhorns and Aggies combined to win or share 75 of 81Southwest Conference regular season championships and 13 of 19 conference tournaments. InBig 12 play, the two schools have shared 10 of 15 regular season titles and 7 of 15 conference tournaments. After the 2012 season, Texas A&M left for theSEC.
Texas's rivalry withTexas Tech dates back March 22, 1968, when the Longhorns beat the Red Raiders 7–5 inLubbock. That was the year Texas Tech joined the Southwest Conference. Since then, the schools have competed each year in a three-game series.
The Longhorns have had eight players, three coaches, and one veteran inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, more than any other school.
Throughout the history of the program, Texas pitchers have combined to throw 21 no-hitters, including one perfect game.[22]
On April 3, 1970James Street shutout Texas Tech 4–0 over seven innings in Lubbock, TX to secure the first and only perfect game in Longhorn's history. This was also the only perfect game in the history of theSouthwest Conference.