Score: Texas 12, UC Davis 2
Location: Austin, Texas (Disch-Falk Field)
Records: UC Davis 0-1, Texas 1-0
THE SHORT STORY: Facing the No. 3 ranked team in the country to open the 2026 season, UC Davis struck first with a run in the opening frame but could not hold off the potent Texas Longhorns, falling 12-2 on Friday night at Disch-Falk Field. The Longhorns used a three-run third inning to take the lead and pulled away with a five-run seventh to secure the victory in the series opener.
LEADING OFF
- Braydon Wooldridge paced the Aggies at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.
- Ryan Lee tallied a multi-hit game in his season debut, finishing 2-for-3.
- Joey Wright drove in the Aggies' first run of the season, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI.
- Tyler Howard and Jack Castagnola each chipped in with a hit as UC Davis totaled six hits on the night.
- Starting pitcher Noel Valdez took the loss, tossing 4.0 innings and striking out one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Aggies wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first. Wooldridge drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on back-to-back singles by Howard and Lee.
- Joey Wright then grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Wooldridge to cross the plate, giving UC Davis an early 1-0 advantage.
- Texas responded in the bottom of the third inning, using a two-run home run by Aiden Robbins to take a 3-1 lead.
- The Longhorns extended their advantage with four runs in the fifth inning to make it 7-1.
- UC Davis fought back in the top of the seventh. After Houston Hirschkorn drew a walk and advanced on a wild pitch, Wooldridge delivered a two-out RBI double to cut the deficit to 7-2.
- However, Texas answered immediately with five runs in the home half of the seventh, including a three-run homer, to bring the game to its final score of 12-2.
UP NEXT
The Aggies look to even the series against No. 3 Texas on Saturday, Feb. 14. First pitch from Disch-Falk Field is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. CT. After originally being scheduled for later in the day, first pitch for Saturday's game was moved up two hours to adjust for potential inclement weather that may arise.
