🚨 Michael Schumacher's Shocking Operation Sparks Furious Fan-Driven Debate! 🚩

AUSTIN, TX - FEBRUARY 21: Infielder Jayden Duplantier #0 of the Texas Longhorns on the field before the college baseball game between Texas Longhorns and Michigan State Spartans on February 21, 2026, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images For the second straight year, the ceiling for a Texas Longhorns baseball team off to a hot start is limited by a key injury in the outfield. Last year, the loss of slugger Max Belyeu and the persistent injuries suffered by Jonah Williams left head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s team thin in the outfield.

This year, the news that Williams is undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery , combined with the shoulder injury of catcher Presley Courville sustained going through outfield drills, has left the Longhorns without ideal depth after the staff’s plans to bolster the outfield through the transfer portal suffered significant blows when commits Jack Moroknek and Kaleb Freeman signed professional contracts after the 2025 MLB Draft. So where will Schlossnagle turn with Williams out for the season? The long-term loss of Williams and the shorter-term loss of Courville impact more than just the outfield — those injuries also take away two options at designated hitter, where the Longhorns are in the unusual position of using that player at the bottom of the lineup, a commentary on the team’s depth situation.

In the outfield, the good news for Texas is the incredible start to season from freshman Anthony Pack Jr. , who has gained almost 30 pounds of muscle since arriving on the Forty Acres, allowing his natural confidence to match up with his ability to execute in the batter’s box. Benefiting from a swing refined by assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki, Pack has shown off unexpected power in hitting four home runs in 19 games, including a walk-off grand slam against USC Upstate.

He’s also been able to use a mature whole-field approach to handle fastballs and off-speed pitches, ranking second on the team in batting average at . 354 and leading the team in on-base percentage at . 489.