No. 9 Coastal Carolina Opens BRUCE BOLT Classic Against Undefeated No. 3 Texas

Friday night in Houston sets the stage for a heavyweight clash as No. 9 Coastal Carolina opens the BRUCE BOLT College Classic against No. 3 Texas. The Chanticleers (6-2), fresh off a 13-7 offensive clinic against Campbell, face their toughest test yet in the undefeated Longhorns. Texas arrives at a perfect 8-0 for the first time since 2022, looking to maintain its momentum after a lopsided 14-0 shutout victory over UTRGV Tuesday night.

Bruce Bolt College Classic is doing it right this weekend. You can stream all the games for free on the Houston Astros YouTube channel

Teams include Texas, Coastal Carolina, UTSA, Ole Miss, Baylor and Ohio State pic.twitter.com/tv4Pug89MZ

— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) February 27, 2026

The Chanticleers tallied 16 hits in the victory. 1-2-3 hitters Dean Mihos, Blake Barthol and Trace Mazon each had three hits in the win, as they continue to be the focal point of the lineup. Mihos currently sits in a tie for second in the Sun Belt with 14 hits on the season, while Mazon and outfielder Rex Watson are not far behind with 13.

Third baseman Walker Mitchell was a constant presence on the base paths, reaching safely in each of his six plate appearances. Mitchell tallied two hits, two walks, and two hit-by-pitches while adding a stolen base to his productive night.

Stetson transfer Jordan Taylor hit a three-run, first-inning blast to left for his first home run as a Chanticleer. Taylor has started in each of the eight games so far this season, maintaining a solid .250 average and leading the club in stolen bases with five.

Sophomore right-hander Scott Doran (2-0) earned the win in relief, tossing 5.0 innings while allowing three runs and striking out five. Freshman Cade Bosch made his first collegiate start, where he started sharp, allowing two hits and no runs through 3.0 innings before allowing a four-run fourth, headlined by a three-run blast from Campbell’s Lukas Schramm.

Doran’s reliability in the bullpen comes at a crucial time for a Chanticleer pitching staff that is facing injury adversity. Coastal will be without weekend starters Cameron Flukey (rib stress fracture) and Hayden Johnson (elbow stress reaction) for at least eight weeks, according to D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers. Flukey ranks No. 9 in MLB’s Top Draft Prospects. The eight-week recovery timeline for the duo, combined with the season-ending loss of reliever Dominick Carbone, means the bullpen must be dialed in if the program hopes to stay afloat in the national rankings before their aces can return for a postseason push.

Senior Darin Horn has arguably been the best pitcher in college baseball, posting a 0.82 ERA with two wins and holding opponents to a national-best .079 batting average. His best outing came on Sunday, Feb. 22, against VCU, where he threw 6.0 innings without allowing any hits. Horn will aim to continue his dominance on the big stage in Houston

No. 3 Texas posted a run-rule victory for the third time in its first eight games, defeating UTRGV, 14-0 in seven innings on Tuesday night. Ten different Texas players recorded a hit, led by junior Aiden Robbins’ three-hit and three-RBI performance. Robbins hit a solo home run in the first inning, then tacked on RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings.

Junior Carson Tinney added to the fireworks as he smoked a 445-foot two-run home run dead center over the 32-foot wall in the fourth inning.

In his first collegiate start, right-hander Sam Cozart tossed four innings of one-hit baseball, striking out eight of the 16 batters he faced to earn his second win of the season.

Relievers Cal Higgins, Hudson Hamilton, Jason Flores and Ethan Walker combined for a dominant relief effort, holding the Vaqueros to just three hits and no runs the rest of the way. This was the Longhorns’ second consecutive shutout, and they have not allowed a run in 22 1/3 innings.

First pitch is set at 7 p.m. CST. The matchup features two top-10 programs as No. 9 Coastal Carolina enters, averaging almost seven runs per game, while Texas arrives remaining undefeated. The contest serves as a significant early-season test for both teams at the BRUCE BOLT College Classic.