RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team opens the 2026 season with a 3-game home series against Kansas Feb. 13-15 before hosting Texas Tech on Feb. 17 as part of a 54-game schedule announced on Wednesday.
Fans can guarantee their seats for the Kansas and Texas Tech games by purchasing season tickets online at UTRGVTickets.com.
The Vaqueros play their first eight games against Power 4 competition, visiting Houston for three games Feb. 20-22 and Texas on Feb. 24 before opening Southland Conference play.
Last season, Kansas went 43-17 and was the No. 2 seed in the Arkansas Regional while finishing 30th in the RPI. UTRGV, which finished last season 43rd in the RPI, is 20-9 all-time against Kansas in a series dating back to 1969 with all the matchups coming at home. The last meeting was Feb. 7, 2004 at what is now known as UTRGV Baseball Stadium, an 8-6 win. This is the first 3-game series between these two teams since March 16-19, 1981.
UTRGV swept Texas Tech in a midweek road series last season, winning 13-4 and 7-4 against a team that finished 93rd in the RPI. This is the first time UTRGV has hosted Texas Tech since Feb. 27, 2018. UTRGV is 23-21 all-time against Texas Tech in a series dating back to 1967.
UTRGV beat Houston, which was 95th in the RPI, 9-5 on the road last season. UTRGV is now on a 3-game winning streak against Houston.
Although UTRGV fell at Texas, which finished sixth in the RPI and hosted an NCAA Regional, last season, UTRGV beat the Longhorns as recently as 2024, 17-9 on the road.
"We're fired up to play great teams before conference play begins," UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock said. "It's not about winning or losing early; it's about getting exposed and coaching to the weaknesses that become apparent when facing those teams. With that said, we had success against these types of teams last year which is a big part of why we were in the conversation for an at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals."
After opening Southland Conference play at Lamar Feb. 27-March 1, UTRGV returns home to face Texas Southern March 3-4 and New Orleans March 6-8.
The Vaqueros then embark on a 2-week road trip, visiting Louisiana (March 10), who the Vaqueros beat 9-7 last season, Nicholls (March 13-15), Rice (March 17), who the Vaqueros beat 20-5 last season, reigning Southland Conference Tournament Champion Houston Christian University (HCU) (March 20-22), and Texas State (March 24), who the Vaqueros beat 11-9 last season.
The Vaqueros play seven of their next eight games at home, starting with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, March 27-29. After another trip to Rice on March 31, UTRGV hosts Northwestern State April 2-4 and HCU for a non-conference game April 7.
UTRGV then visits Stephen F. Austin (April 10-12) and Sam Houston (April 14) before a big home series against Southeastern, with whom UTRGV shared the 2025 Southland Conference Championship, April 17-19.
UTRGV visits Little Rock April 21-22 and McNeese April 24-26 before traveling to Oregon State, a 2025 College World Series participant, April 28-29.
UTRGV visits McNeese April 24-26 and then travels to Oregon State, a 2025 College World Series participant, April 28-29.
"Oregon State has been a national power for a long time," Matlock said. "We are very excited for the opportunity to play at their facility and see where we are late in the year."
The Vaqueros come home for their final regular season home games May 1-3 against Incarnate Word.
UTRGV closes out non-conference play with a trip to Abilene Christian (May 5) and Tarleton State (May 8-10).
The top eight teams at the end of conference play advance to Southland Conference Tournament Bracket Play, which UTRGV hosted last season as the No. 2 seed. This year's bracket play is scheduled for May 14-17. The bracket play champions will meet in a best of three series set for May 21-23 to determine the tournament champion and automatic qualifier to the NCAA Regionals.
"Competing in the Southland Conference, we face some truly great teams," Matlock said. "Just like we were on the bubble for the NCAA Regionals last year, so was Southeastern, and then you have HCU who made it to the regionals on top of several high RPI opponents throughout the conference. Every weekend's going to be a battle, but that's what makes being in the Southland so much fun."
All Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday home games start at 6:30 p.m. All Sunday home games start at 1 p.m. Gates open one hour prior to first pitch.
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