Any hopes the Texas Longhorns had of contending in the College World Series took a massive blow on Saturday at Charles Schwab Field in a 7-1 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs as right-hander Joey Volchko delivered the best outing of his career, striking out a career-high 15 batters in a complete game for the first Bulldogs win in Omaha since 2008.

Volchko took control early by striking out the first three batters he faced and never faltered, pouring in strikes early in the count and missing bats with the glove-side run on his four-seam fastball and electric slider. Of the 114 pitches thrown by the Stanford transfer, 84 went for strikes as Texas only managed four hits, two by sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez, who scored the only run for the Horns in the fifth inning. Volchko’s ability to fill up the strike zone resulted in Texas only drawing one walk.

The Horns went 1-for-9 (.111) with runners on and 1-for-5 (.200) with runners in scoring position as only one player in the starting lineup, junior first baseman Ashton Larson, avoided a strikeout. Larson went 0-for-3.

As Volchko worked ahead in count, Texas responded by trying to attack the first pitch, a strategy that worked as poorly as attempting to get deep in at bats. After junior right fielder Aiden Robbins worked a full count against Volchko to start the game before striking out, the Horns didn’t get to a three-ball count again until pinch-hitter Josh Livingston in the eighth inning.

The Bulldogs took advantage of early mistakes by the Longhorns as sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis struggled with his command in the first inning, walking the first batter he faced before giving up a line-drive home run off the foul pole in left field by center fielder Rylan Lujo.

Even as Volantis became more effective, it backfired when junior catcher Carson Tinney airmailed a soft throw on a swinging strikeout that allowed Georgia to put a runner on first with one out after Lujo’s homer. A soft single through the right side of the Texas infield increased the pressure on Volantis, who was able to record the second out before hitting a batter and giving up two unearned runs when Tinney made another mistake on a swinging strikeout, missing his throw to first instead of trying to get the runner out at home.

So the Bulldogs took command of the game after the first inning with the benefit of only one hit as Tinney committed his third and fourth errors of the season in an uncharacteristically shaky performance.

Volantis wasn’t always able to work in the zone over the ensuing innings, hitting two more batters, even though he didn’t allow another hit until the seventh when he gave up an RBI double and a two-run single when Georgia scored three unearned runs thanks to an error by junior third baseman Casey Borba.

If the game wasn’t already out of reach for Texas before the seventh, it certainly was afterwards as the top four batters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-15 with 11 strikeouts, including four by redshirt senior second baseman Temo Becerra.

The Horns also saw junior designated hitter Ethan Mendoza depart in the eighth inning with an injury after hitting a single up the middle.

With the season on the line, Texas faces Alabama on Monday at 1 p.m. Central in an elimination game. The Tide lost to the Sooners 9-0 in the early game on Saturday.

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard James Harden was arrested in Harris County, Texas, early Saturday morning and charged with misdemeanor unlawful carrying of weapons, according to court documents.

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A charging document filed in Texas says Harden was taken into custody at approximately 3:40 a.m. after an officer observed a handgun in plain view inside his vehicle. Harden had “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” carried the weapon, the document alleges.

The circumstances surrounding the arrest were not immediately clear.

Harden was released from custody following his arrest. As conditions of his bond, he has been ordered not to possess any weapons or consume alcohol or drugs and must submit to random urine tests, according to court documents.

Harden joined the Cleveland Cavaliers this year after stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and the Houston Rockets. He is regarded as one of the best shooting guards in NBA history.

In a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson for the Cleveland Cavaliers said the team is aware of Harden’s arrest and they are in the process of gathering more information.

“We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available,” said team spokesperson BJ Evans.

Harden’s agent did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Harden is scheduled to appear in court on June 22.

Ah yes, the once in a blue moon offensive firepower game that makes us want deliriously to believe again! We’re at that point in the torture cycle of this 2026 season. Still, I’ll take an entertaining game of baseball any day over the dreck we’ve seen lately by this Boston Red Sox squad.

The top of the first inning felt too ominous with Wyatt Langford singling home Joc Pederson to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead.

Somehow, that’s all the push the Rangers would muster in this one. And it wouldn’t take long for the Sox to respond!

A Wilyer sac fly (credits to Chad Epperson for an aggressive send of Rafaela) and a Contreras bomb gave Boston the lead and they frankly didn’t look back. Four runs poured on in the fifth, and four more between the eighth and ninth and this game was done and dusted.

For once as well, the lineup made every opposing pitcher look weak in some way, shape or form. Jack Leiter was overthrowing and overextending and instead of an aggressive approach where they wouldn’t stretch him out, they let Leiter keep it up. Two walks, eight hits, and 103 pitches for the righty in just five frames is an approach the offense should take more often! Let guys who are making mistakes of their own keep making them. Cal Quantrill and Luis Curvelo were also no match, neither coming out unscathed.

Revel in this win tonight, it’s deGrom vs Suarez tomorrow!

Ceddanne Rafaela (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 3 runs scored)

Wilyer Abreu (3-for-4, 3 RBI, 3 runs scored)

Willson Contreras (3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored)

I’m going to lump these three guys together here because this was the crux of the offense on Friday night. After making terrible history with the 1-2-3 guys in Tampa Bay, the 2-3-4 hitters came through and then some in the Fenway greens!

Sonny Gray (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 7 Ks)

If you stopped watching in the first inning of this one, you probably saw a very different Sonny Gray than the latter five frames he pitched. After he settled in on the mound, he was absolutely lights out.

The bottom half of the lineup

For as great as the top of the order was, the bottom of the order scrapped together two combined hits, one of you consider Duran in the middle of the order. Not saying everyone needs to contribute, just a quiet part of the lineup tonight.

Honestly, every homer belongs here. I love seeing some power out of these guys.