OMAHA, Neb. – Sam Cozart has allowed just one earned run in his last seven appearances. The huge, freshman right-hander has become a prominent closer for the Texas Longhorns. So much so that he won the 2026 National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year award, was the NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year, and received plenty of All-American honors.
Here is a look at the big-time weapon that Texas has in its bullpen for the 2026 College World Series.
Cozart in the NCAA Tournament
Cozart has pitched 3 2/3 innings in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. On May 31, he allowed one earned run in 1 2/3 innings against UC Santa Barbara in the Austin regional. During that appearance, Cozart also had a strikeout and did not walk any opposing hitters.
Cozart set up his teammate, Luke Harrison, who was able to record the final out in a 6-4 win for the Longhorns over the Gauchos.
Then, on June 7, Cozart earned his ninth save of the season in the Austin super regional against the Oregon Ducks. In two innings of work, Cozart struck out four Oregon hitters while allowing no hits, no runs, and no walks. He was decently efficient as well, throwing a total of 28 pitches.
The two-inning save Cozart had on June 7 against the Ducks sent Texas to the College World Series for the 39th time in program history.
This season, Cozart has a 6-0 record and 1.65 ERA in 49 innings of work. He also has 72 strikeouts and has allowed an opposing batting average of .132.
Up next for Texas
The Texas Longhorns will begin their run in the 2026 College World Series against the Georgia Bulldogs at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 13. The game is on ESPN.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Via Sam Cozart on Instagram (@sam_cozart_38)
