The Wimberley product led the Roadrunners in saves in 2024.
The work of new Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle and pitching coach Max Wiener to retool the staff continued on Thursday with the pledge of former UTSA Roadrunners right-handed reliever Ruger Riojas.
The 6’1, 180-pounder entered the NCAA transfer portal on June 24 and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Ranked outside the top 200 prospects in Texas by Perfect Game in the 2022 recruiting class out of Wimberley, Riojas made the Conference USA All-Conference Freshman Team in 2023 after making 20 appearances with one start, posting a 5-0 record with a 4.11 ERA, striking out 57 batters in 46.0 innings while allowing only 11 walks. As a sophomore, Riojas led the Roadrunners with seven saves in a team-high 26 appearances as he lowered his ERA to 3.25 and pitched enough high-leverage innings to go 10-3 to pace UTSA in wins. Riojas struck out 75 batters in 69.1 innings as opponents hit .256 against him.
Riojas projects as a key piece of the bullpen for the Longhorns in 2025.
Since Schlossnagle and Weiner arrived on the Forty Acres from Texas A&M last month, Texas has added former Penn right-hander Eli Trop and former LSU right-hander Aiden Moffett as bullpen pieces from the portal in addition to landing commitments from junior-college transfers Kade Bing, a left-hander from McLennan College, and Ethan Walters, a left-hander from Walters State Community College.
