This past weekend, plenty of Major League Baseball teams were represented at the Texas baseball program’s annual alumni game.
Former Texas shortstop David Hamilton returned to UFCU Disch-Falk Field wearing Red Sox regalia. Dylan Campbell was playing in a Phillies uniform. Rylan Galvan wore something from his White Sox wardrobe, Douglas Hodo III had on an Orioles outfit and Jalin Flores was clothed by the Cardinals.
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Then there were the Colorado connections.
Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) dives to beat the tag by Colorado first baseman Skyler Messinger during the annual Texas Longhorns Alumni Baseball Game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman)
The most-represented franchise at the alumni game was the Colorado Rockies. Colorado minor leaguers Max Belyeu, Skyler Messinger and Jack O’Dowd all started for the alumni team while Jared Thomas watched from the visitor’s dugout as he continues to recover from his offseason hand surgery.
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In addition to the four players it had at the Texas alumni game, Colorado also has former UT pitcher Lebarron Johnson Jr. in its farm system. So what is it about the Longhorns that Colorado seems to like?
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“We tell ourselves that they love guys who played underneath Tulo,” guessed Thomas in reference to Texas assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki, who was a star shortstop for the Rockies from 2006-15. “I think they know that he had what it took to play in Denver and hopefully he instilled it into us.”
Texas Longhorns baseball alumni line up on the field ahead of the annual Texas Longhorns Alumni Baseball Game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman)
Former Texas players reunite in Spokane
Thomas is coming off a year in which he was named the Rockies’ hitting prospect of the year by MLB Pipeline. Between stops at High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford, he hit .300 with 14 homers, 60 RBIs, 92 runs scored and 33 stolen bases.
“I’d say the biggest thing (I learned was) you can’t take the game too serious,” Thomas said. “I fell into a pretty deep hole towards the second half of the season, wasn’t playing as well, but it’s a game at the end of the day. I just need to get back to having fun like I did when I played here. That was a big learning piece, and I learned that whenever I went out to the fall league this year. So we’re making some strides.”
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Like Thomas, Belyeu, Johnson and Messinger all spent time in Spokane last year. Thomas’ Spokane stay didn’t overlap with Belyeu’s, but he did get to reunite with Johnson while Messinger was his roommate for road games. Belyeu later played with Messinger.
“We’ve gotten pretty close being able to be in pro ball together, and that’s been a lot of fun,” Messinger said. “Pretty cool opportunity.”
Belyeu said the other Longhorns in Colorado’s farm system have been a valuable resource as he gets his professional career underway. After playing at Texas from 2023-25, he said “if we want to talk about ball, we can talk about ball whenever, talk about stuff off the field and go eat dinner together. It’s just really cool to still have that relationship.”
Colorado Rockies infielder Skyler Messinger throws a ball to the infield during the annual Texas baseball alumni game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman)
Thomas and Belyeu were top-75 draft picks for the Rockies in each of the past two seasons. Colorado took a 19th-round shot on Messinger in 2022, and Johnson was a fifth-round pick for the Rockies in Thomas’ draft class. O’Dowd, however, took a different path to the minor leagues.
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Undrafted after he wrapped up his college career in 2024, O’Dowd signed last year with an independent baseball team in Montana. Over 84 games with the Billings Mustangs, O’Dowd hit .333 with 22 homers and 91 RBIs. The ex-UT second baseman also began to play the catcher position. That production led to O’Dowd securing a minor-league deal with the Rockies this winter.
Messinger and O’Dowd had Colorado ties before becoming Rockies
For O’Dowd, getting to wear a Rockies uniform to the Texas alumni game represented a “full-circle moment.” O’Dowd’s father, Dan, was Colorado’s general manager from 1999 to 2014.
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Messinger also had ties to the Rockies before he was drafted by the franchise. A Colorado native, he grew up as a Rockies fan.
“I always wanted to play at Coors Field some day, so it’s just pretty awesome to have that dream still be alive,” Messinger said.