Beaten in its Big 12 finale, No. 24 Texas shifts its focus to the NCAA regionals

ARLINGTON — Texas' comeback attempt came up short Wednesday night in an 8-7 loss to Cincinnati in a Big 12 baseball tournament elimination game at Globe Life Field. It's the third time in the past six Big 12 tournaments that the Longhorns have gone 0-for-2.

Now Texas (35-22) must wait until Monday to find out its draw for the NCAA Tournament. Both D1Baseball and Baseball America project UT to be a No. 2 seed.

Wednesday's loss came one day after the Longhorns, who were seeded third in the Big 12 Tournament, were beaten by Texas Tech in the first round.

"For whatever reason, we just haven't played well in this tournament the last few years," UT coach David Pierce said. "It's unfortunate because we've been playing really well. It is what it is. I think we've done plenty to make sure that we've secured a regional (berth) going into this tournament. Our résumé says that. We're disappointed right now, but we've got to get back to work."

In the first meeting ever between Texas and Cincinnati (32-24), the Longhorns were held without a hit over the first three innings. Facing Cincinnati starter Tommy Boba, who entered the game with a 5.48 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP, Texas finally broke through in the fourth frame. The Longhorns went up 3-2 after producing five hits in the inning, ranging in pizazz from Porter Brown's bunt single to Will Gasparino's RBI double, but the biggest swing was Max Belyeu's two-run blast into the right field stands.

But a defensive collapse in the sixth allowed Cincinnati to retake the lead 4-3 against relief pitcher Gage Boehm.

"We didn't play as sound as we wanted to, but it is what it is. We didn't play well enough to win," said catcher Rylan Galvan, who had a passed ball in the inning. There also was a Longhorns error as well as an infield single that could have been charged as a defensive miscue.

Texas and Cincinnati traded four-run outbursts in the eighth, and in the ninth, Texas stranded the tying run on second base as Galvan grounded out and Gasparino flied out to right field to end the game.

"We're going to be tough; we're going to have grit; we're going to fight to the end," Galvan said. "I think that's something that we have relied on."

Boehm, Texas' all-conference closer, took the loss. He entered the game with no outs in the fourth and allowed two hits and two unearned runs over four innings. Texas also used starter Lebarron Johnson Jr. in relief for only the second time this season.

"I'm not going to get beat with my best guy in the bullpen," Pierce said. "We're playing for today. Tomorrow's tomorrow; we'll deal with that. But as of right now, there's not a tomorrow, so we're going home."

With the loss, the relationship between Texas and the Big 12 essentially ended since there are no more Longhorns teams scheduled to compete in conference competitions for the 2023-24 school year. UT will formally join the Southeastern Conference on July 1.

Texas, a founding member of the Big 12, has called the conference its home since 1996. Texas won 15 of the league's 30 regular-season and tournament championships this year.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Longhorns go winless at final Big 12 baseball tournament