Texas baseball now getting good at-bats from struggling players Porter Brown, Jack O'Dowd

As it heads into the final two Big 12 series of the regular season, Texas' baseball team has found something that works in its lineup.

Texas, which has one of the more potent lineups in the Big 12, has won seven of its eight conference series. The Longhorns are averaging 7.4 runs and are one home run away from joining Austin Peay, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M, Morehead State and Campbell in college baseball's 100-homer club.

That recipe for success hasn't recently featured much of Porter Brown or Jack O'Dowd. But in last weekend's series against Oklahoma State, the two veterans proved they can still contribute and help the Longhorns secure an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

"They're still in the loop all the time," Texas coach David Pierce said.

A significant drop-off from 2023 to 2024

Last season, Texas' run to a Big 12 championship and the third game of an NCAA super regional series was aided by the play of Brown and O'Dowd. Brown, then a fifth-year outfielder and a TCU transfer, was a unanimous honoree on the All-Big 12 team. O'Dowd was UT's everyday second baseman in his third season, and he hit .284 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBIs.

So it stood to reason that Brown and O'Dowd would be fixtures this season for Texas, which was No. 16 in D1Baseball's preseason poll. Brown was among those featured on the cover of the team's media guide. O'Dowd was one of the first UT players to meet with the media during the leadup to the season. And in Texas' season opener Feb. 16, O'Dowd and Brown were batting fourth and fifth in the lineup.

But just as the team dropped out of the D1Baseball poll March 18, Brown and O'Dowd have struggled. Brown is hitting .211 over 147 at-bats. O'Dowd has a .191 average. Brown has started just three times over UT's last eight games. O'Dowd's last start at second base was March 17; he has been used sparingly as a first baseman, designated hitter and late-game substitute.

That brings us to last weekend against Oklahoma State. During last Friday's 7-5 win, Brown came off the bench in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter. With the bases loaded, he drove in the tying run when he was hit by a pitch.

"He's been working so hard," Pierce said. "He came to me last week; he just said, 'I want to make some adjustments. I want to help this team.' And he goes, 'I know I can. I'm not worried about stats. I'm not worried about anything except helping this team.’ ”

On Saturday, Brown started against the Cowboys and scored twice in a 6-3 win. He drew three walks, one of them closing out a 10-pitch at-bat.

That brings us to Sunday. Texas was limited to four hits in a series-concluding loss, but O'Dowd hit a pinch-hit homer. "It was great for Jack. He needed that personally," Pierce said.

"We need them," the coach said of Brown and O'Dowd. "We've got two (left-handed bats) that can come off the bench against a tough right-hander. Both of them are definitely locked in mentally. They're still all-in with what we're doing. They've just had a tough year, but they're hanging in there."

Despite their struggles, Brown and O'Dowd still have the support of other players in the dugout.

"Those are tremendous pieces to our team, guys that are not out of it by any means," catcher Rylan Galvan said.

"They've both done a good job with being present and knowing their situation and staying enthusiastic, knowing their role, continuing to do their work. They've been great," third baseman Peyton Powell said. "This game's hard, and it happens to everyone, but they're keeping good heads on their shoulders. I think they're headed in the right direction."

Two Big 12 series remain for Texas

If Brown or O'Dowd gets the call this weekend, it will be on the road in a three-game series against a Central Florida team that leads the Big 12 with its 4.17 ERA. Nobody in the conference is playing better defense than UCF, which boasts a .979 fielding percentage and has committed just 33 errors over 45 games.

Central Florida, which has a top-35 RPI and is 20-7 at home, sits in ninth place in the conference standings with its 11-12 mark in Big 12 play. Texas (30-19, 15-9) is locked in a three-way tie for second with Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

"Pitching and defense always gives you an opportunity to win," Pierce said. "We're going to have to play really well on the road. We have to understand that we're playing an opponent that wants something that we're chasing as well, so we have to match that."

This will be the first meeting ever between Texas and UCF. Pierce, though, went 7-1 against the Knights while he was coaching at Tulane and UCF was also a member of the American Athletic Conference.

This weekend's series

Texas (30-19, 15-9) at Central Florida (30-15, 11-12), Friday-Sunday, ESPN+, 1300

Pitching matchups — Friday (5 p.m.): Texas RHP Max Grubbs (4-4, 3.70) vs. UCF RHP Ben Vespi (3-2, 4.45); Saturday (5 p.m.): Texas LHP Ace Whitehead (4-0, 3.73) vs. UCF RHP Dom Stagliano (2-3, 4.07); Sunday (noon): Texas RHP Lebarron Johnson Jr. (2-4, 5.82) vs. UCF TBA

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas veteran baseball players struggling but coming off good weekend