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This week in Texas baseball: Whew, what a relief as bullpen leads Longhorns to series win

danny davis, austin american-statesman
·4 min read
Texas catcher Rylan Galvan connects with the ball during Saturday's 22-8 win over Texas Tech in their Big 12-opening series in Lubbock. The Longhorns won two of the three games and moved up one spot to No. 23 in this week's top-25 poll.
Texas catcher Rylan Galvan connects with the ball during Saturday's 22-8 win over Texas Tech in their Big 12-opening series in Lubbock. The Longhorns won two of the three games and moved up one spot to No. 23 in this week's top-25 poll.

The Longhorns needed that.

After opening last week with a 9-2 loss to No. 7 Texas A&M, the Texas baseball team found itself in a four-game rut heading into the start of Big 12 play. Texas hadn't lost four straight games during the same season since 2019, and most UT fans can begrudgingly recall how that disastrous season went.

Three of those four straight losses this season were to No. 3 LSU, No. 7 A&M and No. 9 Vanderbilt, all future SEC rivals. Last week, with three games in Lubbock against No. 17 Texas Tech on deck, Longhorns coach David Pierce was asked if he had any regrets related to the schedule.

"It's perfect," Pierce said after the A&M loss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. "I don't care. I'm not backing down from competition. It's going to make us better. We play poor teams, we won't be exposed and we need to be exposed right now."

Still, Texas Tech was out for blood in what may have been the Longhorns' last-ever trip to Lubbock. But Texas responded and won two of the three games, a series win for a solid start in Big 12 play. Perhaps UT fans can exhale.

A look back: Texas went 2-2

March 5: Texas A&M 9, Texas 2. Texas could not contain the top of the Aggies' batting order. A&M's first four batters went 7-for-15 with eight runs, five RBIs and three walks.

March 8: Texas 22, Texas Tech 8: In the 172nd meeting between these two schools, Texas tied its series record for runs scored. The Longhorns also scored 22 runs in a 2008 game in Lubbock.

March 9: Texas Tech 7, Texas 2: One day after its offense exploded for 20 hits and 22 runs, Texas was held to five hits. Two of those were solo homers.

March 10: Texas 9, Texas Tech 7. Texas closed out its weekend with a comeback victory against the Red Raiders. Texas has won seven of its last eight series in Lubbock.

Texas pitcher Ace Whitehead delivers to the mound as the Longhorns play West Virginia at home last season. This past weekend the third-year reliever got the victory when he entered with one out in the fifth inning and finished out the game. It was the longest outing of his career.
Texas pitcher Ace Whitehead delivers to the mound as the Longhorns play West Virginia at home last season. This past weekend the third-year reliever got the victory when he entered with one out in the fifth inning and finished out the game. It was the longest outing of his career.

Texas gets lengthy outings out of the bullpen

Texas scored 33 runs, produced 40 hits and crushed eight home runs over its three games in Lubbock. But it could be argued that the MVPs of the weekend were members of the bullpen.

On Friday, Ace Whitehead was credited with the win. Blessed with a 16-5 lead when he entered the game with one out in the fifth inning, he finished out the game and preserved the rest of the Texas relievers. In a career-long outing, the third-year left-hander struck out seven batters while allowing five hits and three runs.

In Sunday's series-clinching win, Gage Boehm recorded a four-inning save. It was only the third save of that length during Pierce's eight years at Texas; Charlie Hurley had a four-inning save at Cal State Fullerton in 2023 and Travis Sthele went four innings for a save last year against San Jose State.

And even though it came in a loss, Max Grubbs pitched the final 4⅔ innings of Saturday's 7-2 game. He gave up five hits and the two runs scored against him were unearned.

Add it all up and Whitehead, Grubbs and Boehm posted a 2.70 ERA over their 13⅓ innings. Texas' starters — Lebarron Johnson Jr., Cody Howard and Hurley — had a 12.50 ERA over their 8⅔ innings.

Texas third baseman Peyton Powell throws the ball to first base in the second game of the Big 12 series against Texas Tech on Saturday at Rip Griffin Park.
Texas third baseman Peyton Powell throws the ball to first base in the second game of the Big 12 series against Texas Tech on Saturday at Rip Griffin Park.

Notable number: 15

Texas third baseman Peyton Powell has opened the season with a hit in all 15 games. Since he got a hit in the last four games of the 2023 season, his 19-game streak is tied for the eighth-longest in school history. Last season, Dylan Campbell produced a school-record 38-game hitting streak.

What does this mean?

Texas moved up one spot to No. 23 in the D1Baseball poll on Monday. Texas Tech dropped back to No. 24, which is what Texas was last week.

Four of Texas' six losses are to teams that are currently ranked. After a stacked early schedule, the Longhorns now have a chance to pile up some wins; they won't face a team that's currently ranked until April 19-21 against TCU — a stretch of 23 straight games between now and then.

Up next? Lots of home games

After playing six of their last seven games away from Austin, Texas won't have to leave Disch-Falk Field for awhile. Incarnate Word is Texas' guest on Tuesday (6:30 p.m., LHN, 1300) and then Washington comes in for a three-game series this weekend. Texas' next 10 games are at home.

Incarnate Word (13-4) is coming off a week in which it won five games and scored 58 runs. A College World Series qualifier in 2018, Washington is just 4-7-1 this season.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Longhorns baseball program has successful weekend in Lubbock