3 Biggest Takeaways From Texas Baseball’s Series Sweep Over Missouri

With the sweep, Texas earned the No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament and looks every bit like a legitimate Omaha contender.

The Longhorns celebrate following a victory at the Bruce Bolt College Classic | Texas Athletics

Texas entered last weekend with a pretty straightforward assignment: take care of business against Missouri.

A series win would all but secure a top-eight national seed in the NCAA Tournament, putting the Longhorns in prime position to host through the super regional round. It would also lock Texas into either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, with a double bye awaiting as one of the league’s top four teams.

On paper, the task seemed simple. Texas entered the weekend near the top of the SEC standings, while Missouri sat at the bottom of the conference. But after dropping two of three at Tennessee, there was at least some uncertainty about which version of the Longhorns would show up back in Austin.

Texas answered that question emphatically.

The Longhorns swept Missouri at UFCU Disch-Falk Field to finish the regular season 40-12 overall and 19-10 in SEC play, securing the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament and all but locking up a top-eight national seed.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the sweep.

1. Casey Borba is getting hot at exactly the right time

Texas' Casey Borba (31) rounds the bases on a home run against Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It has long been the Casey Borba experience; his production comes in lengthy, drastic waves. 

Fortunately for Texas, a hot streak has arrived at the perfect time.

Borba endured a difficult April, watching his batting average fall from .333 to .276 while collecting just seven hits and striking out 21 times during the month. But once May arrived, so did the version of Borba that terrorized opposing pitching staffs earlier in the season.

The junior slugger homered in each of the first two games against Missouri and continued to produce throughout the weekend. The week before, he launched two home runs and drove in six runs against Tennessee Sunday, helping Texas avoid a sweep in Knoxville.

Borba now has 17 home runs on the season, with seven of them coming over his last 11 games. If he keeps swinging like this, Texas suddenly has its dangerous middle-of-the-order threat back just as postseason play begins.

2. The infield defense remains elite

Texas Longhorns infielder Temo Becerra celebrates after recording an RBI base hit against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. | University of Texas Athletics

One of the most intriguing storylines entering the weekend was how Texas’ infield would respond after Ethan Mendoza injured his shoulder in Knoxville.

The Longhorns reshuffled the defense significantly. Borba moved from first base back to third, where he played last season. Temo Becerra slid from third to second, and Ashton Larson got a start at first base. 

The result? Business as usual.

Borba looked completely comfortable at third. Larson handled first base naturally. Becerra continued to thrive at second.

Dylan Volantis praised the group after Thursday’s opener, joking that he owed his infielders some Chick-fil-A for all of their work behind him. Even head coach Jim Schlossnagle noted the current lineup could remain similar even after Mendoza returns.  

At this point, Texas’ defensive versatility has become one of the team’s greatest strengths — and one less concern heading into June.

Texas is trending upward at the perfect time

Texas sophomore pitcher Dylan Volantis throws a pitch against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. | Noah McCord, The Reflector

Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway is that Texas appears to be peaking.

Anthony Pack Jr. and Carson Tinney continue to look like stars. Borba is playing some of the best baseball of his career. Mendoza and Dariyan Pendergrass returned and contributed despite not being fully healthy. The defense remained elite even with multiple players shifting positions, and Dylan Volantis and Luke Harrison looked good. 

Most importantly, Texas finished the regular season with just two conference series losses and secured second place in the toughest league in college baseball.

It all comes down to staying healthy at this point. But if they do, the Longhorns should look pretty good heading into the tournament, and hopefully Omaha.

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