3 Takeaways From Texas Baseball’s Series Loss Against Tennessee

Texas salvaged the Tennessee finale, but inconsistent starts and lineup depth remain key concerns entering the postseason push.

Texas junior right fielder Aiden Robbins celebrates while rounding the bases. | Rylan Renteria, The Paisano

Texas baseball is not particularly familiar with losing series.

Before this weekend in Knoxville, the Longhorns had dropped just one SEC series all season — against Texas A&M. But baseball has a way of humbling even the hottest teams, and Tennessee did just that, handing Texas its second conference series loss before the Longhorns salvaged Sunday’s finale with an offensive explosion.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the weekend.

1. Temo Becerra is suddenly one of Texas’ hottest bats

Temo Becerra celebrates a home run against Coastal Carolina in the Bruce Bolt College Classic at Daikin Park. | University of Texas Athletics

A few weeks ago, Temo Becerra looked completely lost offensively. Now? He might be the hottest hitter on the team.

Becerra was outstanding all weekend in Knoxville, continuing a ridiculous recent stretch in SEC play. Over his last five conference games, the shortstop is hitting around .666 and is currently riding a multiple-hit six-game streak.

Becerra reached base five times Sunday and finished the Tennessee series with eight hits, including a co-career-high four-hit performance and a career-best five RBIs in Saturday’s loss. Last weekend against Mississippi State, he recorded six hits over the final two games of the series and drove in two runs Sunday.

Texas hopes this isn’t just some atypical fluke, especially considering how much Becerra had struggled in conference play all season. But if it’s not, the Longhorns may suddenly have a real middle-of-the-order bat again.

2. Texas’ starters struggle in the opening innings.

Texas pitcher Ruger Riojas | Texas Athletics

First innings seem to be giving Texas’ staff some issues as of late.

Last weekend against Mississippi State, Luke Harrison allowed five runs and a grand slam in the opening inning Sunday. This weekend against Tennessee, Harrison again struggled early, surrendering three home runs within the first two innings before Blake Grimmer’s two-run shot in the fourth effectively ended his outing.

Then Sunday, Ruger Riojas gave up a first-inning grand slam to Tennessee slugger Reese Chapman after a misplaced changeup.

Luckily, Harrison bounced back impressively against Mississippi State by throwing four shutout innings after the disastrous first. Riojas settled in Sunday as well, retiring eight of the next 10 batters he faced after Chapman’s homer.

Still, Texas cannot continue spotting elite SEC offenses huge early momentum. Eventually, that catches up to you.

3. Texas still hasn’t solved the bottom of the order

Texas Longhorns Aiden Robbins, Maddox Monsour and Anthony Pack Jr. throw up the Hook 'Em Horns. | University of Texas Athletic

Texas scored 13 runs Sunday and still walked away with lingering concerns about the consistency of its lineup. The very bottom of the order continues to struggle. 

Head coach Jim Schlossnagle continues to give Maddox Monsour opportunities in center field, but the freshman struggled badly against Tennessee, finishing 0-for-9 during the series.

Jayden Duplantier and Ashton Larson weren’t much better, combining to go 1-for-13 over the weekend.

At this point in the season, it may simply be something Texas learns to work around rather than fully fixes, especially considering all of the injuries plaguing them right now. 

Still, if the Longhorns can keep getting this level of production from the middle of the lineup, they may have enough offense to compensate for it moving forward. That’s the hope, at least.

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