How Texas Baseball Bats Woke Up to Crush No. 8 Oklahoma

There must be something in the water with this No. 2 Texas Baseball team.

After an embarrassing loss to Houston in which they blew a 7-0 lead, the Longhorns responded emphatically with a 14-0 rout — and a run-rule victory, might I add— against rival No. 8 Oklahoma.

It was yet another example of a team that knows how to respond after a gut-punch loss, having already done it three times this season.

And arguably more importantly, it showed how the bats can wake up once SEC play rolls around. After an utter no-show against Houston, every starter recorded a hit against the Sooners.

Bats wake up and stay hot, finally

Texas Longhorns' shortstop Adrian Rodriguez — Texas Longhorns' Adrian Rodriguez swings at the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Texas Longhorns. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Just three days ago, Texas managed only three hits in the midweek loss to Houston, an ugly showing from a lineup under fire for its midweek performances.

On top of that, the Longhorns had struggled in recent games to produce late offense, scoring just one run in innings seven through nine across their previous five games. Even in series wins over Auburn, the lineup had gone quiet late — a bad trend considering the tendency for the bullpen to crumble.

But those versions of Texas Baseball were nowhere in evidence Thursday. Instead, the Longhorns racked up 17 hits, plating four runs in the first inning and adding three in the third, four in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

By the time the Sooners recorded the final out of the fourth, the game was effectively over.

“This was just our night,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “The balls we hit hard either fell in or went over the fence for the most part, and the balls we didn’t hit hard found eyes and got through.”

Those quality-at-bats and tangible results had been missing just days earlier.

Against Houston, Texas struggled to string together contact and capitalize on opportunities, stranding 10 runners despite plating seven runs. Against Oklahoma, the approach looked noticeably sharper. The Longhorns worked counts, took advantage of free passes and consistently put pressure on a pitching staff that entered the game with one of the lowest opponent batting averages in the SEC.

The result was a relentless offensive rhythm that never allowed Oklahoma to settle in.

And on top of that, Texas had some good at-bats from players who have been searching for consistency all season.

Adrian Rodriguez, slowed recently due to a lingering hand injury, delivered a key RBI double in the first inning and showed generally improved at-bats throughout the night. Ethan Mendoza, who has had some disappointing numbers in recent weeks, added a double of his own.

Schlossnagle noted the leadoff man tweaked his bat before Houston, and there appears to be improvement.

“Mendoza is looking like himself in the last two games,” Schlossnagle said. “ I thought Adrian had some really good at-bats today.”

While yes, one game does not necessarily indicate that all of Texas’ problems are magically solved, it is a promising reminder that this team can click when high-level competition rolls around.

And that rhythm will be necessary for the Longhorns to sweep the series. Game two begins tonight at 7 p.m.

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