No. 2 Texas Suffers Ugly Upset Loss Against Houston: Longhorns Notebook

Anything can happen in college baseball. That unpredictability and added element of chaos is what makes it such an exciting sport to follow. Unfortunately for the No. 2 Texas Longhorns (20-4), though, they were on the wrong end of that chaos again on Tuesday night.

One week after being handed a stunning upset loss against the Tarleton State Texans, they were on the receiving end of another shocking loss. However, this one was much lost in a much, much more brutal fashion.

They found themselves ahead 7-0 after the top of the fifth, yet could not hold that lead. A combination of ice-cold bats, another bullpen collapse and sloppy defense saw them choke away their lead and allow the Houston Cougars (13-11) to send them back to Austin with a 9-7 loss in hand.

The Texas Longhorns baseball team sings the school song prior to the series opener against the Ole Miss Rebels. | University of Texas Athletic

Three key takeaways from the Longhorns' meltdown against the Cougars

Jason Flores bounces back

As a freshman, Flores was one of the better arms for the Longhorns and looked to carry that momentum into 2026. Through his first four appearances, though, he started out slow and carried a 9.00 ERA into his start on Tuesday.

In his first appearance since March 7, the right-hander looked like the 2025 version of himself. He gave the Longhorns three shutout innings, allowing only two hits while striking out five and keeping the Houston lineup in check.

This version of Flores is a big win for Texas. If he can build on tonight’s success and keep improving, he’ll provide another key piece in the staff for conference play.

Hot and cold showing at the plate

When you can plate seven in a given game, there isn’t often much people will complain about. And that is mostly the case for the Longhorns in this one. The keyword, though, being mostly.

While they did manage to plate seven runs against Houston, they did so only three hits and stranded 10 runners -- including multiple situations with the bases loaded. On the other end of the spectrum it was a night full of patience with 13 free passes (11 walks, two hit batters).

However, the former is what will be the key takeaway. Simply put, you cannot expect to win many games when you consistently get men on base but fail to capitalize, as the Longhorns learned again.

Another game, more bullpen struggles

Multiple times so far this season the bullpen has been a major issue for Texas. In fact, two of the three losses come after a collapse in the late innings on the mound. Those issues were on full display again in the 9-7 loss to Houston.

No, the offense was not perfect. That being said, a 7-0 lead in most situations is a comfortable lead that ends in a comfortable win. Not with this version of the Texas bullpen. They gave up three runs in the fifth, three in the seventh and then three more in the eighth in another brutal collapse.

The concern at this point is only going to get worse, with key arms such as Max Grubbs and Thomas Burns struggling to provide solid relief outings. If the Longhorns can't get it turned around these late-inning collapses will continue to haunt them.

What’s next for Texas?

The Longhorns have a quick turnaround, as they are back in action on Thursday evening to kick off a three-game series against the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners from UFCU Disch-Falk Field at 7 p.m. CT.

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