No. 5 Texas' Offense No Shows in Loss to No. 12 Arkansas: Longhorns Notebook

For the second straight season, the No. 5 Texas Longhorns (40—13) will only play one game in the SEC Tournament. After losing to Tennessee in their first game last year, they fell to the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks (38—19) this go around.

Unlike their showing against the Volunteers in 2025, this one was all Razorbacks from the beginning. A pair of three-run innings in the first and second put them ahead 6-1 early and they never looked back, going on to win 8-1.

Following the brief trip to Hoover, the Longhorns will return to Austin and await Selection Monday. Despite the rough loss, they will do so knowing they are likely set to receive a national seed from the committee.

Three key takeaways from Texas’ loss to Arkansas

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

Rough day for Howard

When the Longhorns secured the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, it was safe to assume they would take the opportunity to get some different arms out of the bullpen action ahead of the Regional round. First up was Cody Howard, as he started on the mound.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a rough outing for Howard. The right-hander gave up a pair of three-run innings and only lasted two before exiting. There were some positives, though, as he did tally five strikeouts and showed he could pump strikes in consistently.

With the NCAA Tournament looming, Howard could be a key arm out of the bullpen. If that’s the case, the Longhorns will hope he can erase this outing from his memory.

Offense sluggish in Hoover

As we’ve written time and time again, this Texas offense has been the definition of inconsistent throughout this season. Against the Razorbacks, the version that struggled to get anything going showed up and looked lifeless at the plate.

In the loss, the Longhorns managed only one run on four hits and struck out 14 times as a team. When your pitching staff is throwing a bullpen day a performance like that makes winning a much more difficult task.

More concerning, though, is the continued inconsistency at the plate. If this is the team that shows up in the Austin Regional, then the Longhorns might be in for another early exit.

Positive signs from the bullpen

No, it wasn’t the prettiest outing from Howard. As mentioned, though, he did show some signs of life with the five strikeouts. After him, the Longhorns bullpen provided hope for what they can be in the postseason.

Aside from Luke Harrison and Dylan Volantis, they only allowed two more runs to cross while limiting the Razorbacks to just four hits while racking up five strikeouts in their combined three innings of work.

Ultimately, the loss does sting. That being said, the Longhorns will head back from Hoover liking what they saw from arms that could play key roles in the NCAA Tournament once the Regional round starts.

What’s next for Texas?

The Longhorns will return to Austin and wait to see what seed they draw in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Monday.

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