No. 5 Texas Seeking First SEC Tournament Win Against No. 12 Arkansas

After another long, grueling season we have again reached the postseason. This time, though, the No. 5 Texas Longhorns will hope their experiece will be a more positive result than what occured during their first campaign under Jim Schlossnagle.

Dominant throughout much of the 2025 season, they won the SEC title but faltered down the stretch. As a result, they were bounced in their first game of the conference tournament by the Tennessee Volunteers and then ultimately knocked out of the Austin Regional by the the UTSA Roadrunners.

Now, they again find themselves starting their SEC Tournament run following a double bye. Standing between them and a trip the semifinals is a red-hot Arkansas team. While a loss likely won't have a massive impact on Texas' potential seeding come Selection Monday, stacking up wins and getting momentum going into the NCAA Tournament would be a strong start to the postseason.

How do the Razorbacks and Longhorns stack up?

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

How to watch/listen -

Friday May 22 - 3 p.m. CT - SEC Network+/TexasSports.com/Audio

A look at Arkansas' season so far -

The Razorbacks were consistently one of the top teams in the country throughout the regular season. Going 7-3 in their conference series, they entered the SEC Tournament having won four straight. That momentum has carried into the postseason so far, as they kicked it off with an 8-4 win over No. 23 Tennessee on Wednesday.

Arkansas by the numbers -

Record: 37—19 (17-13)

Runs scored: 410

Runs allowed: 280

Team Avg.: .276

Opponent Avg.: .249

Team ERA: 4.59

Opponent ERA: 6.99

Arkansas wins this game if...

It can keep the Texas offense in check and take advantage of its inconsistency. Anyone that's watched the Longhorns this season knows that when they're firing on all cylinders, they can easily put up runs in bunches and jump out to a commanding lead over their opponent.

This is what the Razorbacks need to avoid. In several of their conference losses this season, they struggled on the mound and saw teams pile up hits and runs with ease. However, the Longhorns have also shown that they are inconsisent at the plate and can easily be kept in check if the whole lineup isn't contributing.

If Arkansas can get the job done and bring out that version of the Texas offense, then it has a strong chance of winning this game and getting to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.

Texas wins this game if...

It can get a solid performance from its pitching staff in what is likely going to be a bullpen heavy day. The Longhorns' top arms are unlikely to be seen this weekend, making it a key opportunity for other pitchers to make their case for a bigger role in the NCAA Tournament.

Starting that off will be Cody Howard, as he's been tabbed as the one to take the mound to start for Texas. Of course, it's no secret that the bullpen has been a rather mixed bag this seaosn in Austin. When they're on they're untouchable but when they falter, it can get ugly in a hurry.

If they can get the former version of the bullpen out of arms like Howard, Cal Higgins and others that have not seen much action this season then the Longhorns could secure their first ever SEC Tournament victory.

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