Texas Baseball’s Top Bats Must Get It Right Before the NCAA Tournament

For much of the season, Texas baseball’s offense has featured a bit of an up-and-down journey.

There have been highs, of course, including blowout victories over Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. But there have also been several stretches where the lineup has looked surprisingly lifeless.

Still, Texas has been led by a trio of bona fide stars at the top of the order in Anthony Pack Jr., Carson Tinney and Aiden Robbins. When those three are on, the rest of the lineup often doesn’t need to do much else to still come away with a victory. But even beyond the stars, Texas has consistently received quality at-bats from the bottom half of the lineup during the latter half of conference play, making this offense a scary sight when it lights up from top to bottom.

But Friday’s ugly 8-1 loss to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals was not one of those nights.

Texas’ lineup only amassed four hits and struck out 14 times. And even more concerning, the top of the order went a combined 0-for-11 with six strikeouts and one walk, presenting a legitimate question hovering over Texas entering the NCAA Tournament:

Can the bats get back on track in time?

Timing Is Slightly Concerning for Texas’ Offensive Struggles, But Hope Remains

Texas Longhorns outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. — Texas Longhorns' outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. celebrates a grand slam against the USC Upstate Spartans. | Texas Longhorns Athletic

The concerns are not entirely new.

Texas has still won games over the past few weeks, but the offense has looked streaky at times. Against Arkansas, two of Texas’ four hits came from Casey Borba alone, while the other two came from Ashton Larson and Ethan Mendoza late in the game.

Razorback relievers combined for eight scoreless innings while repeatedly carving through the Longhorn lineup. Steele Eaves struck out five over two hitless innings, while Gabe Gaeckle overwhelmed Texas hitters with nine strikeouts across six innings, allowing just three hits and one walk.

And unfortunately for Texas, that type of pitching is probably what awaits deeper into the NCAA Tournament. But on a more positive note, there are still reasons to believe the offensive struggles may be more temporary than alarming.

For starters, Robbins has not looked entirely like himself lately, going 2-for-14 over his last four games, though one of those appearances was shortened after he exited early with a stomach bug. His power numbers have dipped as well, with just one home run in May after blasting eight in April.

But he is still the SEC Newcomer of the Year and arguably remains the most complete hitter on the roster.

Tinney is also known to have these up-and-down stretches at times. Tinney exploded against Missouri, going 7-for-13 with 10 RBIs and three home runs. But one week prior, against Tennessee, he went 1-for-10 with four strikeouts and zero homers.

That inconsistency is simply part of the package at times. The good news for Texas, however, is that Tinney’s “down stretches” still come with a .684 slugging percentage and 20 home runs on the season.

And while Pack struggled Friday, much of the reason he won the SEC Freshman of the Year was because of his consistency. One quiet outing is not indicative of a sudden decline.

Yes, consistency remains a concern for this group. When Texas starts expanding the zone and chasing sliders off the plate, empty at-bats can pile up quickly. But luckily for the Longhorns, the NCAA tournament is not a one-and-done deal like the SEC Tournament.

Texas will have opportunities to settle back in offensively if needed. More importantly, the larger body of work still suggests this lineup is capable of carrying the Longhorns deep into June, especially if the top of the lineup can find its groove.

And if Texas’ biggest bats heat back up next weekend, Hoover will quickly be forgotten.

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