Longhorns Notebook: No. 23 Texas Drops Series Against Washington
The No. 23 Texas Longhorns (11-8, 2-1) entered their weekend series against the Washington Huskies (6-8-1) riding a mini two-game winning streak, looking to extend that and keep the home stand off to a hot start.
Well, it is safe to say that did not happen for the Longhorns. A myriad of issues reared their ugly heads, from bullpen issues on Friday night to an inability to solve Washington's bullpen in the first two games, Texas dropped those games and subsequently the series.
Fortunately they were able to salvage Sunday's contest, taking down the Huskies 4-3 in an eight inning affair.
Now, here are three key takeaways from the Longhorns' frustrating series loss to the Huskies.
Potential rotation answers
So far this season for the Longhorns one of the biggest question marks surrounding the team was the starting rotation. While they had three guys locked into their weekend roles, results left much to be desired. An inability to go deep into outings paired with a tendency to give up runs strained the bullpen and led to mixed results.
Well, that was again the case for Texas against the Huskies. Sort of. Lebarron Johnson Jr. gave the Longhorns six innings of one-run baseball on Friday, which the bullpen immediately blew. Saturday saw Cody Howard only last two innings, but Ace Whitehead come on in relief and toss seven shutout innings.
Capping off the weekend, Max Grubbs threw six innings of one-run baseball for the win on Sunday. Don't be surprised if moving forward Johnson, Whitehead and Grubbs are your weekend guys while Howard and Charlie Hurley come out of the bullpen.
Lineup goes cold
Yes, Texas likely should have left Friday's contest with the win after Johnson gave up only one run over six innings. That being said, however, the lineup did not do nearly enough to make life easier for Johnson or the bullpen who came in after his night was over.
Then again on Saturday, that was the case as the Longhorns only managed to put up three runs. Across the first two games they scored a combined six runs on 14 hits, stranding runners and showing an inability to hit in the clutch.
Sunday was slightly better, as they drew walks and took advantage of the free passes with four runs on four hits. All in all, though, it was an uninspiring weekend for the bats and a trend that cannot continue into conference play.
Gut check time
Texas finds itself sitting with a decent 11-8 (2-1) record after 19 games so far this season. However, more important is that 2-1 record that comes from a series win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the road in Lubbock. Now, though, the Longhorns need to buckle up.
Getting through the Big 12 will not be a cake walk as it is arguably the second best conference in college baseball behind the SEC. Teams like the Oklahoma Sooners, TCU Horned Frogs and Kansas Jayhawks will undoubtedly make life difficult for Texas.
If they can bounce back from a rough weekend against the Huskies and rack up series wins in conference play, this Longhorns' squad could put themselves in a good position come June and the NCAA Tournament.
What's next for Texas?
The Longhorns continue their 10-game home stand on Tuesday evening, as they welcome the Air Force Falcons to town for a two-game midweek set at 6:30 p.m. CT.