The Good, the Bad and the Ugly From Texas Baseball’s Win Over Texas State

It wasn’t perfect — far from it, really — but No. 2 Texas Baseball finally found a way to win a midweek game.

After two lackluster Tuesday performances against Tarleton State and Houston, questions emerged about Texas’ consistency in midweek play. Sure, midweek games don't hold nearly as much weight as SEC series in the grand scheme of things, but the Longhorns’ recent Tuesday performances have been hard to ignore.

Consider those concerns at least temporarily quieted. Texas delivered a much-needed bounce-back in a 10–8 victory over Texas State.

Here’s everything good, bad and ugly from the back‑and‑forth affair.

The Good — Early fight and timely swings

Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins celebrates after hitting a home run against the Auburn Tigers. | University of Texas Athletics

Texas State came out swinging, jumping ahead with a first-inning homer and two unearned runs.

For a second, it looked like just another Tuesday game slipping away.

But Texas responded in the bottom half with a two‑run homer from Aiden Robbins that cut the deficit to one. Moments later, Ethan Mendoza helped tie the game with a double, a stolen base and a run scored on a wild pitch.

The early counterpunch set the tone for Texas’ offense, which later put the game away in an explosive six‑run sixth inning. A solo homer from Casey Borba, a two‑RBI double from Mendoza and hits by Carson Tinney and Anthony Pack Jr. flipped a 5–3 Texas State lead into a 9–5 advantage.

Mendoza finished with a team‑high 3‑for‑4 performance and three RBIs, while Robbins and Borba each supplied a long ball. It was a much needed offensive performance after Texas struggled to hit in those recent midweek losses.

The Bad — Continued defensive miscues

Auburn Tigers' Chris Rembert and Texas Longhorns' Adrian Rodriguez — Auburn Tigers' Chris Rembert slides safely into second base before Texas Longhorns' Adrian Rodriguez can get a tag. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even in victory, Texas’ defense left plenty to be desired.

Early in the game, a dropped ball by Robbins in center field and a miscommunication in left by Temo Beccerra and Pack Jr. helped gift Texas State a three-run first inning.

Later, in the seventh, continued defensive lapses helped the Bobcats’ rally, including a passed ball that allowed a run to score and continued shaky plays in the outfield.

Sure, many of the mishaps could have been attributed to Adrian Rodriguez’s absence at shortstop and subsequent defensive reshuffling, but it was pretty horrendous nonetheless.

The Ugly — Bullpen cracks and messy middle innings

Texas pitcher Max Grubbs throws a pitch in game two of the Big 12 baseball series. | Chase Seabolt/For the Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tailor-made runs, big innings and mistakes are fun when they go your way. But the bullpen struggled in the middle frames.

After starter Max Grubbs exited early, relievers Kade Bing and Thoms Burns each allowed a home run early in the game. Ethan Walker then allowed three consecutive doubles in the seventh, opening the door for Texas State to climb all the way back within one run.

Wildness and free passes continued to be an issue, and at one point, it felt like Texas might hand its big inning right back.

It took Brett Crossland to settle the chaos and “just enough” bullpen work to keep the Bobcats from completing the comeback.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.