The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: No. 2 Texas Sweep Over No. 8 Oklahoma

Texas has stormed through its first three Southeastern Conference series

Texas Longhorns graduate pitcher Luke Harrison throws the "Horns Up" after a start. | Texas Athletics

There is nothing like a conference series sweep, especially when it comes against your primary rival in dominant fashion. 

The No. 2 Texas Longhorns, coming off one of their worst losses of the season on Tuesday against the unranked Houston Cougars, came into their three-game series against rival No. 8 Oklahoma with a vengeance. 

It was the first time since 2023 that the Sooners made the trip down Interstate 35, and it's probably a series they would like to forget on the trip back up. The Longhorns opened up the early series on Thursday with a 14-0 run-rule victory and came back in extra innings for a 4-3 and 5-4 victories to complete their first series sweep of the season.

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from Texas’ first conference sweep of the season. 

The Good - The Pitching 

Texas pitcher Ruger Riojas throws a "Hook 'Em" to the crowd at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas. | Texas Athletics

Texas’ three-headed starting pitching monster of Ruger Riojas, Luke Harrison, and Dylan Volantis proved once again why they are one of the most feared starter rotations not only in the Southeastern Conference but in the nation. 

The true star from this weekend was Riojas, delivering an all-time performance in the series-opening run-rule. While it was a shortened night, with the Texas bats having a batting practice session rather than a competitive game, Riojas pitched a complete game. 

Riojas mowed down the Oklahoma batting order, with eight strikeouts and holding them to just six hits in the effort. 

This weekend, the Longhorns starters pitched for a combined 19.2 innings, tossing for 21 strikeouts and allowing just seven earned runs and 20 hits against the Sooners. 

A testament to Riojas and Harrison’s dominance on Thursday and Friday, the majority of the hits and earned runs came from Volantis start on Saturday, when he allowed nine hits and four earned runs 

With the deep start from its starters, Texas was able to preserve the best of the bullpen on Saturday and Sunday with Sam Cozart, Brett Crossland, and Haiden Leffew. Only calling the bullpen three times, the trio was commanding in relief, picking up 10 strikeouts and allowing just three hits. 

The Bad - Friday and Saturday’s Batters' Slow Starts 

Texas Longhorns catcher Carson Tinney and outfielder Aiden Robbins celebrate together at home plate. | University of Texas Athletics.

The Texas batters were running better than a juiced-up Ferrari with the driver’s foot glued to the accelerator pedal on Friday. The pent-up frustration from the Houston performance was seemingly exacerbated in the 14-0 run-rule. 

The Longhorns batters did not have that same fury in the last two games of the series, with the offense struggling against the Sooners starters on Friday and Saturday. 

Besides Texas catcher Carson Tinney's deep YETI Yard home run in the second inning on Saturday, the rest of the Longhorns' runs came late, starting in the seventh inning. The Texas bats had much better performances once the Oklahoma bullpen entered, which rolls into our next section. 

The Ugly - Oklahoma’s Bullpen

Oklahoma Sooners pitcher Gavyn Jones (18) pitches during a college baseball game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While this has been a Texas trend this season, with the bullpen collapsing late in the game, allowing whoever is in the opposing dugout to rally back, it wasn’t the Longhorns that had to go through the painful experience this weekend.

The Sooners' pen on Friday and Saturday did not maintain the same command set by starters Cam Johnson and Cord Rager once they were called. 

Oklahoma used the same four relievers in both Friday and Saturday games, with Jackson Cleveland being the only one to make a single appearance. The quartet could not find the strike zone, walking countless batters and allowing the Longhorns to cash in with runners in scoring position in both comeback victories. 

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