Texas baseball took an 8-1 SEC Tournament loss to Arkansas, leaving the Longhorns to regroup before Monday’s NCAA Tournament reveal.
Texas baseball ran into a buzzsaw in Hoover, and Arkansas didn’t waste time turning Friday into a warning shot.
The No. 5 Longhorns fell 8-1 to No. 12 Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, ending their short stay after the Razorbacks jumped all over Texas early at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
For a team sitting at 40-13 and preparing for the NCAA Tournament, this wasn’t fatal. But it was loud.
Arkansas struck immediately after a leadoff hit-by-pitch, with Camden Kozeal blasting a two-run homer to give the Razorbacks control. Nolan Souza added a two-out RBI single later in the first, and suddenly Texas was chasing a 3-0 game before it could breathe.
The Longhorns scratched across a run in the bottom half, but the momentum didn’t last. Kozeal came right back in the second inning and crushed another homer, this time a three-run shot, stretching Arkansas’ lead to 6-1.
He reached base four times and drove in five runs, basically wrecking Texas by himself.
From there, the Longhorns were stuck searching for answers.
Texas used eight pitchers, including starter Cody Howard, who made his first start since March 16, 2024. Howard took the loss after working the first two innings.
The bullpen did settle things down, allowing only two runs over the final seven frames, but the early damage was already too heavy.
Arkansas right-hander Gabe Gaeckle slammed the door. He came out of the bullpen and delivered six scoreless innings, striking out nine while giving up just three hits and one walk on 76 pitches. Texas never found a real counterpunch.
Now, the Longhorns turn toward the NCAA Tournament selection show at 11 a.m. Monday on ESPN2. Their national profile remains strong, but Friday exposed what can happen when Texas starts slow against elite SEC arms.
The postseason is coming fast.
Texas has the talent to make noise. But after Arkansas landed the first punch and never backed up, the message is obvious: Omaha dreams don’t survive many games like this.
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