Texas baseball lost its first game Friday but still won the Ole Miss series, keeping the Longhorns at No. 2 as SEC play starts to heat up.
Texas baseball took its first punch of the season and didn’t blink. That’s the biggest takeaway after the Longhorns dropped Friday’s opener to Ole Miss in extra innings, then answered by taking the series and staying put at No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
For a team that entered the weekend at 16-0, there was always going to be a moment when the perfect run cracked.
It happened Friday night in a wild 9-8 loss in 11 innings at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. But instead of letting that snowball, Texas handled business the way elite teams are supposed to. The Longhorns regrouped, won the weekend, and moved to 18-1 heading into another big week.
That matters because life in the SEC baseball grind isn’t about avoiding every loss. It’s about surviving series, stacking wins, and proving you can handle pressure once conference play starts throwing haymakers.
Texas did exactly that against a ranked Ole Miss team that came to Austin ready to make noise. The poll reflects that reality.
Even with the Friday stumble, Texas didn’t budge from the No. 2 spot, trailing only UCLA, which sits at 17-2. The Bruins still own the top line, while Georgia Tech, Auburn, and Georgia round out the top five.
The fact that Texas stayed at No. 2 after its first loss says plenty about how respected this team is nationally and how strong the SEC is top to bottom. There are 11 SEC teams in the Top 25, so one tight conference loss isn’t going to trigger panic.
Now the spotlight shifts quickly. Texas gets Tarleton State at home Tuesday before hitting the road for a major early test against No. 4 Auburn in a three-game weekend series. That matchup should tell us even more about what this club is made of.
For now, though, the message is clear. The Longhorns are no longer unbeaten, but they still look every bit like a national title contender. Sometimes, the real flex isn’t staying perfect. It’s proving one loss won’t shake you.