For the first time in 16 games, the Texas Longhorns lost a baseball game. And, for the first time in three weekends, the Longhorns lost a series — this time in an intense away matchup against the No. 17 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Texas baseball has been the hottest team in the nation since early March, but eventually, a streak as impressive as the Longhorns’ had to end. Texas dropped the final two games against the Cowboys, with Sunday’s loss coming in brutal fashion.

With a fantastic first inning spearheaded by junior catcher Garret Guillemette’s monstrous three-run homer, the Longhorns started the game with a comfortable three-run lead. For five innings, it looked like Texas was comfortably in control. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Lebarron Johnson Jr.’s three innings of work featured only two hits but five walks for the Cowboys, leading to his early exit. Sophomore relievers David Shaw, Ace Whitehead and Andre Duplantier II limited the Oklahoma State offense for two more innings, but the Cowboy bats came alive in the sixth.

Junior right-hander Charlie Hurley, who has been one of Texas’ best pitchers —  starting and out of the bullpen, felt the power of the Cowboy’s offense in his first inning of relief. Junior catcher Chase Adkinson took Hurley’s 0–2 pitch for a ride down the left field line, just barely edging out a two-run home run to put Oklahoma State back in the game. Hurley battled back and went the next two innings with no runs allowed. But, with just a one-run lead going into the ninth, the Longhorns were far from comfortable.

Redshirt junior Zane Morehouse came in to grab his second save of the weekend after a critical inning of pitching in Friday’s win. Morehouse, however, quickly found himself in trouble after loading the bases with two walks while only recording one out. After a wild pitch that tied the game, Nolan Schubert, Oklahoma State’s freshman phenom left-fielder, needed just a deep fly-ball to win the game. 

Schubert was a thorn in Texas’ side for most of the weekend, but he had yet to record an RBI through 26 innings of play. After falling into a 2–2 count, the Big 12’s best freshman snuck a base hit right under the glove of Jared Thomas at first base, walking off the Longhorns and giving them their first series loss since Cal State Fullerton nearly a month earlier. 

With the weekend in Stillwater over, Texas has only won three of 10 games away from UFCU Disch-Falk Field, a pattern that could haunt it down the line. Throughout the weekend, the Longhorns scored just nine runs, 12 less than last weekend’s sweep of the then No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

Though the pitching limited the Cowboy’s top-tier offense to just 11 runs all series, many of the bats failed to come alive. Junior right fielder Dylan Campbell was the main offensive factor alongside Guillemette over the weekend, recording five hits that included two triples and two stolen bases. The veteran had been struggling to wake his bat up throughout the 16-game win streak. But, with three extra-base hits over the weekend, it’s safe to say Campbell’s bat is alive and ready for Big 12 play. 

Alongside Campbell’s hitting, David Shaw continued his strong 2023 campaign with 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball over two games, solidifying himself as Texas’ best reliever this season, with a 1.66 ERA over 21.2 innings pitched. 

Texas will return to Austin on Tuesday to face the Air Force before hosting Kansas State for next weekend’s series.