In what is likely to be the beginning of the end for two teams standing only 30 miles from each other, No. 15 Texas baseball faced unranked Texas State in its first game of three to be had in the season on Saturday.
The matchup marks a full circle moment for both opponents, as the two met on a neutral site for the first time in Houston back in 1999 for the NCAA Houston Regional. The Longhorns won 7-5 and would go on to win their second neutral meeting with the Bobcats in Round Rock in 2008, clinching the 5-3 victory.
With Texas leaving for the SEC conference next fall, this will be the Longhorns’ final season as members of the Big 12, and it’s uncertain whether they will play Texas State again next season. For Texas State, this will be more sweet than bitter, as Texas has served them the most losses in the conference with 54 total.
Texas might also reap the benefit of not having to face Texas State for a while, as the Bobcats are notorious for being a bipolar opponent for the Longhorns. Despite Texas leading the series 55-14, in more recent years, the Bobcats have found multiple ways to throw Texas off course.
Saturday’s game was a prime example, as both teams were neck-and-neck throughout all nine innings, but Texas ultimately came up short 11-10 despite recording more home runs than its opponent.
“They played a good brand of baseball, they played a better brand of baseball than we did,” sophomore Jared Thomas said. “I’m not going to say one way or the other, but they beat us tonight.”
In Texas’ last two meetings against Texas State, one in 2022 and one in 2023, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, it ended with a Bobcat win. The Longhorns’ most recent matchup at home against Texas State in 2023 left them with a 9-3 loss, as then-No. 19 Texas fell to an unranked Texas State.
Before this, the Longhorns entered their last home matchup against the Bobcats in 2022 ranked at No. 1, but also gave up a win to an unranked Texas State with a score of 6-4. Even with former Texas stars Ivan Melendez, Douglas Hodo Ⅲ and Eric Kennedy at bat, the Bobcats went run-for-run.
“I will say they are a very good team,” Head Coach David Pierce said. “When you look at the longevity of the season, a lot of good teams pitch, play defense, and give themselves a chance, and they’re a tough team.”
During its game at the Astros Foundation College Classic, Texas State showed up first with a 6-0 scoring spree within the first two innings, boasting an electric offense against Texas senior starting pitcher Charlie Hurley. The Longhorns picked up some momentum beginning in the third, but the Bobcats were adamant on keeping the lead, as Texas trailed for six innings.
Within the final three innings, it was a cat-and-mouse chase for the win, with Texas entering the bottom of the ninth inning down by one, 11-10. But Texas still couldn’t pull themselves together in time and struck out swinging.
The Longhorns will have two more chances to overcome the Texas State hurdle in a two-day series coming up in April, where they look to redeem a game that slipped away.
