Lack of timely hitting dooms No. 4 Texas in 7-4 loss to No. 10 Mississippi State

TL;DR

No. 4 Texas lost 7-4 to No. 10 Mississippi State, struggling with timely hitting and leaving 17 runners on base. The Longhorns will face the Bulldogs again in a decisive series finale on Sunday.

Key points

Texas left 17 runners on base during the game.
Mississippi State capitalized on Texas's bullpen struggles.
Texas's head coach expressed confidence despite the loss.
The next game is a decisive series finale on Sunday.

Texas LonghornsMississippi State Bulldogs

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns and No. 10 Mississippi State Bulldogs are heading for a decisive Sunday series finale at UFCU Disch-Falk Field after Brian O’Connor’s team took advantage of the Longhorns bullpen and Texas couldn’t come up with game-changing, two-out hits. “We obviously left a ton of guys on base, but they were all with two outs — I don’t think we had a runner at third base with less than two outs, and so you’re counting on a timely hit. And the difference in the game was the swings they got with two outs,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. In an attempt to keep senior right-hander Ruger Riojas fresh for the postseason, Schlossnagle removed the UTSA transfer after five innings and 71 pitches even though Riojas was still throwing at a high level, allowing one run on three hits and commanding his pitches well enough to strike out seven batters without allowing a walk, hitting a batter, or throwing a wild pitch. The move to freshman right-hander Brett Crossland worked well in the sixth inning when the 6’5, 255-pounder struck out the side. In the seventh, Crossland was able to work around hitting the leadoff batter by immediately inducing a double play, but hitting the next batter in an 0-2 count ultimately proved catastrophic for Texas when junior right-hander Thomas Burns came on and gave up an RBI single on a 1-2 pitch and then had a 1-1 fastball down and in to Drew Wyers launched over the left-field fence for a three-run home run.

DON'T CROSS WYERS pic.twitter.com/sup6m3lsP7

— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) May 2, 2026 The Bulldogs scored two more runs in the eighth inning, both credited to sophomore right-hander Jason Flores, who allowed a leadoff walk and a first-pitch single. After freshman right-hander Brody Walls entered the game, a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, setting up an RBI groundout and a run-scoring double that put the Horns in a 7-1 hole. Despite the struggles in the bullpen, Schlossnagle isn’t worried. “If the bullpen has a bad day, does that make it a concern? I mean, it doesn’t to me, it may to you, but they’re not going to be perfect,” Schlossnagle said. “So, I mean, that’s our bullpen those guys. Burns has been awesome about four or five times in a row. I mean, yeah, it’s not a concern in any form, to me.” When Texas threatened for the first time in the fourth, it was with two outs, so when junior designated hitter Ashton Larson grounded out to short on the first pitch he saw, it negated the two singles that preceded his at bat. After a solo home run by junior first baseman Casey Borba in the fifth inning, Texas put runners on first and second in the sixth with one out, but Jayden Duplantier struck out pinch hitting for Larson and freshman center fielder Maddox Monsour grounded out to short after Borba drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Borba blast 💣 |

Q&A

What were the key reasons for Texas's loss to Mississippi State?

Texas struggled with timely hitting, leaving 17 runners on base, and their bullpen faltered in critical moments.

How did Texas's pitching strategy impact the game against Mississippi State?

Texas removed senior pitcher Ruger Riojas after five innings to keep him fresh for the postseason, which led to bullpen struggles later in the game.

What was the performance of Texas's hitters in the game?

Texas hitters failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities, particularly with two outs, and could not deliver crucial hits when needed.

When is the next game between Texas and Mississippi State?

The next game between Texas and Mississippi State is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. Central on ESPN.

Lack of timely hitting dooms No. 4 Texas in 7-4 loss to No. 10 Mississippi State

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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