Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle stands in the dugout ahead of the Lone Star Showdown. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jim Schlossnagle Sounds Alarm on Texas Baseball

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Nicholas Kingman | Last updated Mar 25, 2026 11:56 AM ET

What took place in Houston on Tuesday is something that Texas baseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle does not want to see happen again, and of course, his frustration spewed into the post-game radio interview.

The Longhorns collapsed once again, allowing the Houston Cougars to rally from a 7-0 deficit late in the game to win, 9-7 at Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park in Houston, Texas. It's the second midweek loss for Texas this season and the third loss resulting from struggles from the pen.

“They kicked our ass,” Schlossnagle said on post-game radio. “If Houston doesn’t walk the farm, the game is not even competitive. We have a lot of work to do.”

Another Texas Collapse

The Longhorns were able to score all seven of their runs off three hits, mostly due to the Cougars pitchers struggling to maintain command of the mound in the first, fourth, and fifth innings.

Outside of those three innings, the bats for the rest of the night were ice cold, leaving 10 runners on base by the end of the game.

Then, there was the bullpen collapse, once starter Jason Flores was pulled after three innings of work. Flores performed well after a couple of shaky appearances to open up the season.

Against Houston, Flores tossed for two strikeouts and allowed just one hit during his appearance. But as time has proven, again and again, once the Longhorns' starters are relieved of the mound, the Longhorns' collapse is near.

The same scenario played out in both conference openers against Ole Miss and No. 5 Auburn, and it nearly happened again in the Saturday game against the Tigers. It’s a pattern that is hard not to acknowledge, especially for a ball club that boasts one of the best starting rotations in the country.

Houston started its rally after Texas went up by seven in the bottom of the fifth inning. Longhorns pitcher Brody Walls struggled, loading the bases and putting Ethan Walker in a tough spot when he replaced him with just one out later in the inning.

The Cougars scored three runs against Walker, all three being credited to Walls, on a groundout and a 2-RBI single by Cougars centerfielder Tre Broussard. Houston closed out the game with three-run innings in the seventh and eighth innings to complete its comeback.

Ironically, former Longhorns and current Cougars outfielder Easton Winfield had his best performance of the season. Winfield went an impressive 3-4 at the plate, putting a cherry on top with a solo home run, just his second of the season.

Houston capped off its impressive performance, registering 10 hits, a pair of home runs, and only striking out six times against a struggling Texas bullpen. The Longhorns' pitching staff has allowed 10 or more hits just four times this season, with three of them coming since the start of conference play.

The road for the Longhorns does not get much easier from here. Just a day of rest lies between Texas’ series with rival, No. 8 Oklahoma Sonners, its second top-10 series of the season.

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This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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