Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Baseball Facing Elimination Against Kansas State

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Connor Zimmerlee | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 10:00 AM ET

There are losses where you just sit back, accept that the better team won and look to play better the next time out. Then there are losses that are absolute gut punches and leave you rattled, hoping that it doesn't throw you off entirely.

For the Texas Longhorns (43-13), they found themselves in the latter category against the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday night. What was once a comfortable 6-1 lead turned into an ugly, nightmarish loss filled with mishaps and an abundance of bad at-bats, all culminating in a brutal 9-7 loss.

They cannot dwell on the loss for long, though. Now they have a quick turnaround as the Longhorns find themselves in the loser's bracket against the Kansas State Wildcats (32-25), hoping to get a win and keep their season alive for at least one more game.

How to watch/listen:

Sunday June 1 at 2 p.m. CT - ESPN/TexasSports.com/Audio

A look at Kansas State's regional so far -

Much like the Longhorns, it has been a tale of two games for the Wildcats in Austin so far. In their opener on Friday they were blown out by the Roadrunners, 10-2. Coming back on Saturday against Houston Christian they were able to handle business with a 7-4 win that set them up with another elimination game on Sunday.

Kansas State by the numbers:

Record - 32-25

Runs scored - 416

Runs allowed - 356

Team Avg. - .279

Team Avg. against - .268

Team ERA - 5.76

Kansas State wins this game if...

It can mirror the success of the teams that gave Texas issues down the stretch and stifle its bats. There's a big enough sample size at this point to show that the Longhorns, when they are shut down offensively, simply do not have the firepower capable of scratching out runs and making the pitcher work to get outs.

This is exactly what the Wildcats need to focus on and make happen in Sunday's contest. Make the Longhorns struggle at the plate and give their bats enough time to get the job done. If they can do that and do it consistently, then they have a strong chance at ending the Longhorns' season and eliminating them from their own regional.

Texas wins this game if...

It can get consistent, productive at-bats from the entire lineup over the course of nine innings. Don't get us wrong, five-run innings are great and no one in their right mind would ever complain about that type of production. However, when you do that and then turn around and proceed to put together ugly at-bats and rack up strikeouts? That's where the problem is.

And it is what plagued the Longhorns against the Roadrunners. They put together a five-run third inning and looked like an offense that could not be stopped. After that it was far from the case, as strikeouts piled up and they ultimately left a whopping 14 men on base. If they can get the bats going and clicking early against Kansas State, then they have a good chance at keeping their season alive.

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

More must-reads: