Auburn Baseball Falls to Texas in Game 2, Looks to Clinch Series on Sunday

The Tigers' comeback effort falls short as the Longhorns hold on for a 7-6 victory.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 3:20am

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In a top-five matchup between No. 2 Texas and No. 4 Auburn, the Longhorns defeated the Tigers 7-6 in Game 2 of their weekend series. Auburn made a furious late-game comeback, scoring three runs in the 7th inning and one in the 8th, but ultimately came up just short of completing the rally. The loss was Auburn's first in SEC play this season, dropping them to 19-3 overall (4-1 SEC). The teams will meet in the rubber match on Sunday with the series on the line.

Why it matters

This highly anticipated series between two top-ranked college baseball programs has major implications for the SEC standings and national rankings. Auburn was looking to clinch the series after winning Game 1, but Texas held on to force a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.

The details

Texas jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, highlighted by a 3-run home run from left fielder Anthony Pack Jr. in the 3rd inning. Auburn starter Jackson Sanders struggled to get outs after the 2nd inning. The Tigers finally got their bats going in the 7th, scoring 3 runs to make it a one-run game, but they couldn't complete the comeback despite loading the bases in the 9th inning.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 22, 2026.
  • First pitch for the rubber match on Sunday, March 23 is scheduled for 2 p.m.

The players

Butch Thompson

Auburn's head baseball coach.

Anthony Pack Jr.

Texas Longhorns left fielder who hit a 3-run home run in the 3rd inning.

Ryan Hetzler

Auburn relief pitcher who kept the Longhorns off the board in the 8th and 9th innings to give the Tigers a chance to rally.

Bristol Carter

Auburn batter who came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the 9th inning but grounded out to end the game.

Jackson Sanders

Auburn's starting pitcher who struggled after the 2nd inning.

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What they’re saying

“We needed to do just a little more damage in one of those frames to get on the right side of that deal. But good effort. The bats the second half of the game were better than the first half of the game.”

— Butch Thompson, Auburn Head Coach

“It'll be really good baseball tomorrow. I'm excited about seeing if we can just finish this series the right way, regardless of outcome.”

— Butch Thompson, Auburn Head Coach

What’s next

The teams will meet in the rubber match on Sunday, March 23 at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, Auburn's furious late-game comeback effort showed the Tigers' resilience and ability to compete with an elite opponent like Texas. The rubber match on Sunday will be a must-see showdown as both teams look to clinch the series.