Texas Longhorns Bounce Back After Tough Friday Loss

Jim Schlossnagle's teams rarely lose twice in a weekend, and the Longhorns proved that again this past series against Ole Miss.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:53pm

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The Texas Longhorns baseball team suffered a tough loss on Friday night, blowing a 4-run lead in the 9th inning against Ole Miss. However, the team bounced back in a big way, clobbering the Rebels 11-2 on Saturday and cruising to an 8-2 win on Sunday. This resilience is a trademark of Jim Schlossnagle-coached teams, who have proven extremely difficult to beat twice in the same weekend since he arrived in the SEC in 2022.

Why it matters

Schlossnagle's ability to get his teams to quickly rebound from tough losses is a big reason why the Longhorns have been so successful in SEC play. His teams have won at least 6 of 10 conference series each year he's been in the league, more than any other coach. This mental toughness and focus on taking things one day at a time is a key part of Texas' identity under Schlossnagle.

The details

After the Friday night collapse, the Longhorns arrived at the ballpark on Saturday with a renewed energy and determination. The music was blasting in the locker room, and the players were ready to compete. Texas then proceeded to dominate Ole Miss over the final two games of the series, thanks in large part to the strong pitching of Ruger Riojas, Luke Harrison, and Dylan Volantis. Schlossnagle credited the work of pitching coach Max Weiner in developing this talented staff.

  • On Friday night, Texas blew a 4-run lead in the 9th inning against Ole Miss.
  • On Saturday, Texas clobbered Ole Miss 11-2 to even the series.
  • On Sunday, Texas cruised to an 8-2 win over Ole Miss to clinch the series victory.

The players

Jim Schlossnagle

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns baseball team, who has proven extremely difficult to beat twice in the same weekend since arriving in the SEC in 2022.

Max Weiner

The pitching coach for the Texas Longhorns, who has helped develop a talented staff that has led the team to a 2.42 team ERA, good for 2nd in the country.

Ruger Riojas

The Friday night starter for the Texas Longhorns, who has a 2.05 ERA on the season.

Luke Harrison

The Saturday starter for the Texas Longhorns, who has a 2.19 ERA on the season.

Dylan Volantis

The Sunday starter for the Texas Longhorns, who has a 1.54 ERA on the season.

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What they’re saying

“I just knew that it was a turning point.”

— Dylan Volantis (statesman.com)

“I would say the main thing that I saw is just the compete. I think everybody really wanted to go out there and fight for the team. ...I think everybody has their own definition of competing, but, for me, it's being able to re-commit every single pitch and be present in every single pitch and make it the most important thing in the world to me.”

— Carson Tinney, Texas Catcher (statesman.com)

“How much we invest in the mental game and try to, you know, truly play one day at a time. I know that's coachy, but that's how we try to do it. At least the players do a good job of that. Sometimes the coaches hold onto those bricks — or at least I do — longer than probably we should.”

— Jim Schlossnagle, Texas Longhorns Head Coach (statesman.com)

What’s next

The Longhorns will look to continue their strong start to the season as they face more tough SEC competition in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

Jim Schlossnagle has built a program at Texas that is incredibly difficult to beat twice in the same weekend, a testament to the mental toughness and resilience of his teams. The Longhorns' ability to quickly bounce back from tough losses has been a key factor in their success in SEC play under Schlossnagle.