Texas
Pitching a persistent problem for Texas baseball team in ’embarrassing’ loss to UTRGV
To open his postgame press conference on Tuesday night, Texas coach David Pierce got right to the point.
“At the end of the day, we’re not a very good baseball team at times. Then there’s times where we look like we’re really good. We’re from one spectrum to the other and tonight was just embarrassing,” Pierce said.
Texas issued 20 free passes to UTRGV in a 17-9 loss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas walked 11 batters and the Vaqueros were hit by nine Texas pitches. The UTRGV offense also produced 11 hits, two of which were solo homers by Martin Vazquez.
The 17 runs were the most allowed by Texas since a 31-12 loss at Missouri in 2008. Before Tuesday, UT’s season-high totals for walks was eight. The Longhorns hadn’t hit more than four opponents in a single game in 2024.
In a game that lasted four hours and five minutes, Texas could not solve its pitching problems. One of the 10 pitchers who threw on Tuesday was sophomore Jared Thomas, who is normally UT’s starting first baseman. Texas failed to retire UTRGV in order in any of Tuesday’s nine innings.
“I think we have a huge gap in our mentality,” Pierce said. “We have some guys in our clubhouse that are tough as nails and then we have some guys that are just trying to fit in and trying to figure out in the middle of competition if they’re good enough and they’re just not very confident.
“We’re not even talking about Power Five (competition), we’re talking about college baseball, of not being able to throw strikes. At the end of the day, it’s on me. We’ve got to figure this out because it’s going to be a long rest of the season if we don’t.”
Now 22-16 this season, Texas’ RPI of 67 won’t be helped by Tuesday’s result. Entering Tuesday, UTRGV (18-15) had the No. 250 RPI and that baseball program hadn’t won in Austin since 1968.
The Longhorns will host TCU this weekend in a series featuring the Big 12’s fourth- and 11th-place teams. TCU and Texas were ranked first and second in the conference’s preseason poll.
A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.
Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.
Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.
“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”
Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.
The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.
Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.
Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.
“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”
Up next
Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).
Watch CBS News
A Texas state trooper was killed in a crash in the Panhandle, becoming the 244th Texas Department of Public Safety officer to die in the line of duty since 1823, according to the agency.
Sergio Romero, 27, died Wednesday after a semi-truck pulled in front of him as he attempted a traffic stop around 4 p.m. on U.S. 287 in Childress County, DPS said.
In a statement, Col. Freeman F. Martin praised Romero’s courage, integrity, and service.
“Today, we grieve the loss of one of our own,” Martin said. “… Our hearts break alongside his family, friends, fellow troopers, and all who loved him. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made in service of his fellow Texans.”
Romero previously served with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office before joining DPS as part of Class B-2025 in Childress, the agency said.
He is survived by his wife, Francisca, and their two young sons.
Funeral arrangements are pending. The crash remains under investigation.
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