The Texas Longhorns celebrate their 9-8 win over Texas A&M in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Viviana Martinez (23) slides home, scoring the game-winning run, as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Kayden Henry (21) retrieves a hit as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas Longhorns utility Kaiah Altmeyer (44) catches a hit as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas Longhorns utility Katie Stewart (20) motions to throw to second base as Texas A&M Aggies catcher Madison Sauni (92) passes first base as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas A&M Aggies starting pitcher Sidne Peters (2) pitches as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas A&M Aggies outfielder Paislie Allen (11) throws infield as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Kayden Henry (21) dives and catches a hit as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Viviana Martinez (23) hits a home run as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Viviana Martinez (23) watches the ball soar as she hits a home run as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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The Longhorns celebrate a home run from Texas Longhorns infielder Viviana Martinez (23) as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns starting pitcher Teagan Kavan (17) pitches as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns outfielder Kayden Henry (21) throws infield as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Frankie Vrazel (8) bats as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kennedy Powell (1) runs to first base as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns utility Katie Stewart (20) bats as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kk Dement (16) looks to pass the ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kk Dement (16) passes the ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Micaela Wark (14) tags out Texas Longhorns utility Katie Stewart (20) at first base as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas A&M Aggies catcher Ariel Kowalewski (47) looks to pass as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas Longhorns starting pitcher/relief pitcher Hannah Wells (13) hits the ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
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Texas A&M Aggies infielder Frankie Vrazel (8) runs to first base as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns utility Taylor Anderson (27) reacts to scoring a run as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns infielder Mataia Lawson (3) celebrates Texas Longhorns utility Taylor Anderson (27) scoring a run as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Micaela Wark (14) bats as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns utility Leighann Goode (43) prepares for the next play as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies outfielder Kelsey Mathis (99) catches a fly ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Tallen Edwards (44) reacts to a play as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas fans cheer as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns infielder Viviana Martinez (23) slides into second base as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kk Dement (16) bats as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Paislie Allen (11) attempts to bunt the ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies catcher Madison Sauni (92) bats at the ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Aggies react to a play as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns relief pitches Victoria Hunter (12) pitches as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kennedy Powell (1) bats at the ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns outfielder Ashton Maloney (7) and Texas Longhorns utility Kaiah Altmeyer (44) celebrate a play as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kennedy Powell (1) takes to the field during the seventh inning as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kk Dement (16) takes to the field during the seventh inning as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Mya Perez (24) bats as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kennedy Powell (1) bats as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies infielder Paislie Allen (11) throws infield after catching a fly ball as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M Aggies relief pitcher Grace Sparks (32) pitches as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns utility Kaydee Bennett (5) smiles at second base as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns infielder Viviana Martinez (23) reacts to a play as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Although Texas softball had the longest winning streak in school history snapped at 29 games Sunday by rival Texas A&M, the Longhorns aren’t exactly dwelling on the loss entering this week’s SEC series against Alabama.
“I didn’t even know how many games we’d won in a row,” Texas coach Mike White said Tuesday while chatting with reporters. “The players, it may be a better question for them. But as far as I’m looking, I’m just worried about our next game and how well we’re playing the game.”
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Live where your feet are. The game doesn’t know the score. Stay in the moment. Such platitudes have become familiar for the Longhorns since White took over the program in 2019. And they apparently work; Texas won its first national championship last season and has reached the final series of the Women’s College World Series in three of the past four years.
What’s one loss for a Texas team still ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 31-2 record and tied for first place with Oklahoma in the SEC standings?
MORE: Texas softball: Back healthy, shortstop Viviana Martinez happy to again be helping UT
Texas Longhorns utility Leighann Goode (43) throws to first base as Texas and Texas A&M face off in game one of the Lone Star Showdown series at McCombs Field in Austin, Friday, March 27, 2026. The Longhorns won game one of the series 9-8.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
“After it (the loss to Texas A&M) happened, coach White said all good things come to an end and that we can start a new streak,” Texas second baseman Leighann Goode said. “So, (don’t) let that affect us and just keep moving forward.”
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The Longhorns — or any team in the loaded SEC, for that matter — don’t have the luxury of letting one loss linger. The toughest conference in the nation features four of the top five teams in the country and 11 squads in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll.
Don’t let one loss beat you twice, as the cliché goes.
Besides, No. 4 Alabama doesn’t need much help to beat anyone. The Tide (33-2, 7-2), one of the league’s surprise teams, have already won an SEC series against No. 9 Arkansas and would love to stamp themselves as a national contender by beating Texas.
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“I don’t know where the preseason polls had them for the SEC, but I don’t think it was in the top two or three, right?” White said. “They’ve really made a done a good job of playing well this year, for sure, in all facets of the game.”
To be specific, Alabama placed ninth in the SEC coaches’ preseason poll. But a deep pitching staff that includes three players who have thrown at least 47 innings ranks third in the SEC with a 1.41 ERA, and it issues the fewest walks in the league with 57. The Tide complement that pitching with a defense that boasts a .984 fielding percentage and has committed just 14 errors.
In comparison, Texas has a fielding rate of 96.6% with 29 errors.
That combination of pitching and defense concerns White, especially since his team hit just .282 with 19 total runs while winning last weekend’s series with Texas A&M.
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“I think they’re pitching definitely stands out as being deeper,” he said. “There’s not a lot of pressure on their defense. So, when there is pressure, they’re able to take care of it with their defensive side of things. We’re going to have to be able to score runs of Alabama’s pitching.”
Texas vs. Alabama: How to watch
Where: Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
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Schedule: Game 1 at 6 p.m. Thursday; Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. Friday; Game 3 at 5 p.m. Saturday
TV/radio: Game 1 SEC Network+; Game 2 SEC Network; Game 3 ESPN; texaslonghorns.com