On Saturday evening, Texas baseball was booted from the SEC’s championship race.
Texas allowed six homers in a 14-9 loss to Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. With that five-run victory and Friday’s 5-1 conquest, Tennessee secured a series win over the visiting Longhorns.
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Saturday’s setback also eliminated No. 4 Texas (36-12, 15-10) from contention for a conference championship. With four games left in the regular season, Georgia (40-11, 20-6) has already secured the SEC’s regular-season title.
Texas was the SEC’s champion in 2025.
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Texas actually jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Saturday’s first inning as Tennessee balked in a run and Temo Becerra opened his four-hit, five-RBI night with a two-run homer. But Tennessee (34-17, 13-13) countered by scoring at least once in each of the eight innings that it got to bat in, and the Volunteers never looked back after seizing a 4-3 lead in the third frame.
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Tennessee scored nine runs off its six homers, which were hit by six different Volunteers. Texas last allowed six homers in a single game during a 2022 contest against an Air Force team that featured current MLB star Paul Skenes.
Taking the loss on Saturday was Luke Harrison, who was moved up in the weekend rotation after Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle opted to scratch Saturday starter Ruger Riojas. Over 3 ⅔ innings, Harrison allowed six hits and four earned runs.
Texas and Tennessee will close out their series on Sunday afternoon. The Longhorns will be looking to avoid their first series sweep of the season.
Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) celebrates scoring in the eighth inning as the Texas Longhorns take on the UTSA Roadrunners at Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Texas won the game 11-8.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Luke Harrison (53) walks off the mound in the rain during the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M at Blue Bell Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Adrian Rodriguez (24) slides home for a score during the game against UC Davis at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 in Austin.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Jayden Duplantier (0) bats in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the USC Upstate Spartans on Friday, March 6, 2026 at UFCU-Disch Falk Field in the first game of a three-game series.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Jayden Duplantier (0) slides back to first base as the Texas Longhorns and Texas State Bobcats face off in San Marcos Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Ruger Riojas (13) pitches in the first inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second of a three game series at Disch-Falk Field in Austin, May 2, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Ruger Riojas (13) throws in the second inning of the second game in a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide, April 18, 2026.
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The Texas Longhornscelebrate a home run by infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) during the game against Ole Miss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday, March 13, 2026 in Austin.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Samuel Cozart (35) throws in the seventh inning as the Texas Longhorns play their first game of a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide, April 17, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Ruger Riojas (13) throws in the first inning of the second game in a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide, April 18, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns baseball alumni line up on the field ahead of the annual Texas Longhorns Alumni Baseball Game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Austin.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Dylan Volantis (99) misses tagging Alabama Crimson Tide infielder Justin LeBron (1) as he scores off a wild pitch in the sixth inning as the Texas Longhorns play their first game of a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide, April 17, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. (6) celebrates a double to second base in the fifth inning as the Texas Longhorns play their first game of a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide, April 17, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Jason Flores (4) throws a pitch during the annual Texas Longhorns Alumni Baseball Game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Austin.
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The Texas Longhorns play the UTRGV Vaqueros at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Feb. 24, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Temo Becerra (1) misses a ground ball during the annual Texas Longhorns Alumni Baseball Game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Austin.
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The Texas Longhorns line-up is listed on a fans score book in the third inning of the second game in a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, April 18, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns pitcher Thomas Burns (45) throws in the eighth inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. (6) slides home as UTRGV Vaqueros pitcher Ruben Gonzalez (33) rushes to tag him out in the sixth inning as the Longhorns play the UTRGV Vaqueros at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Feb. 24, 2026. Texas won 14-0 by run-rule after the seventh inning.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. (6) catches a ball during the annual Texas Longhorns Alumni Baseball Game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Austin.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) is struck by a pitch in the third inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second of a three game series at Disch-Falk Field in Austin, May 2, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) puts his “horns up” around the bases after a home run in the eighth inning as the Longhorns take on the Michigan State Spartans in the second game of a three-game series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Feb. 21, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) catches a pass at second in the second inning as the Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first of a three game series, May 1, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle welcomes outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) back to the dugout after his home run in the eighth inning as the Longhorns take on the Michigan State Spartans in the second game of a three-game series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Feb. 21, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Adrian Rodriguez (24) celebrates a home run by infielder Ethan Mendoza (5) during the game against Ole Miss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday, March 13, 2026 in Austin.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Adrian Rodriguez (24) throws the ball to first during the game against UC Davis at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 in Austin.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle walks to the dugout during the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M at Blue Bell Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) gets ready to bat in the eighth inning as the Texas Longhorns take on the UTSA Roadrunners at Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Texas won the game 11-8.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. (6) celebrates after stealing second during the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M at Blue Bell Park on Friday, April 10, 2026 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas Longhorn infielder Temo Becerra (1) throws the ball to first during the game against Ole Miss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday, March 13, 2026 in Austin.
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Texas Longhorns outfielder Aiden Robbins (43) catches a hit in the outfield during the first inning as the Texas Longhorns and Texas State Bobcats face off in San Marcos Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Adrian Rodriguez (24) dives for the ball in the sixth inning as the Texas Longhorns play their first game of a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide, April 17, 2026.
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The Alabama bull pen watch the sixth inning of the second game in a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, April 18, 2026.
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Mid 9: Tennessee 14, Texas 9
The Longhorns tried to rally in the ninth inning, but that attempt ended up being futile. Texas scored two runs off of Tennessee wild pitches in the ninth inning before Temo Becerra drove in a run with a double. That double capped a four-hit night for Becerra, who drove in five runs and fell a triple shy of a hitting cycle.
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The sixth homer of Tennessee’s night has only added to the Longhorns’ problems. With a two-run shot off of Michael Winter, Stone Lawless became the sixth different Volunteer to homer in this game.
Casey Borba went deep in the top of the eighth inning, but Texas still has a lot of work to do in Knoxville. The 13th homer of Borba’s season was essentially a response to Tennessee outfielder Blaine Brown’s RBI double in the seventh session.
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Tennessee keeps adding to its lead and inching closer to a series-clinching win. In the sixth inning, Reese Chapman hit a two-run homer off of UT reliever Brody Walls. Texas has allowed a season-high five homers in this game.
After hitting four homers over this game’s first four innings, small ball did the trick for Tennessee in the fifth frame. The Volunteers opened the inning with two singles, and Tennessee then scored twice when UT third baseman Temo Becerra threw away the baseball on Reese Chapman’s sacrifice bunt.
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B5
Reese Chapman lays down a bunt that leads to 2-runs as the Longhorns commit another error
Texas 5
Tennessee 8 pic.twitter.com/TncHTT5tst
— Tennessee Volunteers on SI (@VolsOnSI) May 9, 2026
Tennessee later got Chapman home on a sacrifice fly. This four-run lead is Tennessee’s largest of the evening.
Batting clean-up for the first time this season, Temo Becerra is having a huge day for the Longhorns. Becerra just contributed a two-run single in the fifth inning as Texas cut into the Tennessee lead.
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Becerra hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and the senior is 3-for-3 this afternoon. As UT’s third baseman, Becerra has also made a leaping snap of a line drive for the second out in the bottom of the first inning.
Texas starting pitcher Luke Harrison’s evening ended in the fourth inning after a bad break and a big swing. Harrison seemed to retire the Volunteers in order in the frame, but Texas catcher Carson Tinney couldn’t get the out at first base after Garrett Wright swung at a third strike in the dirt. Wright reached base with two outs, and Blake Grimmer then hit the fourth homer of the game for Tennessee.
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After Grimmer’s two-run shot, Harrison was replaced on the mound by Brett Crossland. This was the third-shortest outing of the season for Harrison, who had his start moved up a day this weekend.
After falling behind by three runs in the first inning, Tennessee has completed an early rally. Tennessee designated hitter Trent Grindlinger, who hit a solo homer in the first inning’s bottom half, got the best of UT starter Luke Harrison again in the fourth frame with an RBI double that gave the Volunteers their first lead of the day.
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Tennessee had a chance to score more in the fourth inning, but Harrison got a groundout to get Texas out of a bases-loaded jam. Harrison had thrown 49 pitches so far.
Through two innings, Tennessee has three hits. All three of those hits have turned into souvenirs for the fans at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Manny Marin’s solo in the second session just tied this game.
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Offense does not appear to be in short supply at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Tennessee’s Garrett Wright and Trent Grindlinger both hit solo homers in the bottom of the first inning to help the Volunteers respond to Temo Becerra’s two-run blast in the frame’s top half.
Both of Tennessee’s home runs were hit off of Luke Harrison, who also served up a first-inning grand slam against Mississippi State last week. Before the Mississippi State game, Harrison had allowed a total of two homers over the first 11 starts and 55 innings of his senior season.
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Tonight’s first run was scored in unconventional fashion as UT’s Carson Tinney trotted home on a balk that was called after Tennessee pitcher Evan Blanco slipped on the mound. The next two runs, though, were more normal as Temo Becerra hit his first homer since March 10. Becerra’s two-run shot was the Longhorns’ 76th homer of the season.
Texas will not stick to its pitching plan for this weekend. A team spokesperson has confirmed a 247Sports report that Ruger Riojas won’t start against the Volunteers today due to what is being described as a coach’s decision. Riojas is 5-2 this season with a 3.71 ERA and a team-high 96 strikeouts.
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On @TexasBaseball, going with Luke Harrison over Ruger Riojas today, Jim Schlossnagle told @Hornvoice in his pregame radio interview that @TheArmFarm has been working on some things with Riojas in the bullpen. Wanted to give him an extra day to prepare for his start. #HookEm
— Jeff Howe (@JeffHoweOTF) May 9, 2026
The Longhorns will instead start Luke Harrison today instead of tomorrow. Harrison is 5-2 with a 4.35 ERA.
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Where: Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
TV/radio: SEC Network+, 1300 AM
Texas Longhorns infielder Temo Becerra (1) reacts to tagging out Texas State Bobcats outfielder Jackson Cotton (44) during the first inning as the Texas Longhorns and Texas State Bobcats face off in San Marcos Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
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RF Aiden Robbins
C Carson Tinney
LF Anthony Pack Jr.
3B Temo Becerra
SS Adrian Rodriguez
1B Casey Borna
DH Presley Courville
CF Maddox Monsour
2B Jayden Duplantier
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After exiting last night’s first inning with an injury, Ethan Mendoza remains out of UT’s starting lineup. Jayden Duplantier will become the first player not named Mendoza to start at second base for the Longhorns this season.
CF Garrett Wright
2B Blake Grimmer
3B Henry Ford
DH Trent Grindlinger
1B Levi Clark
RF Reese Chapman
C Stone Lawless
SS Manny Marin
LF Blaine Brown
LHP Luke Harrison (5-2, 4.35 ERA)
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LHP Evan Blanco (5-3, 4.36 ERA)