Jeff Howe

Tonight's starters: Larry, Johnson, Mark, Shedrick and Kent

A LOT of Kentucky fans in the house.

A lot of blue in Moody Center tonight, too.

A lot of empty seats with less than eight minutes to go until tipoff.

It starts tonight at 7 p.m. at Globe Life Field. The Longhorns are looking for their first win of the season, while the Rebels took down No. 21 Arizona on Friday, 2-1.

Need to watch out for Tony Delk, IMO.

For Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle and the Longhorns, the benefit of opening the 2025 college baseball season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Arlington’s Globe Life Field is getting their flaws exposed right out of the gate. After Friday’s 4-3 loss to Louisville in 10 innings, Schlossnagle didn’t sugarcoat the sting No. 19 Texas felt while processing the unsavory lessons learned. The Longhorns were one out away from a season-opening victory, but the Cardinals got a two-run, pinch-hit single from Garret Pike in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. Center fielder Lucas Moore completed the comeback victory for coach Dan McDonnell’s club with a bases-loaded, two-out single off of Andre Duplantier II in the bottom of the 10th. “We're not opening the season with some school from the north that hasn't played much baseball. We’re opening the season in this tournament,” Schlossnagle said during his postgame, on-field interview with Keith Moreland. “We'll learn from this, but it certainly hurts right now, that's for sure. Texas scored its only runs through nine innings in the top of the second on Will Gasparino’s two-run home run. Schlossnagle tipped his cap to a Louisville pitching staff that fired 16 strikeouts and limited the Longhorns to a 2-for-17 night with runners on base and a 1-or-5 outing with runners in scoring position. “They pitched awesome,” Schlossnagle said of the Louisville arms. Starting pitcher Patrick Forbes bounced back from serving up Gasparino’s home run with a vengeance, striking out 11. The righty fanned Gasparino in the top of the third with two outs and the bases loaded, wiping out a golden opportunity Texas had to break the game open. The Longhorns committed two errors, while the bullpen couldn’t close the door on the Cardinals in the late innings. Regardless, a few new faces on the Forty Acres provided bright spots. Lefty Jared Spencer surrendered four hits and struck out six over 5.2 shutout innings in a successful starting debut. The Indiana State transfer’s slider befuddled the Cardinals, helping Spencer get through his outing on just 67 pitches (48 strikes). Ruger Riojas was charged with Louisville’s two ninth-inning runs. Still, the right-handed UTSA transfer struck out four in 2.2 innings of work, including punching out right fielder Eddie King Jr. with two outs and runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Adrian Rodriguez wasn’t rattled by a three-strikeout debut, coming through in the top of the 10th with a solo home run to right field. There were more than a few things to like in a losing effort, but Schlossnagle wants a different result when Texas takes on Ole Miss on Saturday (7 p.m., FloSports). “We're a work in progress, like most teams,” Schlossnagle said. It's just tough we had to go down tonight.” View full news story

That's the concerning thing for me. I was hoping not to see one of these high-strikeout games right out of the gate.

Moore singles in the winning run. It's a walk-off loss for the Longhorns. F/10: Louisville 4, Texas 3

Max Weiner makes a trip to the mound to visit with Dre.

Duplantier hits Munroe and the bases are loaded.

HUGE K for Dre. King goes down on strikes and there are two away.

The runners are in scoring position after a passed ball. Louisville has the winning run on third with one out.

Dre Duplantier will try to get the game to the 11th.

Louisville has the winning run in scoring position and Mercer's night is done.

Klein walks. Two on, one out for Louisville.

Louisville has the winning run on first base with one out in the bottom of the 10th.

We're tied again. Rose singles up the middle, bringing Neighbors home from third. It's a 3-3 game.

Alicea's sacrifice bunt moves Neighbors to third. One down and the tying run is 90 feet from home plate.

Texas will stick with Mercer.

Schloss is headed to the mound.

Louisville has a runner in scoring position. Neighbors leads off the bottom of the 10th with a double to left and the tying run is on second with no outs.

M10: Texas 3, Louisville 2

Gasparino grounds out to second and the inning is over.