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No. 12 Arkansas blasts No. 5 Texas, 8-1, in the SEC Tournament

· Yahoo Sports

HOOVER, AL - MAY 22: Infielder Camden Kozeal #8 of the Arkansas Razorbacks is met at home plate by teammates after hitting a three run home run during the SEC Baseball Tournament Quarterfinals game between Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks on May 22, 2026, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.(Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For the second straight season, Jim Schlossnagle’s team flamed out of the SEC Tournament when the No. 5 Texas Longhorns suffered an 8-1 defeat by the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks in Hoover on Friday, keyed by two home runs by shortstop Camden Dozeal.

As Schlossnagle opted to give redshirt senior right-hander Cody Howard his first start for the Horns since 2024, Howard suffered diminishing returns for his third straight outing this month.

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The problems started quickly, as Howard hit the game’s leadoff batter with a 1-2 pitch and then gave up the first home run to Dozeal on an 0-2 pitch that stayed up on the outer half of the plate to the left-handed shortstop.

Howard continued to work ahead in counts, striking out the next two batters, but gave up a third run in the first inning on a 1-2 double and an 0-1 single.

The second inning offered some similarities for Howard, who struck out the leadoff batter on three pitches before issuing a full-count walk. After a 1-0 single, Dozeal delivered another big blow, a three-run shot to center field on an inexplicable dead-center fastball at 95 miles per hour that Dozeal smashed 450 feet to dead center at 111 mph off his barrel.

Howard departed after the second inning having allowed six runs on five hits despite five strikeouts, having showcased positive fastball velocity and ability to work ahead in counts and poor ability to make effective pitches to get out of at bats.

In Schlossnagle’s quest to see his starters work out of the bullpen, redshirt senior left-hander Luke Harrison made his first relief appearance in two years with two scoreless innings. Later in the game, sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis also pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four of the seven batters that he faced.

When freshman right-hander Kaleb Rogers replaced Harrison in the fifth inning, however, Rogers gave up a one-out single and stolen base, another single, and issued a walk to load the bases. Schlossnagle turned to redshirt junior left-hander Ethan Walker, who gave up a 2-2 RBI single and a 2-2 RBI groundout.

Freshman right-hander Brett Crossland was able to get out of the inning and freshman right-hander Michael Winter and graduate left-hander Cal Higgins each worked an effective frame in positive developments for pitching coach Max Weiner.

There wasn’t much positive at the plate for the Longhorns, who only recorded four hits and scored their lone run in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk before junior designated hitter Ethan Mendoza left the bags full when he popped out to the Razorbacks shortstop in short left field on a 2-0 pitch.

Texas only stranded five more base runners for the rest of the game as junior right fielder Aiden Robbins struck out three times in a hitless return to the top of the order, junior catcher Carson Tinney struck out twice behind Robbins while going 0-for-3, freshman left fielder Anthony Pack Jr. went 0-for-4, and redshirt senior second baseman Temo Becerra finished 0-for-3.

So the Horns once again project as top-eight national seed after flaming out in their first SEC Tournament game hoping to generate some momentum in an Austin Regional.

Hopefully that doesn’t look as much like last year as this SEC Tournament did.

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