Reactions to Texas baseball's loss to UTRGV: 'Pitching staff is epically horrible'
Texas baseball made history Tuesday night, although it's not the kind that the program will be proud of years from now. The Longhorns likely would rather forget about it quickly and move on to their weekend series.
The Longhorns had one of their most "embarrassing" losses in school history, losing 17-9 to UT-Rio Grande Valley. It's the first time since 1971 that the school has beaten Texas, which had won their previous 48 meetings.
Pitching was the problem for UT, as it has been all season. The Longhorns walked 11 batters and hit nine more, with the situation becoming so dire that head coach David Pierce had first baseman Jared Thomas on the mound in an attempt to find any form of pitching competence.
The 17 runs were the most Texas has given up since a 31-12 loss to Missouri in 2008, and far surpassed its season-high walk and hit-by-pitch totals. Fans were inconsolable on social media after the loss, as Texas hit its proverbial rock bottom of a season that's already been a disappointment.
Here are some reactions from social media.
There were at least 8 separate long time baseball fans/former players that I heard say it was the worst loss in their days of watching Texas Baseball. https://t.co/AJzxugRrNE
— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) April 17, 2024
Texas Baseball is in a bad place, man. There’s no way to spin what’s happened over the last 2-3 weeks.
The Good:
2-1 series win @ Kansas St
The Bad:
1-1 vs sub .500 Texas St
2-1 @ sub .500 Houston, needed 9th inning heroics to win 2
The UGLY:
L vs TAMUCC (.425 winning pct)…— The Tunnel Longhorns (@TheTunnel_Texas) April 17, 2024
Texas rly boutta get run ruled by UTRGV man pic.twitter.com/48CqpZQzUi
— Wyatt Langford Enthusiast (@HornsFanN8) April 17, 2024
.@TexasBaseball loses to UTRGV for the first time since 1971.
17-9. 10 UT pitchers issued 11 BB, 3 WP and hit 9 batters.
David Pierce on his staff's inability to throw strikes:
"At the end of the day it's on me. We gotta figure this out.."#HookEm @fox7austin 📹: @jsala123 pic.twitter.com/opQSIH8iWf— Dennis de la Pena (@dennisonfox7) April 17, 2024
I guess UTRGV was serving flat tater tots cause Texas couldn't ketchup pic.twitter.com/dbLH7zzMbe
— Jivin' Jim Schlossnagle (@SchlossJive) April 17, 2024
That's it. Texas drops a 17-9 game to UTRGV as the Vaqueros earn their first win in Austin since 1968. Texas issues 20 free passes (11 walks, 9 HBPs) and those 17 runs were the most allowed by UT since that 31-12 loss at Missouri in 2008.
Now 22-16, Texas hosts TCU this weekend.— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) April 17, 2024
UTRGV just broke a 51 year old record of runs scored in a game and they are pouring it on the Horns.
Rally the Valley 🎇🎆 https://t.co/fjBOhfqudD— Texas College Baseball (@TexasCollegeBSB) April 17, 2024
Nightmare Tuesday night at Disch-Falk. The Horns have enough offense to overcome a 9-1 deficit but their pitching staff is epically horrible. UTRGV hasn't won in Austin since 1968.
— Cedric Golden (@CedGolden) April 17, 2024
Texas lost 4 times to UTRGV during the 1971 season and have beaten the Vaqueros 48 straight times since.
A streak looks like it will come to an end tonight.— HornSports (@HornSports) April 17, 2024
From the 2nd to the 5th inning (4 inning span) THE Rio Grande was walked NINE times, and hit by a pitch SEVEN more times.
SIXTEEN free passes in 4 innings.
Someone with Baseball database access run a query …
Has that EVER happened before?
In the history of the sport? pic.twitter.com/oEfriMXj0A— Occupy LF (@OccupyLF) April 17, 2024
DOWN GOES TEXAS!!
The Vaqueros beat the Longhorns for the first time ever as UTRGV and for the first time since Pan American beat them in 1971.
Longhorns had won the last 48 meetings in a row! Congrats @Matlock_UTRGV pic.twitter.com/Dmnht8Smdk— Alex Del Barrio (@alexdelbarrio) April 17, 2024
Someone must’ve slipped some ambien in my drinks last night bc I had the most INSANE dream that Texas lost to UTRGV at the Disch. 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/mkQ6qbV815
— Fancy Boots (@TexasFancyBoots) April 17, 2024
Yea guys it’s time for David Pierce to be fired……..
I defended him up until a point then I was thinking to see how the season plays out.
It’s now to a point of the indefensible. Losing to RPI 249 UTRGV is beyond disgusting.
🗣️FIRE DAVID PIERCE— AGGRESSIVELY OPTIMISTIC TEXAS FAN 🤘🏻 (@TexasHookem22) April 17, 2024
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Reactions to Texas longhorns baseball's score, historic loss to UTRGV