Texas Drops SEC Opener to Ole Miss, 9-8 in 11 Innings

Friday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field was destined to be a classic, and unfortunately, for Texas fans, it went the wrong way. The No. 2 Longhorns lost their first game of 2026, 9-8 in 11 innings to Ole Miss in their SEC opener. The loss ended a 16-game run to the start of the season, which had matched the best opening streak running for the program since 2005. The loss stings, but the Horns laid it all on the table in a grind-it-out, 4-hour, 34-minute ballgame that went to the Rebels.

Texas led most of the night and came within one out of a win before everything crumbled. With the Longhorns still clinging to a 7-3 lead in the eighth, Ole Miss right fielder Tristan Bissetta crushed a go-ahead grand slam to flip the script altogether. And right away, a comfortable lead became a lost one. But the Longhorns didn’t go quietly, either. Down to their final strike in the ninth, Temo Becerra gave a game-tying single to allow another extra inning. Texas even had the tying run reach base in the 11th inning, but Ole Miss reliever Landon Waters shut it down to wrap up the win for the Rebels (16-3, 1-0 SEC).

Power at the Plate
The offense showed plenty of life despite the loss. Texas (16-1, 0-1 SEC) went deep three times all night:

• Ethan Mendoza hit a three-run homer in the third to tie the game.
• Casey Borba followed with his fifth home run in five games in the fourth.
• In the eighth, Anthony Pack Jr. crushed a three-run blast, his fourth this year, to put his team in a 7-3 lead.

On the Mound
Brett Crossland (1-1) accepted defeat despite striking out four of six hitters he encountered. A hit batter eventually came around to score the game’s deciding run — a hard break in a game full of them. Ole Miss starter Tyler Rabe (3-0) captured the game while striking out five over two sharp innings of relief.

Saturday afternoon gives the Longhorns a chance to level the series. First scheduled pitch against the Rebels is at 2:30 p.m. at Disch-Falk Field.