Jeff Howe

I added some color on what this means for the pitching staff heading into the postseason.

He was really talented, but to your point, I don't think he was ever going to be eligible. Same thing with Gilbert Johnson from the same class.

Unless he can get a waiver that I'm not aware of, he's out of eligibility.

Texas will have to go through the postseason without right-handed relief pitcher Max Grubbs, who will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after undergoing arm surgery, the school announced Saturday. Wednesday’s availability report released by the SEC office ruled Grubbs out of action for the Longhorns’ regular-season-ending series with Missouri. Jim Schlossnagle said during his Wednesday media availability on the eve of the series opener that Grubbs has been dealing with arm soreness. A veteran bullpen hand with 67 career appearances and starting experience under his belt (15 starts over the last three seasons, including 12 in 2024), Grubbs has a 2-0 record with a 5.52 ERA in 18 appearances (two starts) as a senior. For his career, Grubbs is 15-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 168.2 innings, with 146 career strikeouts. Grubbs was outstanding on the mound in Schlossnagle’s first season, helping Texas capture the SEC regular-season championship with a 6-2 record, setting career highs for single-season appearances (22), ERA (2.84), saves (five) and strikeouts (61). Opponents hit just .238 against Grubbs in 2025, which was also the best single-season mark of his career. What does this mean for the Longhorns? A healthy Grubbs could've been Max Weiner’s Swiss Army knife in the postseason. Grubbs would’ve been capable of starting a conference tournament game if Schlossnagle and Weiner wanted to rest one of the regular weekend starters, or he could be used as a fourth starter, which would’ve been massive if Texas found itself in the loser’s bracket of the regional. If available, Grubbs would've been the team’s best right-handed long-relief option. How does this change things for the postseason? The goal late in games is to get the ball to Sam Cozart (6-0, 1.59 ERA), who has been a force out of the bullpen as a freshman. The 6-foot-6-inch, 260-pound hard-throwing righty has recorded a team-high eight saves this season, while firing 66 strikeouts, posting a 0.64 WHIP and holding opponents to a .112 batting average. Schlossnagle and Weiner trust Brett Crossland (1-2, 3.22 ERA) and Haiden Leffew (4-1, 3.60 ERA) in their respective roles. Leffew will enter the postseason as the Longhorns’ only left-handed reliever capable of throwing multiple innings in an outing; Ethan Walker's (1-0, 3.00 ERA) role is that of the team's situational lefty, likely entering the game to get the team out of a jam with traffic on the bases against a left-handed hitter. It felt like Thomas Burns (0-0, 6.87 ERA) was turning a corner in recent weeks after a rough stretch. Unfortunately, Burns failed to record an out during a six-run seventh inning by the Tigers in Friday’s 11-6 series-clinching win, walking one and allowing a hit while getting charged with two earned runs. Brody Walls(2-0, 5.54 ERA), who is next in line to see his workload increase in Grubbs’ absence, struck out three Missouri batters in 1.1 scoreless innings on Friday. Schlossnagle has talked about using next week’s SEC Tournament to audition other Longhorn pitchers for postseason roles. Schlossnagle has previously mentioned veteran right-hander Cody Howard (0-0, 6.00 ERA) and southpaw Kade Bing (1-1, 6.00 ERA) as potential pitching options in Hoover, Ala., with the team’s first game coming in the conference quarterfinals next Friday. Texas (39-12, 18-10 SEC) clinched a double bye in the SEC Tournament with its win on Friday and Alabama’s loss to Ole Miss in Tuscaloosa. The Longhorns conclude the regular season against Missouri at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday (2 p.m., SEC Network+), with a series locking them into the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and likely securing a Top 8 national seed for the NCAA Tournament. View full news story

A win tomorrow and the Longhorns should lock up a Top 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Getting to 40 wins overall and finishing in the top quarter of the top RPI conference with 19 SEC wins should be enough, no matter what happens in Hoover.

Texas moves to 39-12 overall, 18-10 in SEC play.

FINAL: Texas 11, Missouri 6

Cozart ends it with a strikeout looking. Game over. Series secured. Double bye in the SEC Tournament secured.

Nice play charging in from third by Borba for the second out of the inning. Mizzou has a runner on second with two outs.

With Alabama's loss to Ole Miss, Texas is locked into a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament with a win tonight.

End of 8: Texas 11, Missouri 6

Gumbo ends the inning stranded on third. Sam Cozart is coming out of the bullpen to work the ninth.

Leadoff double to the mesh wall in right by Gumbo.

Peace Officers Memorial Day

M8: Texas 11, Missouri 6

Two strikeouts help Walls retire the Tigers in order in the top of the eighth.

End of 7: Texas 11, Missouri 6

An RBI single by Borba gets a run back. The Longhorns have a five-run lead through seven.

M7: Texas 10, Missouri 6

Walls strikes out Serna swinging to end the inning. Six runs on just three hits for Mizzou in the top of the seventh.

The bases are empty with two outs.

Texas has gone from being two outs away from a run-rule win to Missouri getting right back in the game.

The runner scores from third on a wild pitch. That makes it a six-run seventh for Missouri.