Notebook: Texas Longhorns Blank UT Arlington in Midweek Win

The Longhorns power their way to a blowout win over the Mavericks.

Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

It had been a recurring theme for the Texas Longhorns (25-17) to come off a hard-fought conference series win, only to fall flat in their midweek contest. While they didn't always lose said midweek contests, there were some ugly performances - such as their game against the UTRGV Vaqueros.

Fortunately for Texas, that was not the case when the UT Arlington Mavericks (17-24) came to Austin on Tuesday night. Both the pitching staff and the lineup were clicking on all cylinders, as they took care of business with ease against the Mavericks.

Now, here are three key takeaways from the Longhorns' 11-0 midweek win over the Mavericks.

Texas Longhorns infielder Jared Thomas (9) bats in the fourth inning of the Longhorns game against TCU. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

Longhorns have liftoff

Power has never been an issue for the Longhorns this season. Displaying a penchant for the long ball, they entered the contest against the Mavericks with a whopping 75 home runs as a team. After their blowout win, that total ballooned up to 81 with an impressive power surge.

Yes, they launched six home runs as a team. The usual suspects did the damage, with Max Belyeu going deep twice (14), joined by Jalin Flores (15), Porter Brown (8), Jared Thomas (12) and Will Gasparino (7). Getting the bats going and keeping them red hot will be pivotal for Texas entering the upcoming weekend series.

Pitching taking shape

Not more pivotal than the pitching rounding into form, however. Which seems to be the case in Texas' last three games. Dating back to a win in the second game of the series against TCU, the Longhorns' pitching staff has allowed just one run in the last 27 innings of work.

Go back to the series opener and those totals become just six runs in 36 innings, with five of those coming in one game. Pitching has been Texas' biggest weakness this season, with inconsistencies keeping them from unlocking their true potential.

If they've found that momentum, though, it will be huge as they prepare for their final four conference series in what is a tight race for the Big 12 crown.

Sooners looming

Every series in conference play matters, especially in a conference as deep as the Big 12. That being said, the most pivotal Big 12 series of the Longhorns' season so far is on the horizon as they prepare for a weekend trip to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners (24-14, 14-4).

As it currently stands, the Longhorns sport an 11-7 record in the Big 12 and find themselves in a three-way tie for second place with the Oklahoma State Cowboys and West Virginia Mountaineers. A sweep would vault the Longhorns into a tie for first with the Sooners, while winning the series at minimum keeps their conference hopes alive.

Losing the series, though, or getting swept themselves would all but put a nail in their hopes of winning the Big 12.

What's next for Texas?

Perhaps the most important conference series of the season is on deck for the Longhorns, as they hit the road on Friday to take on the Sooners at 6:30 p.m. CT.