No. 25 Texas Longhorns Claim No. 3 Seed in Big 12 Tournament

The Longhorns finish the regular season coming in third in the Big 12.

Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

After taking care of business in their regular season finale against Kansas with a clean sweep, the No. 25 Texas Longhorns turned their attention south to the city of Houston. While it wasn't a game they were playing, the finale between Houston and Oklahoma State had massive implications for the Big 12 Tournament.

An upset win by Houston would have seen the Longhorns finish second in the conference and therefore award them the No. 2 seed in the tournament. Getting that No. 2 seed would have meant a bye on Tuesday, with their first game coming instead on Wednesday night.

Texas Longhorns catcher Kimble Schuessler (10) celebrates a sccore with infielder Casey Borba (31). / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

That would not be the case, however, as Oklahoma State handled the Cougars in dominant fashion with a 9-2 victory in the second game of their doubleheader. That win secured them the No. 2 seed and pushed the Longhorns down to the No. 3 seed. Their first game will come in the nightcap on Tuesday against the No. 10 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders at 7:30 p.m. CT.

This will be the Longhorns' fourth game against the Red Raiders this season, with Texas having won the series between the two to kick off its conference schedule. It was a high-scoring affair in the first tilt between these two teams, with Texas scoring 33 runs and Texas Tech putting up 22 themselves.

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Get your first look at the official 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship bracket. pic.twitter.com/GgcHdkPkiG

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As it currently stands, Texas should be safely into the Field of 64 for the NCAA Tournament. What's at stake during the Big 12 Tournament is a chance to improve positioning within that field. A likely No. 2 seed in a regional, where the Longhorns end up and how favorable of a draw that ends up being could come down to how well or how poorly they play in Arlington.