The Texas Longhorns made history Thursday night, clinching the Southeastern Conference regular season baseball championship in their inaugural year in the league with a thrilling 7-4 comeback win over the Oklahoma Sooners.

Trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, Texas rallied with key hits from Tommy Farmer IV and Abble Schler to take a 4-3 lead, only for Oklahoma to tie the game in the eighth. The decisive moment came in the ninth inning, when Max Belyeu, returning from a six-week thumb injury, blasted a three-run home run to center field, propelling the Longhorns ahead for good.

Closer Dylan Volantis retired the Sooners in order in the bottom of the ninth, sealing the victory and sparking celebrations in the Texas dugout. The win improved Texas’ record to 41-10 overall and 21-7 in SEC play, securing at least a share of the conference crown. An hour later, Tennessee’s 10-7 victory over Arkansas ensured Texas would claim the title outright.

The championship marks a remarkable achievement for Texas and first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who took over the program after moving from Texas A&M in the offseason. The Longhorns’ debut SEC campaign included sweeps of Mississippi State, Missouri, Georgia, Auburn, and Texas A&M, along with series wins over LSU and Kentucky. Despite a late-season stumble against Arkansas and Florida, Texas maintained its edge atop the standings, finishing three games ahead of second-place Arkansas

Belyeu’s heroics in his first game back after missing more than 20 games due to injury underscored the resilience of a team that overcame adversity throughout the season, including the loss of ace pitcher Jared Spencer.

With two games remaining in the regular season against Oklahoma, Texas will enter next week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, as the top seed and is expected to host an NCAA Tournament regional in Austin beginning May 30.

The Longhorns’ SEC title is the best debut by any program in conference history, capping a season that has quickly established Texas as a force in its new league.

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