Notebook: Texas Longhorns Breeze Past Sam Houston in Midweek Win

Coming off a lengthy doubleheader against the Oklahoma Sooners in which they won both games, the Texas Longhorns (28-18) were set to face off against the Sam Houston Bearkats (24-21) in their final midweek game of the season. A win meant keeping the momentum rolling and confidence building ahead of their final nine conference games.

Well, safe to say the Longhorns took care of business in that department. The bats slugged their way to a dominant showing at the plate while the bullpen survived a few shaky performances to deliver a convincing victory over Sam Houston.

Now, here are three key takeaways from the Longhorns' 16-9 win over the Bearkats.

Facing the UT Arlington Mavericks last Tuesday, the Longhorns turned to Charlie Hurley to start on the mound. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he went out and tossed four shutout innings while allowing just one hit. He was reward for his stellar start with another chance in Tuesday's contest against the Bearkats.

And again, Hurley delivered against a strong Sam Houston lineup. The right-hander put together another sensational outing, going five innings while allowing just one run on one hit. As the season winds down and postseason play looms on the horizon, the Longhorns getting another option that can deliver multiple innings in Hurley bodes well for the pitching staff.

Just when you thought the Longhorns' bats couldn't get any hotter, they go out and deliver a scorching performance in the win over the Bearkats. A lineup that has been potent all season long continued on Tuesday, racking up a whopping 11 extra-base hits. Of those 11, five were home runs - including a pair of grand slams.

Dating back to their game against the Mavericks, the Longhorns have now launched at least five home runs in three of their last five games. Two of those were six home run showings, which ties the program record for most in a game. These bats are rolling folks.

With only nine conference games left, Texas finds itself two games back of the Sooners in the standings. If the bats stay as hot as they have been, don't rule out the Longhorns slugging their way into contention for the Big 12 crown.

There is no denying that the bullpen has been arguably the biggest concern for the Longhorns this season. They've looked dominant and untouchable at certain points, only to turn around and look like they forgot how to pitch in the very next game. All that being said, though, the arms Texas can trust heading into postseason play appear to be taking shape.

Guys like Gage Boehm and Andre Duplantier II were already well-established in the bullpen, and as such didn't see action against the Bearkats. Two of the arms that did, however, were David Shaw and Easton Tumis. The duo combined for two innings, allowing no runs or hits. A small sample size but something to build on.

With the consistency of guys like Boehm and Duplantier, getting solid innings from other arms such as Shaw and Tumis is something the Longhorns will look for come the postseason.

There are officially no more midweek games for the Longhorns following their win over the Bearkats on Tuesday. They welcome the Oklahoma State Cowboys to town for a series with serious conference title implications, starting on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.