Media Credit: Chris Kominczak Texas freshman Cameron Rupp takes an off-balance swing during last weekend's three-game sweep at the hands of Oklahoma State. The sweep means the Longhorns have lost six of their last seven games.

They've lost six of their last seven. They were swept for the first time at home by a conference opponent last weekend. Right now, the postseason is no guarantee.

But the No. 20 Longhorns are far from rock bottom.

"What prevents it from being rock bottom is the spirit in which the team played," coach Augie Garrido said after Saturday's loss to Oklahoma State. "I know a lesser group of people and a team not committed to teamwork and picking each other up would have fallen apart after the first game."

Despite having blown a three-run lead on Saturday and a six-run lead on Sunday, Garrido is still proud of the way his team is fighting through their struggles.

"The solution is giving players the confidence they need to get through this dark time," Garrido said. "This is extremely difficult and they've handled that part with great maturity."

In the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday and facing a 13-8 deficit, the Longhorns put up two runs. Though they fell short, the Longhorns know their efforts that didn't pay off Sunday will eventually yield better results.

"Their best wasn't good enough, but they still have the reward of self respect and they have the reward of my respect, for whatever that might be," Garrido said. "I have tremendous respect for the way they competed and how they battled how they fulfilled their commitment to themselves and their team to do their best."

Though this dark stretch may be something new to Texas baseball fans, there's reason to retain hope for a trip to the College World Series this season.

In 2007, Oklahoma State went through a rough stretch similar to the Longhorns' and went on to the Super Regional. Texas A&M also struggled miserably through the Big 12 season and came within one out of traveling to Omaha, Neb.

Garrido himself has been through it before. There's nowhere to go now but up.

"I know about this stuff," Garrido said. "What looks like the darkest, gloomiest times can be changed. This is just another time."

As for a quick fix, the Longhorns took Monday off to focus on the fundamentals of the game.

"Losing consistently is like winning consistently," Garrido said. "Instead of doing the right things at the right time, you just do the wrong things at the right time. We'll just go back to the basics."

The Longhorns travel to Waco today to face a struggling Baylor squad that has lost four consecutive games. But to consider Texas a struggling team would be an understatement.

"We've hit baseball hell and we're trying hard to get out of it," junior Kyle Russell said. "The good thing is that I see everyone's head is high and everyone's chest is up."

With a team as talented as the Longhorns, a positive attitude seems to be what they need.

"My hope comes from their strength of character," Garrido said. "I'm not worried about the talent because I know that's there."

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