UT baseball loses key pitcher

The University of Texas Longhorns baseball squad is ranked first in the country — but was just dealt a big blow.

Driving the news: Pitcher Tanner Witt will have season-ending Tommy John surgery, university officials announced Thursday.

• In his two starts this year, Witt, a lithe 6'5" with a killer curve, notched two victories, tossing 14 strikeouts and giving up only two runs in 11 innings pitched.

Why it matters: Good pitching wins championships — and this is a team aiming to hoist trophies at season's end.

Between the lines: It's been a tough couple days for the 12-2 Longhorns, who lost a chippy, tight game with Texas State in Austin on Wednesday, one that saw the Longhorns' head coach ejected in the ninth inning.

What's next: The Longhorns can regroup as they head to South Carolina this weekend for five games over the coming week — as well as some spring break beach time.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Wednesday's game was played in Austin (not San Marcos).