It was a tough day at Lindsey Nelson Stadium for the No. 4 Texas Longhorns, as they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday—and the loss was compounded by a concerning injury to junior second baseman Ethan Mendoza.

Mendoza, who spent 15 games as the designated hitter last season after a shoulder injury from diving for a ground ball, left the game in the first inning after a similar play. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle offered little hope that the Arizona State transfer would return this weekend, noting that throwing remains the issue. At best, a DH appearance might be possible.

Without Mendoza anchoring the lineup, Texas struggled mightily against Tennessee ace Tegan Kuhns. The Volunteers' starter delivered a career-high 15 strikeouts over seven innings, throwing 113 pitches and allowing just four hits and one walk in a dominant, scoreless outing. The Longhorns struck out 19 times overall, with the bottom of the order especially quiet. Sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez went down on strikes in all four at-bats, while junior designated hitter Ashton Larson, junior infielder Casey Borba, and freshman center fielder Maddox Monsour each whiffed three times.

The lone bright spot came from junior right fielder Aiden Robbins, who notched two hits—including a double and a solo home run in the eighth inning—but got little support from the rest of the lineup.

On the mound, sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis had an uncharacteristically rough start, allowing RBI doubles in the first and second innings and another run on a wild pitch. He settled in to throw three scoreless frames, but the damage was done. Redshirt senior right-hander Cody Howard finished the game with three innings of work, giving up two runs on two hits.

Texas will look to bounce back on Saturday, with first pitch set for 5 p.m. Central on SEC Network+. It's a pivotal moment for the Longhorns, who will need to find their rhythm—and possibly adjust their lineup—if they hope to even the series.