OTF Premium Five things to know about No. 6 seed Texas and its draw in the Austin Regional

[Jeff Howe]

Other than the selection committee resisting the urge to pair Texas and Texas A&M together for a potential Austin Super Regional, there were no surprises when the field for the NCAA Tournament was unveiled on Monday.

For the second year in a row, Jim Schlossnagle’s club earned a top-8 national seed. The committee awarded the Longhorns the No. 6 overall seed, pairing Texas (40-13, 19-10 SEC) with the Eugene Regional (hosted by No. 11 overall seed Oregon) for the Super Regional.

One of the eight roads to Omaha and the College World Series will go through Austin, the first time that’s been the case in consecutive years since Augie Garrido led the program to top-8 seeds in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Longhorns will face No. 4 seed Holy Cross in the opening game of the regional on Friday (12 p.m., SEC Network) and, if Texas wins, it’ll face the winner of the nightcap between No. 2 seed UC Santa Barbara and No. 3 seed Tarleton State (6 p.m., ESPN+) on Saturday.

With the field of 64 set, here are five things to take stock of before Texas begins its journey toward an NCAA-record 39th trip to the College World Series and the program’s seventh national championship:

1. The regional will test whether Schlossnagle’s approach of valuing recovery and rest over prioritizing the SEC Tournament was truly the right approach.

While Ethan Mendoza and Ruger Riojas were among the key Longhorns who should benefit from the extra time off ahead of the NCAA Tournament, the team’s offensive performance in Hoover (four hits and 14 strikeouts in an 8-1 loss to Arkansas in the SEC quarterfinals) didn’t inspire a lot of confidence heading into the regional.

As of now, Schlossnagle’s approach was the right one because the SEC Tournament didn’t impact how the Longhorns are positioned in the postseason.

Texas appeared to have a top-8 seed locked up before taking the field in Hoover. That proved to be the case, and the Razorbacks getting subbed as a regional host after reaching the championship game further showed how the SEC Tournament had little to no impact on the committee.

2. The main difference between the Longhorns entering this year’s regional as opposed to last year's regional loss to UTSA is Dylan Volantis.

Once Jared Spencer went down with a season-ending arm injury, it felt like the Longhorns spent the rest of the season hanging on for dear life. Texas enters this year’s NCAA Tournament with a bona fide ace, which the Longhorns will need for a matchup with either the Gauchos or the Texans in a winner’s bracket game on Saturday.

The early indication is that the Longhorns will go with another pitcher (likely Luke Harrison, since he pitched in last Friday's loss to Arkansas, although Riojas hasn't pitched since facing one batter in the regular-season finale against Missouri on May 16) against Holy Cross (25-28) on Friday and save Volantis for Saturday. If UCSB (38-18) gets by WAC regular-season and tournament champion Tarleton State (37-19) without using ace Jackson Flora, a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, a Volantis vs. Flora pitching matchup would be one of the most noteworthy head-to-head battles in the tournament.

3. Even though a Saturday night winner’s bracket game in a regional will be a much different environment than the one the Texans played in during a 6-1 upset victory over the Longhorns on March 17, the experience Fuller Smith’s team has of winning a game at Disch-Falk Field makes Tarleton State no ordinary No. 3 seed.

Facing Volantis in prime time will be a much tougher test than when the Texans roughed up Kade Bing, Cal Higgins and Max Grubbs more than two months ago. Furthermore, Texas has no excuse to be caught off guard if the two teams meet again with a lot more on the line than there was the first time they battled.

4. To that end, given Riojas’ late-season struggles with shoulder tendonitis and Grubbs going down with a season-ending injury, the Longhorns’ pitching depth, or lack thereof, would make getting into the loser’s bracket feel like a death sentence.

To avoid such a fate, Texas can’t have its bats go cold against the top-notch arms it will see the rest of the way.

To minimize the lingering concerns at the bottom of the lineup, which will exist as long as the Longhorns remain in the tournament, Casey Borba must roll his late-season hot streak (12-for-35 with six home runs over his last 10 games) into more consistent production in the postseason. Adrian Rodriguez, who is managing his surgically-repaired hand more effectively now that he's only hitting left-handed, must keep stringing together quality at-bats (14 hits in his last 11 games).

Aiden Robbins, Carson Tinney and Anthony Pack Jr. won’t feel the pressure to carry the offense if some combination of Borba, Rodriguez and Mendoza can compete in the box and bring a consistent spark to the middle of the order.

5. Personally, I feel better about Texas getting through a Super Regional and onto Omaha than I feel about it winning a regional because of the format.

The Longhorns lost two regular-season series, both on the road, to Texas A&M and Tennessee, respectively. Texas recorded series wins over No. 4 overall seed Auburn, No. 7 overall seed Alabama and regional host Mississippi State in SEC play, all of which had Schlossnagle’s team needing to win on Sunday to clinch the series.

With Volantis capable of shutting down anybody in the field and the comfort of feeling like a win is inevitable if the game winds up in the hands of Sam Cozart, the Longhorns are as tough an out as there is in college baseball in a three-game series. Like last year, however, the winner’s bracket game of the regional could determine whether Texas makes a serious run at ending a 21-year national championship drought or if Schlossnagle and staff will get an unexpected head start on building the 2027 roster.

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[Jeff Howe]

I didn't mention it in the piece, but Schloss and Texas are playing the noon game on Friday because the staff wants the flexibility to watch the second game to study both possible opponents for the Saturday game.

That's not an uncommon approach. David Pierce preferred to do the same.

[Tres Comas]

Bracket: https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/baseball/d1/2026

[Sirhornsalot]

David who?

 

[cmk4pres]

We have to have someone step up outside of Robbins, Tinney and Pack

[Tres Comas]

20 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

5. Personally, I feel better about Texas getting through a Super Regional and onto Omaha than I feel about it winning a regional because of the format.

The Longhorns lost two regular-season series, both on the road, to Texas A&M and Tennessee, respectively. Texas recorded series wins over No. 4 overall seed Auburn, No. 7 overall seed Alabama and regional host Mississippi State in SEC play, all of which had Schlossnagle’s team needing to win on Sunday to clinch the series.

With Volantis capable of shutting down anybody in the field and the comfort of feeling like a win is inevitable if the game winds up in the hands of Sam Cozart, the Longhorns are as tough an out as there is in college baseball in a three-game series. Like last year, however, the winner’s bracket game of the regional could determine whether Texas makes a serious run at ending a 21-year national championship drought or if Schlossnagle and staff will get an unexpected head start on building the 2027 roster.

 

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This is an interesting observation of the teams character and one that would also be true in Omaha

[WRNC]

In a double-elimination regional bracket, UCSB might plan to have Jackson Flora throw a highly efficient 70–80 pitches, secure a big lead, and exit early to save their arm for later.  However, Tarleton State's chaotic offensive, .393 team on-base percentage, 114 stolen bases on 140 attempts, and Tarleton's hitters excel at spoiling close pitches to extend counts, are the ultimate kryptonite for an elite, high-velocity starting pitcher like Jackson Flora.  This is exactly the chaotic scenario Texas wants to see play out on the other side of the bracket.

[Assistant Regional Manager]

I don’t think any team in modern day college baseball (smaller rosters, fewer pitchers) is truly built to survive a losers bracket without some real heroics.

There’s a reason the advance rate for teams who start 2-0 is something like over 80%.

[Red Five]

I want to go into Saturday's game with Volantis, Harrison, Riojas, and Cozart all rested and ready to go. Start Walker and hope to get 4-5 innings from him, and then go to Burns, Walls, etc. Ideally use none of our top guys and win a 12-4 kind of game. Well, ideally we win 100-0 but you know.

[CJ Vogel]

Texas will see some elite pitching staffs here. 

Santa Barbara has one of the best arms in the country, but beyond that, they are top 15 in ERA at 3.72.

Should Texas advance, Oregon State has the best team ERA in the country and Oregon remains top 15 as well. 

[Rivalrygameblock]

Glad there’s the potential to see Flora at some point. Looking forward to the bats getting up for a guy slotted in the top 5 of the draft. 

[GGFisher]

To reach CWS you need to play your best baseball for two weeks. Texas will have to play well to do it. I think if Texas’ bats come through and Texas’ pitching can rely on their top 3 starters and Cozart/Crossland to close games then Texas can make the CWS.

If the bats go cold and Texas has to rely on other pitchers on staff to win games Texas is in trouble!!

Burns returning to form would help a bunch.