Jeff Howe

UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts said a sign was initially missed on the double steal that gave Texas a huge out in the eighth inning. "We got caught with our pants down," he said, referring to the poor execution that ran the Gauchos into an out and played a role in stranding a runner on third.

AUSTIN, Texas — Behind Ruger Riojas’ exceptional performance on the mound and Aiden Robbins’ heroic home run in the seventh inning of Sunday’s championship game of the Austin Regional, Texas eliminated UC Santa Barbara to advance in the NCAA Tournament with a 6-4 win at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. After last year’s disappointing exit in the regional as one of eight national seeds, the Longhorns (the No. 6 overall national seed) righted the ship this season. With a 19-1 rout of Holy Cross on Friday and a 16-2 dismantling of Tarleton State in the winner’s bracket game on Saturday preceding the late-inning comeback victory over the Gauchos, Texas (43-13) will host the winner of the Eugene Regional (either Oregon and Oregon State) in next week’s Austin Super Regional. The Longhorns didn’t score until the sixth inning, but Jim Schlossnagle’s club stayed in the game because of the job Riojas did in his first extensive action in three weeks. Riojas, who battled shoulder tendonitis late in the regular season, scattered three hits and one walk while striking out six in five innings of one-run baseball. UC Santa Barbara (40-20) built a 3-2 lead through six innings thanks to a first-inning home run and two Texas errors in the bottom of the sixth. With Casey Borba on first and one out in the top of the seventh, Robbins took the fifth pitch he saw from lefty Van Froling deep to right field for a two-run, opposite-field home run. The Austin Regional Most Outstanding Player, Robbins, who hit his team-leading 23rd home run of the season, gave the Longhorns a lead they never relinquished. Still, the Gauchos made them work for the last nine outs. A pair of eighth-inning insurance runs (Adrian Rodriguez scored from second on an RBI double down the left-field line by Ethan Mendoza, who scored from third with two outs on a failed pickoff attempt) came in handy after UCSB scored a run against Sam Cozart in the home half. Cozart recorded the first two outs of the ninth inning, but he exited with the bases loaded after hitting a better. Luke Harrison, who started Friday's win over Holy Cross, came out of the bullpen to notch a two-pitch save (the third of his career and his first since March 5, 2022, against LSU), helping Texas earn a Super Regional berth for the first time since 2023. View full news story

FINAL: Texas 6, UC Santa Barbara 4

Kelly is retired by A-Rod in shallow left to end it. Harrison gets the last out on two pitches and Texas wins the regional.

I guess they value the lefty-lefty matchup.

Schloss is coming to get Cozart. He and Max Weiner are going to Luke Harrison to record the final out.

Cozart hit Barrett. Rowan is up with the bases loaded and two outs.

Larson retires Nunez in foul territory.

Cozart goes upstairs for a huge strikeout. One away.

Luke Harrison is up.

Kosciusko singles off the right-field wall. It's first and third with no outs. The tying run is on base. I think Dylan Volantis is up in the bullpen.

A leadoff single by Esquer brings the tying run to the plate.

M9: Texas 6, UCSB 4

After walking, Becerra is thrown out at second, bringing the inning to an end. Let's see if Texas can get these last three outs.

The only way you'll see Volantis is if it's for one batter. Even then, I highly doubt he'll go tonight.

The SID from UCSB said they've run that double steal before. The issue was that the pinch runner slid into second instead of staying on his feet and getting into a rundown, which would've given the runner from third a chance to score. Questionable decision. Horrible execution.

Mendez flies out to left. UCSB made Cozart sweat, but the Longhorns have a two-run lead and are three outs away from winning the regional.

That was supposed to be a double steal. Instead, UCSB runs itself into the second out of the inning. Huge break for Texas.

What an odd game.

Make it first and third with one out after Vargas puts one just out of reach for Becerra.

Borba makes the smart play, going to first, trading the run for an out. It's a 6-4 game with a runner on second and one out.

Not ideal. Cozart allowed a single and then a double that was dangerously close to being a home run. UCSB has the tying run at the plate with no outs in the bottom of the eighth.

M8: Texas 6, UCSB 3