Texas Longhorns to host UC Santa Barbara in Austin Regional final
Head coach Jim Schlossnagle selects senior right-hander Ruger Riojas for Sunday’s contest against a Gauchos side that retains senior starter Kellan Montgomery.
The No. 6 Texas Longhorns are set to face the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the Austin Regional final on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. Central on ESPN+. Texas enters the decisive matchup with a 2-0 record following lopsided victories over Holy Cross and Tarleton State, while UC Santa Barbara advanced with a 9-5 win over the Texans.
Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle has selected senior right-hander Ruger Riojas to start the final. Riojas, the team’s former No. 1 starter, has not thrown more than five pitches since a four-inning appearance against Tennessee three weeks ago. Schlossnagle noted that Riojas has had a productive two weeks of preparation and expressed excitement for his return to the mound.
The Longhorns’ offensive output has been significant, with the team hitting 11 home runs across two games. Freshman Anthony Pack Jr led the charge with four home runs, including a school postseason record three against Holy Cross. Pack has adopted the leg kick and bat waggle of teammate Aiden Robbins, who contributed to a sequence of back-to-back-to-back home runs against Tarleton State alongside junior catcher Carson Tinney.
Texas relief pitchers are also fully rested due to the nature of the opening-round wins. Pitching coach Max Weiner was able to preserve high-leverage arms, including junior left-hander Haiden Leffew, freshman right-hander Brett Crossland, junior right-hander Thomas Burns, freshman right-hander Sam Cozart, and freshman right-hander Brody Walls.
UC Santa Barbara enters the final with a deep pitching staff that ranked in the top 10 nationally in ERA, hits allowed per nine innings, and WHIP prior to the regional. The Gauchos have not yet used senior right-hander Kellan Montgomery, who holds an 8-4 record and a 4.06 ERA, allowing opponents to hit just .243 against him.
The Gauchos’ bullpen includes seven pitchers with saves in 2026, including left-handers Chase Hoover and Cole Tryba, and right-hander AJ Krodel. Coach Andrew Checketts’ staff was able to conserve resources during the regional, with starter Jackson Flora throwing 97 pitches over 7.1 innings against Tarleton State, leaving the rest of the bullpen almost entirely available.
Offensively, UC Santa Barbara first baseman Cole Kosciuko went 4-for-5 with three runs against Tarleton State, surpassing his season high of two hits. The Gauchos will look to their bottom-of-the-order production to challenge the Longhorns, who have demonstrated significant power and plate discipline throughout the regional.
