Texas Baseball: Tristan Stevens, Horns trying to push to CWS vs. USF

In what could be the final game of the Austin Super Regional this weekend at Disch-Falk Field, head coach David Pierce and the Texas baseball program are just one win away from making their first trip to the College World Series since 2018. Texas is set to face the South Florida Bulls in the second game in the Austin Super Regional at the Disch.

The first meeting between Texas and USF in the Austin Super Regional took place on June 12, with Pierce and the Longhorns getting the win by the narrow final score of 4-3. A walk-off win thanks to Eric Kennedy got Texas the win over USF by that one-run margin in the bottom of the ninth on the night of June 12.

That win over USF on June 12 put Texas just one win away from topping USF in the Austin Super Regional and getting back to Omaha in the College World Series.

The No. 2 ranked Longhorns and USF were two of the hottest teams in the entire country in their own right coming into Super Regionals. Texas worked through the Austin Regional without trouble, going unscathed against the Fairfield Stags, Southern Jaguars, and Arizona State Sun Devils.

Moreover, Texas controlled their first meeting with USF most of the way on June 12. But a three-run spark from the Bulls in the top of the ninth inning in the first game in the Austin Super Regional pushed the Longhorns to the brink. Kennedy did respond strongly with his second run batted in of the game, which eventually got Texas the win.

Ty Madden gave the Longhorns nearly seven scoreless innings to get the pitching staff moving in the right direction this weekend. Texas will be looking to get much of the same out of redshirt junior right-hander Tristan Stevens.

Tristan Stevens can guide Texas baseball into the College World Series

In this meeting with USF at the Disch on the night of June 13, Stevens will get the call for the Longhorns on the mound. He will be looking for his 11th win of the season, and he brings a sub-3.00 earned run average into this game.

On the mound for the Bulls is the right-hander Collin Sullivan. Coming into this game, Sullivan owns a record of 3-3, with a 3.69 ERA. His numbers aren’t as good as Stevens heading into this game, but Sullivan is trending up ahead of his start in the Austin Super Regional.

The bats for Texas will need to come through with a solid level of consistency, especially compared to the first game of the Super Regional. Texas got solid pitching efforts throughout much of the season to date, and all eyes will be on that group again for those in burnt orange and white.

Texas will be looking to get their 47th win of the season if they can topple USF on June 13. Getting that second win of the Austin Super Regional will be able to get Texas back to the College World Series, which would be the second time under Pierce’s direction as head coach.