Texas baseball gets dangerous opponent in Air Force in Austin Regional

While Texas baseball and head coach David Pierce didn’t get the job done this holiday weekend in the Philips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship against the rival and three-seed Oklahoma Sooners, this team will still get to host a Regional. Texas will get to host the Austin Regional in a field of four teams that look manageable for Pierce and his squad.

Pierce and the Longhorns are obviously the top seed in the Austin Regional and they’ll be hosting the two-seed Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, three-seed Dallas Baptist Patriots, and four-seed Air Force Falcons. But the team that sticks out for the Longhorns in this four-team Austin Regional field is Air Force out of the Mountain West Conference.

During the regular season, Air Force demolished the Longhorns in one of two games between these teams. Air Force downed Texas in convincing fashion back on April 19 at home at UFCU Disch-Falk Field by the final score of 14-2.

That was really a low point of the regular season for Pierce and the Longhorns. Yet, Texas at least responded to that 12-run loss to the Falcons with a win the following day by a slimmer two-run margin.

David Pierce and Texas baseball hosting a dangerous Air Force team in the Austin Regional

Knowing that Air Force will be the opponent for the Longhorns to open up the Austin Regional on June 3, Pierce will need to have his team ready to go out of the gates at the Disch. The difference this time around for the Longhorns will be the fact that they’ll likely get a lot more work out of the stud redshirt sophomore ace Pete Hansen.

Texas didn’t have Hansen on the mound for any starts in their first two meetings against Air Force earlier this season. That is likely going to change as Texas wants to ensure they stave off any thoughts that the Falcons have of pulling off the upset next week.

Hansen is playing better of late for Texas, winning each of his last three starts. That included a brilliant performance in 7.2 shutout innings on the mound in a 4-0 win for the Longhorns over the four-seed Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first game of the Big 12 Tournament back on May 25.

Air Force earned a spot in the college baseball postseason by winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament this weekend. There wasn’t much of a shot for the Falcons to reach the postseason otherwise.

But that means this Air Force team will come into the Austin Regional with some momentum on their side after winning three straight games to claim the MWC Tournament crown.

Texas comes into the Austin Regional sporting a record of 42-19 (14-10 Big 12) following their bad loss to Oklahoma in the final game of the Big 12 Tournament on May 29. The first pitch time between Air Force and Texas at the Disch on June 3 is set for 1 p.m. CT.