The NCAA Baseball Tournament field is set, which means Texas knows who’s coming to Austin this weekend. The Longhorns drew UC Santa Barbara, Tarleton State and Holy Cross in their regional, a favorable draw according to RPI. Despite that, there are a few remarkable players coming to town that could change the weekend in a hurry.
Here are the three players in Austin this weekend that Longhorns fans need to know:
UC Santa Barbara: RHP Jackson Flora
One of, if not the best pitcher in the sport is coming to Austin with the Gauchos. Flora’s ERA sits at 1.05 on the season, which tops the country. Texas could possibly avoid Flora if head coach Fuller Smith decides to pitch him against Tarleton State. However, it’s assumed Flora will be the pitcher on Saturday in a possible matchup with Texas. This would take a win from both the Longhorns and Gauchos but they’ll be the favorites in their respective matchups. If they do, Texas could be staring down the toughest pitcher in the entire tournament.
Tarleton State: UTL Rayner Heinrich
The Texans are a team Texas has seen before this season. In fact, they came into Austin and beat the Longhorns 6-1 earlier this season. First-team WAC selection, Rayner Heinrich was a major part of that, and every other win for Tarleton State. He’s hitting a whopping .375 on the season, with 12 HRs and 22 doubles, all best on the team. On top of that, his positional versatility gives the Texans multiple options defensively. If Texas hooks up with Tarleton State again this weekend, #8 will be one to watch.
Holy Cross: OF CJ Egrie
This is the only player that Texas is guaranteed to see this weekend. Texas and Holy Cross face off on Friday at Noon CT, where CJ Egrie will take center stage. The senior outfielder led the Crusaders on a special postseason run through the Patriot League tournament, including stealing home in the final. Throughout the season, Egrie amassed a .338 average, 74 total bases and went 46-for-48 on stolen bases. He’s someone the Longhorns want to keep off the basepaths because he could steal his way around the bases.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Three players to watch in Austin regional for Texas baseball
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
