The 2022 Austin Regional will have no shortage of fireworks.
Perennial powerhouse Texas will host dominant mid-major programs Louisiana Tech, Dallas Baptist and the high flying offense of the Air Force Falcons.
No. 9 Texas (42-19) has had a roller coaster of a season. The Longhorns ranked No. 1 in the country to start the season and looked the part through the first two weeks. Texas enjoyed wins over Alabama, Tennessee and LSU before news broke that preseason All-American Tanner Witt would miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury.
Inconsistent pitching led to some struggles for the Longhorns. Texas fell out of the top 25 after being swept at home against Oklahoma State at the end of April. Texas then closed the season red-hot and made a run to the Big 12 Tournament championship to climb back into earning a regional host.
Louisiana Tech (42-19) is coming off winning the Conference USA Tournament title. The Bulldogs return strong experience from last year’s squad which hosted a regional themselves. Louisiana Tech took down LSU in a midweek matchup earlier in the season.
Dallas Baptist (34-22-1) is always a tough out in the NCAA tournament. The Patriots were one game away for the College World Series a year ago. DBU faced some hardships during conference play this season, finishing just 11-9-1 in the Missouri Valley.
Air Force (30-27) presents a unique challenge as a No. 4 seed. The Falcons boast one of the top offensive attacks in the nation along with potential first-round Paul Skenes. Skenes is a two-way player who will take the mound against the Horns in game one. He holds a 2.42 ERA and a fastball that touches triple-digits at times.
Here is a look at the game one pitching matchups, schedule, players to watch and prediction for the Austin Regional.