Five lingering questions for Texas Baseball ahead of the Austin Super Regional

While some programs around the College Baseball tournament bracket have already punched their tickets to Omaha, Texas and Oregon have had to sit back and watch, preparing for a weekend Super Regional series that begins on Saturday night.

The Longhorns are favored, and it’s not hard to see why. While both teams swept their own regionals, Texas gets to play at home after finishing second in the SEC in wins, as well as a top-five RPI finish for the regular season.

But Texas has had problems this year that have plagued its lineup construction and trusted arms. It took until the last month to figure out this outfield combo; six total options have cycled through those three spots.

Pair that with an ever-changing bullpen, and Texas has seen its fair share of change throughout this year.

The team is what it is at this point, and that is a very strong one, but a few questions still remain for this Texas team heading into the Supers.

1. How much can you trust this bullpen?

We’ve gone through the bullpen rollercoaster all year. A lot of fans fail to realize that a solid, dependable bullpen is a giant rarity in college baseball. You just don’t see it.

Texas has had its ups and downs, especially with Ole Miss and Auburn on Friday, but generally, they have been solid throughout the year. Auburn was the only SEC team with a better one statistically.

But when they were tested against an ok UC Santa Barbara offense late in the Austin Regional, they crumbled.

Haiden Leffew couldn’t throw a strike. Brett Crossland threw away two runs, and Sam Cozart wasn’t even close to the cyborg-like arm we’ve become accustomed to.

Thomas Burns, who has been one of the more unreliable arms this year, was actually very dependable for five outs.

Cozart is going to have to be elite for Texas to make a run, no question, but the Longhorns can’t hide this bullpen. Crossland will need to step up, as will Leffew.

This staff has likely shrunk, with the names mentioned above, the three starters and Ethan Walker likely being the only arms we see. It’s a group that was built for times like this. We’ll see if they step up.

2. How much value can the bottom of the order generate?

Texas had a very mixed bag performance from their bottom of the order bats in Austin last weekend.

Ashton Larson reached base eight times in three games, scoring four runs. He doesn’t hit for power, but he gets on base.

In theory, that should work well with Casey Borba behind him, but Borba went 2/14 with two walks and five strikeouts, never responsible for moving Larson around the bases.

Dariyan Pendergrass was fine, doing most of his damage against Holy Cross.

This trio needs to get on base throughout the weekend. The top of Texas’ order is too dangerous with runners on to give Oregon free outs in front of them, and this group in general has been a mixed bag throughout the year.

Larson has been great, but Pendergrass needs to get his speed on, and Borba needs to hit for power. You can live with K’s if it comes with doubles and over-the-fence swings.

3. What difference does raw starpower make?

Texas and Oregon are very similar teams in spots 4-9 in the lineup, 2-3 in the rotation and the bullpen.

But the clear scouting report difference between these two teams is Texas’ star power. Oregon doesn’t have a player like Anthony Pack, let alone Carson Tinney and Aiden Robbins.

They have solid arms, but none are as good as Dylan Volantis.

Even if the rest of the team underperforms, could Texas escape this weekend strictly off the back of an elite Saturday from Volantis and just enough big swings from the top three?

They probably can, and that doesn’t even mention Sam Cozart, the other two starters and a very solid middle of the order over the last month with Temo Becerra, Adrian Rodriguez and Ethan Mendoza.

But that puts a lot of pressure on select individuals, and you’d love to avoid those kinds of results.

4. How will Texas fare in uncharted waters?

SP Luke Harrison and 3B Temo Becerra are the only two Longhorn contributors who have extensive experience playing this deep into the postseason.

There’s a lot of pressure being placed on a team filled with a number of young players, especially with freshman contributors like Pack, Cozart and Crossland.

Texas hasn’t been here before. Even if it’s the same case for some players on Oregon, the Ducks made the Super’s just two years ago.

The Longhorns will need to hold steady on their ‘every day is opening day’ identity as a squad. The moment can’t be too big.

5. Are the lights too bright, even if those lights are at the Disch?

ESPN has set this regional up to be THE talk of the sports world this weekend. Two primetime weekend night games on the main channel, Texas and Oregon, two of the biggest brands in the sport, will be extensively viewed around the nation.

Between the inexperience, the late start and the eyeballs glued to this matchup, it wouldn’t be crazy to expect a certain level of jitters from some of the Longhorns.

But that goes both ways, and Oregon has an even bigger task.

Texas hasn’t lost two games in a three-game span at the Disch all season, a perfect series record at home.

Overall, the Horns are 32-4 at home. Two of those came within one run.

Texas has one of the best home-field advantages in the sport, only amplified more by the extra seating that comes with postseason baseball.

It’s the fans’ job to bring the energy and advantages to the Disch this weekend.

It’s the player’s job to deliver the results.

First pitch is at 7 P.M. Central time here in Austin.