The Gauchos will begin the NCAA postseason in the Lone Star State.
UCSB Baseball is set to compete in the Austin Regional hosted by the University of Texas, beginning on Friday.
The Gauchos, who fell in the Big West Tournament before reaching the title game, were awarded an at-large bid into the NCAA Regionals after going 38-18 on the season and sharing the Big West regular season championship.
UCSB is joined at the Austin Regional by the No. 6 national seed Texas (40-13), Patriot League champion Holy Cross (25-28) and Western Athletic Conference champion Tarleton State (37-19).
The Gauchos will open the weekend against Tarleton State on Friday at 3 p.m. PST. Tarleton State is making its first-ever NCAA Division I Regional and its first NCAA playoff since 2018.
UCSB junior Jackson Flora, the nation’s leader in ERA at 1.05, will likely toe the rubber for game one and give the Gauchos a strong chance to enter the winner’s bracket after Friday. Flora leads a pitching staff that is fifth in the nation in ERA at 3.45.
The Gauchos will be entering their eighth NCAA Regional Tournament in head coach Andrew Checketts’ 15-year tenure.