The Longhorns used the long ball to crush Holy Cross and open the Austin Regional with a major statement.
Freshman outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. hit three home runs in his first NCAA tournament game, which were just half of the Texas Longhorns' slugfest against Holy Cross on Friday afternoon at Disch-Falk Field to open the Austin Regional.
The No. 6-seeded Longhorns crushed the Crusaders 19-1 and advance into the winners' bracket to face Tarleton State, who beat UC Santa Barbara, on Saturday night.
Pack, the SEC Freshman of the Year, became the first player in program history to homer three times in an NCAA tournament game.
"I just went out there like every other game, I don't think anything changed," Pack said about how his pregame routine brought a calming presence to his first postseason appearance. "I think it just came with the preparation. I'm glad that I looked that way, I just want to stay that way."
"His mentality has been great since he's been here," head coach Jim Schlossnagle said about the freshman. "All the great players I've coached have a really good combination of confidence and humility. ... He's a great player, and an even better guy, and a really big part of the future of this program."
Joining in on the offense was fellow outfielder Aiden Robbins, who homered twice, along with one from Jayden Duplantier, who pinch-hit for Pack and launched a grand slam in the sixth inning.
Texas scored in each frame. Holy Cross could only manage its lone run in the top of the ninth inning as the Longhorns' pitching staff allowed eight hits and struck out 10. Luke Harrison got the start on the mound and accounted for seven of those punch-outs across 4.0 innings of scoreless ball.
The offense remained the story, however, with seven different Longhorns registering at least two hits in the game. It adds up to a season-high hit total of 21. The two-out hitting was particularly impressive, as 14 of the 19 runs scored came when Texas was down to its last out of an inning.
"We kinda had our day," said Schlossnagle. "But it's on to the next day now."
The Longhorns face a Texans team that has already got the better of them once this season. Tarleton State beat Texas 6-1 in Austin on March 17.
The teams face off at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
