2025 NCAA baseball tournament: Chris Del Conte reacts to Disch-Falk field damage, concerns for Austin Regional

A thunderstorm that went through Austin, Texas on Wednesday caused severe damage to the outfield at Disch-Falk Field — the home of the Texas baseball team. The Longhorns are scheduled to host the Austin Regional beginning on Friday.

While the outfield is littered with debris and the batter’s eye down, grounds crews are expected to clear the field in time for the first pitch this weekend. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte confirmed this on X shortly after the damage was revealed: “Yes sir!” he responded to a Texas fan asking whether it could be fixed in such short notice.

This is what the batter’s eye at Disch-Falk Field looks like after this evening’s thunderstorm.

Texas is scheduled to host a regional beginning Friday at 1 pm. pic.twitter.com/1eNvkwLFCR

— David Eckert (@davideckert98) May 29, 2025

First pitch for Texas vs. Houston Christian, barring any more weather-related incidents, is set for 2 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN+. UTSA and Kansas State are set to play later in the afternoon. The Longhorns are the No. 2 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

A school spokesperson has since commented on the matter. They spoke with local outlet KXAN about the matter, further hammering home that the plan is for the Austin Regional to begin on time.

“We are aware of the situation and are working toward a solution,” the athletic department said in a statement to KXAN. “As of this moment, the Austin Regional is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (CT) on Friday.”

KXAN reported that winds estimated up to 70 miles per hour blew through the ballpark during the severe thunderstorm. This caused the outfield wall that made up the batter’s eye to blow over, resulting in the damage that has since been shared across social media. With damage only reported as coming from the wall in centerfield, it appears that the impact of the storm won’t impact fan attendance during the weekend, either.

However, with all signs pointing toward an on-time start to the Austin Regionals, all four of the teams that were selected for the portion of the NCAA Tournament can focus on the task at hand. For Texas, that’s ending the two decade-long national championship drought. They’re also seeking their first College World Series appearance since 2022.

They’ll need to take care of business first as the host of the Austin Regional. That is expected of them as the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament, not to mention the Longhorns boast a 87-22 (.798) record in postseason games at home. If Texas is able to advance, the winner of the Austin Regional will match up against the winner of the Los Angeles Regional, which is hosted by UCLA.