After the Texas baseball team was placed in an NCAA regional hosted by Texas A&M, the discussion at a media availability Monday centered around the Aggies and Longhorns.

"A&M has always been a rivalry. I've never liked them personally, just growing up being a UT fan," Texas first baseman Jared Thomas told reporters.

Here's the thing, though. For as much fun as a Texas-Texas A&M tournament tussle would be — and the volleyball, softball and men's tennis programs at both schools can attest to just how fun those postseason clashes have been during the 2023-24 academic year — there is no guarantee that such a matchup will take place at Blue Bell Park this weekend.

When Texas opens its 63rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, the Longhorns will be playing Louisiana. Texas A&M has to worry about Grambling before even thinking about Texas.

"It's just important to take every game one at a time," UT outfielder Max Belyeu said. "If you look too far ahead, it can bite you."

The winners of the Sun Belt Conference's regular season championship, Louisiana boasts a 40-18 record and is actually the No. 2 seed in the College Station regional. Texas is the No. 3 seed. Nationally, Louisiana boasts a top-20 ERA and the 15th-best WHIP in college baseball.

Texas and Louisiana have played 42 times before. Last year, UT opened its NCAA Tournament run with a 4-2 win over Louisiana in a regional hosted by Miami. Texas fans will probably remember that game for former UT standout Dylan Campbell's diving catch in right field.

"The Aggies aren't even in the picture unless we play well against a very good team," Texas coach David Pierce said. "It's interesting that we faced them last year and I think they have a lot of those kids back. Their pitching's definitely improved, (they have) team speed. We'll take a look at their entire roster and then view how we want to approach it with our staff."

OK, OK. Texas and Louisiana will meet at Blue Bell Park at 5 p.m. on Friday in a game that will be televised by ESPNU. If the Longhorns take care of business against the Ragin' Cajuns and Texas A&M (44-13) beats Grambling (26-26), then what?

Then it will be time for the 381st baseball battle between these in-state rivals. Texas has earned a 245-131-5 lead in the all-time series, but Texas A&M owns the most-recent win since it recorded a 9-2 victory in Austin on March 5. The Longhorns have gotten the better of Texas A&M in the regional round in 2014 and 2018, but the Aggies sent UT home from the 2022 College World Series.

"Of course it's a rivalry. It's a beautiful thing," Texas shortstop Jalin Flores said. "It would be the same (amount of animosity from the crowd) if they came and played us here. You've got to embrace it, that's what you've got to do as a Texas Longhorn. We love it. I think going out there and playing A&M, of course handling Louisiana first, it's going to be a good battle."

When asked after the NCAA selection show if he was surprised that Texas was placed in the College Station Regional, Pierce said he wasn't after UT lost both of its games at last week's Big 12 Tournament. The eighth-year coach even joked that after Texas and Texas A&M's softball teams engaged in an entertaining super regional this past weekend, the NCAA decided that "we'll just send Texas (to College Station) and make it just as exciting."

Pierce, though, was surprised that Texas earned a No. 3 seed. Texas was last a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2015. Texas does have some notable losses on its résumé, but the Longhorns finished in third place in the Big 12 standings and most publications listed UT as a No. 2 seed in their tournament projections.

"I think we've been the underdogs all year," Thomas said. "Nobody's expected us to get to the point we're at anyways so we've got nothing to lose. We're going to go out and give it everything we've got, no regrets."

Under Pierce, Texas has compiled a 24-12 record over five appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns reached the Men's College World Series in 2018, 2021 and 2022. Last year, UT won a road regional for the first time since 2014.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Longhorns draw Louisiana, not Texas A&M in NCAA Tournament opener