The University of Texas men's baseball team, ranked sixth nationally, will face No. 3 Georgia tomorrow in its opening game of the 2026 men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Why it matters: UT is arguably the New York Yankees of college baseball — this berth marks its record 39th appearance in the College World Series.

The intrigue: The Longhorns were hot at Disch-Falk Field — completing their 2026 home slate with a 34-4 ledger, their most wins in Austin since 2011 — but they were mediocre (8-8) in true road games.

• They posted a 3-1 record at neutral sites.

Catch up quick: The Longhorns (45-13) got here by defeating Oregon last weekend in the Austin super-regional.

• That made skipper Jim Schlossnagle one of only four coaches to guide three different schools — TCU, Texas A&M and Texas — to the College World Series.

Flashback: Last year the Longhorns didn't make it out of the Austin regional.

Zoom in: The Longhorns sport a pair of fab freshmen.

• Longhorns outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. was named National Freshman of the Year yesterday.
• Sam Cozart this week was named the Co-Freshman Pitcher of the Year.

What they're saying: "The standard here is a national title, and we'll do our best to win that," Schossnagle said at a press conference after the club beat Oregon.

• "I have to walk by that sign every day that says 38 trips to Omaha. And 38's been sitting there for a while. I'm glad we'll at least be able to change that to 39."

How it works: The men's College World Series begins with an opening round of two four-team, double-elimination brackets.

• The winner from each of those two brackets then advances to face each other in a best-of-three championship series.

What's next: The 7pm game will air on ESPN.

• The winner between the SEC's top two programs will square off against the winner of No. 7 Alabama and Oklahoma at 6pm Monday.
• Meanwhile, the pair of losing teams will meet in an elimination contest at 2pm Monday.

Austinites will gather Monday to celebrate a beloved restaurant and the force behind it.

Driving the news: After nearly five decades in the restaurant business, Hoover Alexander has closed the doors of his soul food restaurant, Hoover's Cooking.

Why it matters: The closure of Hoover's marks the latest longtime Austin institution to shutter, underscoring how difficult it is for independent restaurants to survive for decades.

• The last day of full-service operations was May 31.

Flashback: In March, owner Hoover Alexander announced that he would be retiring and closing the restaurant, citing a need for a better quality of life.

• He learned to cook and operate a restaurant while working at the now-shuttered Night Hawk chain as a student at the University of Texas, working his way up from washing dishes to management.

Between the lines: Restaurants that last as long as Hoover's are rare, per Census Bureau data provided to Axios by the Texas Restaurant Association.

• Just 18% of Texas restaurants have been in business for 16 years or longer.
• By comparison, roughly half of the state's restaurants are less than 5 years old.

📍 If you go: "Hoova' Palooza," a celebration of Hoover's and its legacy, with food and live music, takes place in the Hoover's parking lot 4-10pm.

• A GoFundMe to support Alexander's retirement had raised about $16,500 as of Thursday afternoon.

What's next: Alexander has left the door open for future endeavors.

• "I ain't done yet, and I don't know exactly what that means yet," he told KXAN.

A co-founder of Austin-based Yeti is one of the owners of a ranch in the Big Bend region that is being used by a federal contractor preparing to build a border wall planned by the Trump administration. (Marfa Public Radio)

🏊 The city unveiled upgrades to the Montopolis pool and playground in southeast Austin. (CultureMap Austin)

🚲 Weeks after a fire knocked out CapMetro's bike-share system, the agency still hasn't said when service will return for Austin riders. (Austin American-Statesman 🔒)

🛍️ A new designer and contemporary consignment shop, Paloma Consignment, has opened on North Loop. (Community Impact)

Answer correctly these three questions and you could win a coveted shoutout in our Monday newsletter. (Googling is totally allowed, though you'll have to be the one looking at yourself in the mirror every day for the rest of your life.)

📬 Just reply to this email.

1. Which national team has been using Austin as its base for the World Cup?
2. James Beard Award-winning chef Iliana de la Vega and her husband announced they are closing their restaurant on South Lamar Boulevard. What's it called?
3. What local outer space guy said he wants to expand his rocket ship company's Bastrop footprint?

Austin Motel's Float Films returns tonight with a lineup of cult-classics from the 1990s.

Why it matters: Austinites can dive into the retro kidney-shaped pool and watch flicks from a newly en vogue era.

State of play: "Detroit Rock City" plays tonight, about teenagers trying their darndest to get to a Kiss show.

• The show will feature a pre-screening performance by Kiss cover band Rock and Roll Over and pizza from Good Vibrations Pizza Company.

Other summer screenings include:

• "Varsity Blues" on June 26
• "10 Things I Hate About You" on July 10
• "The Matrix" on July 24
• "The Talented Mr. Ripley" on Aug. 14
• "The Mummy" on Aug. 28.

📍 If you go: Doors open at 5pm. Movies start at dusk.

• Tickets to each show run $25 apiece.