The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2019
- Class:
- 2005
The consummate leader, infielder Seth Johnston helped the Longhorns to four-straight NCAA College World Series appearances from 2002-2005. In 2004, Johnston hit .296 with 16 doubles, three triples and seven homers while driving in a team-high 51 runs. The Boerne, Texas, native was a key part in taking the Longhorns to the College World Series championship that year. After the Horns fell to Cal State Fullerton in the finals, and despite being named to the College World Series All-Tournament team, Johnston left Omaha unsatisfied. The junior was drafted in the seventh round by the Baltimore Orioles, but in lieu of signing, Johnston elected to return for his senior season with eyes on another National Championship. In 2005, his final season at Texas, he delivered. Named team captain by his fellow Longhorns, Johnston started all 72 games for UT, earning first-team All-America honors in a standout senior season. His 115 hits in 2005 are a single-season record at Texas and he led the squad with a .378 batting average, to go along with a team-best 66 RBI on the year. He is the last Texas player to top 100 hits in a year, with 34 of his 115 knocks going for extra bases (20 doubles, five triples and nine home runs). The Horns' shortstop led his team back to Omaha once again that season and set the tone in game one versus Baylor when he hit a two-run blast in the first inning to put Texas ahead. The Longhorns would go on to defeat Florida in two games to win their sixth national title, and Johnston was once again named to the CWS All-Tournament team to close out his final year on the Forty Acres. A two-time All-Big 12 Conference selection, Johnston capped his career year by becoming a fifth-round selection of the San Diego Padres in the 2005 MLB Draft. He would go on to play five seasons in the Padres organization, reaching as high as Triple-A Portland in 2009, before retiring from professional baseball. Johnston graduated from Texas in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in corporate communications and is currently a Senior Vice President with the Lincoln Property Company in Austin. A two-time National Champion, Johnston will always be remembered as the undisputed leader of the 2005 title-winning Texas Longhorns. Seth is active in the community. He has served on the board for CASA Travis County and is a founding member of Community for CASA.
