The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Forty Acres Insider: Nov. 5
11.05.2019 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news, interesting tidbits and exciting stories happening in and around Texas Athletics compiled by Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. [<a href="http://texassports.com/archives.aspx?path=forty_acres_insider">Forty Acres Insider archives</a>]
Greetings Longhorn Nation,
It's good to be home! After a rejuvenating and revitalizing football bye week, Coach Herman and our refreshed Longhorns are ready to get back at it in a key Big 12 Championship race matchup with No. 20 Kansas State on Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT/ESPN). We'll once again roll out the burnt orange carpet for everyone, huddle on Bevo Bvd., crank up Smokey's Midway and Betty Who will be rockin' the Longhorn City Limits stage as we celebrate everything Texas. There are only two home games left, so let's have a Longhorn party then bring all we've got to show a national TV audience what DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium is all about as we cheer our team to victory!
This weekend has extra special significance too. America will celebrate Veterans Day on Monday, and in advance of that, we're thrilled to have Longhorn Nation joining us in paying tribute to those who have served, and continue to serve, our great country with our annual Veterans Recognition/Salute to Service Game. We will kick off the recognition by joining President Fenves in honoring our Longhorn Medal of Honor recipients, as well as participating in the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Frank Denius Memorial Plaza on Thursday (3 p.m./Northwest corner of DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium). On game day, there will be a full slate of events including the Golden Knights Parachute Team dropping into the stadium, a Navy F-18 flyover, recognitions during the game and General John Murray (commander of the newly created Futures Command) serving as our Honorary Captain. We are so grateful for our nation's service men and women who dedicate their lives to keeping our country safe and protecting our freedoms, and we're thrilled to be dedicating this weekend to them.
Saturday's gameday will also be an opportunity to celebrate those who earned the most cherished award in Texas Athletics – a T-Ring. At halftime, close to 100 student-athletes will be receiving their just desserts at our new annual T-Ring Toast, an on-field presentation of the ring that is reserved for those who have earned multiple letters in their sport and also completed their degree. It's a special tribute and proud moment for the letter winners who have succeeded on the field and in the classroom. We'll also be joining forces with our partners at the Texas Exes to recognize this year's Distinguished Alumnus Award honorees during an on-field recognition. Among the group of six recipients who have distinguished themselves professionally and through service to The University of Texas is Army Veteran Colonel Leon L. Holland.
Speaking of groups distinguishing themselves, Coach Elliott and No. 1-ranked Texas Volleyball marched on with a pair of 3-0 sweeps last week over Texas Tech and West Virginia to extend their streak to 11 straight match victories including wins in 29 consecutive sets. Coach Elliott's Horns have now won 20-straight Big 12 matches and are back in action Friday as they travel to Norman for another Red River Showdown with the Sooners. Kudos are in order for our social media team that is leading a charge for the Longhorns to become the nation's first volleyball program to cross the 100,000 followers plateau (currently: 99,534) on Instagram. The creativity and efforts of our talented staff are off the charts and the numbers reflect the wonderful engagement we're having with all of you!
Last week was filled with Longhorn victories as our Men's and Women's Golf teams continued playing at a championship level as both squads claimed tournament titles. Coach Fields and our Men's Golf team knocked off Oklahoma State in the championship match to win the East Lake Cup team title while Coach Murphy led the women to a school-record 36-under-par to crush the field by 29 strokes at the White Sands Invitational at the Atlantis Ocean Course Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas. In the pool, our Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving traveled to College Station and swept our longtime rival Texas A&M in head-to-head dual meet action.
Several of you have asked for a Baseball update and we're here to provide it. Coach Pierce and our Baseball squad is in the midst of their fall schedule and preparations for the 2020 season are going well with a roster that features five returning starters in the lineup, three returning starting pitchers and lots of young talent from back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes. Coach Pierce is expecting big things, with its current freshman class ranked 10th-best in the country by Baseball America, as well. With scrimmage wins over McClennan Community College and San Jacinto College already in hand, the Longhorns are set to play their annual Fall World Series on November 16, 17 and 19 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Speaking of fall action, fall tennis is in full swing, and two months into that season, our defending National Champion men's squad just earned their second National Player of the Month award. Congratulations to our great senior Yuya Ito for being honored this month just after freshman Siem Woldeab was last month. This is the first year of the award, so no one but Longhorns have won it! Great job batting 1.000 and let's go get another one! The National Fall Championships start this week in Newport Beach, Calif., and both our men's and women's teams will be represented, so good luck to Coach Berque and Coach Joffe and our student-athletes!
In closing, we hope y'all have received your Annual Renewal and Guide from the Longhorn Foundation in the mail! I received mine recently and that big, bold, Burnt Orange Hook 'Em hand on the front stirred a terrific feeling of pride in what it means to be a part of the Longhorn Family. Your commitment to our program is what fuels our student-athletes to succeed in athletics, academics and life, and it is our privilege to celebrate our program's successes not only with you, but because of you. I hope you take some time to carefully review your personalized Annual Fund Summary and consider raising the bar for Texas Athletics by renewing your gift at the Next Level or by giving 110%. To streamline the process, we've also created the option to manage your renewal online by logging in to TexasSports.com/MyAccount.
Take a deep breath Longhorn Fans, November is a hectic and critical month for the Fall Sports Seasons and with your support and powerful emotional push we can do amazing things. Let's do this together. See you on the Forty!
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Hook 'em, Horns!
