The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
02.04.2020 | Longhorn Foundation, 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,
Get your favorite Burnt Orange and White garb handy and pack your patented Texas passion, as there are events aplenty to visit campus for to support your Longhorns over the next week. We kick it off with the Texas Athletics Town Hall, then Men's Basketball laces 'em up for a pair of big-time Big 12 games at the Erwin Center, your defending National Champion Men's Tennis team hosts a ranked Georgia squad at the Texas Tennis Center, and No. 6 Softball opens its season with a plethora of games in the Texas Classic at Red & Charline McCombs Field. Get your Horns up and bring that Texas Fight!
It all starts tonight, and we're really looking forward to seeing everyone at our Second Annual Texas Athletics Town Hall (6:30 p.m./LBJ Auditorium). We like to call this our annual "stakeholders meeting" and we do it for the best fans in the nation! The purpose of this event is to hear what you want from your program and for us to share with you the things we are doing. We are the stewards of your athletics program, and we'll take time to review subjects such as academics, budgets, facilities and gameday experience. We'll go through all facets of our program, then we'll open it up to questions because, most importantly, it's about you. You are the proud Longhorns that make it possible for us to have an unbelievable athletics program. It's our duty to make sure your voice is heard and that we make every effort to implement what you'd like to see so we can have the very best Athletics Department in the country. So, please join us, and together, let's continue to put that "T" back in Texas!
February is Black History Month, and we will be paying tribute to our very own Longhorn History Makers throughout the month on our various platforms, as well as at selected events. Be sure to follow @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, IG and Facebook, stay tuned to TexasSports.com and help us honor those who paved the way for future Longhorns and celebrate the many who carry on the legacy.
Thanks to everyone who came out for our Softball Meet the Horns event on Friday night at the Erwin Center and Baseball's Fan Appreciation Day and the Alumni Game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday. It sure was fun seeing all of you hanging out with our teams and getting to know our coaches and student-athletes. We're fired up to get the seasons started and we'll see you at the yard!
It's year two under Coach White's leadership of Texas Softball and the excitement is certainly building. Red & Charline McCombs Field will play host for our season-opening games this week with the Texas Classic (Feb. 6-9). Fueled by 14 returning letterwinners, the Horns open the year ranked No. 6 in the national polls, our highest preseason ranking since 2006. Among that returning core are a group of leaders including 2019 NFCA/Softball America All-Americans senior pitcher Miranda Elish, junior second baseman Janae Jefferson and sophomore pitcher Shealyn O'Leary, as well as NFCA All-Central Region standout junior catcher/third baseman Mary Iakopo. They'll begin the new season on Thursday against Wichita State (3:30 p.m.) and Maryland (6 p.m.). If you can't be at the park with us, you can tune in live thanks to our friends at Longhorn Network.
Saturday was a special day of baseball for Coach Pierce and the squad as they had a chance to show appreciation for our fantastic fans and rub elbows with our Longhorn greats in the annual Alumni Game. The morning started with an autograph session inside the new and fabulous J. Dan Brown Player Development Center, then we got to watch the kids beaming from ear to ear as they ran the bases at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The game itself was all about the pitching. Sophomore Ty Madden started and put up a goose egg over four innings, allowing just three hits to the Alums. But later, two "old timers" all the way back from the 2018 College World Series team combined for the lone run of the game when former pitcher Nolan Kingham, who happened to be playing right field, scored on a Kody Clemens sac fly for the 1-0 win by the Texas Exes. Kingham, the Clemens brothers, Tres Barrera, Zane Gurwitz, Travis Jones and Ryan Reynolds were among the many greats that led the Alumni team. We're so grateful for their continued support!
Both of our tennis teams were back in action this weekend with Coach Joffe and the Women beating two ranked ACC teams in Atlanta in No. 8 NC State and No. 22 Georgia Tech. They'll now head to Chicago for the ITA National Indoor Championships from Feb. 7-10 to compete against the best teams in the country. After winning their last 10 matches, Coach Berque and the Men took on a tough road challenge at No. 6 Ohio State and came up short, but they're heading back to Austin for a huge early season match against No. 18 Georgia this Saturday (noon). We need your help to pull off the win so come join us, pack the Texas Tennis Center and cheer us to victory against the Bulldogs!
Coach Aston and Women's Basketball had their five-game winning streak snapped in a tough one with top-ranked Baylor last Friday. After four games in a stretch of 11 days, our Horns are getting a break from games for several days before they look to secure a bounce back win at Texas Tech on Sunday (1 p.m.). We're back to the friendly confines of the Drum next Wednesday, Feb. 12 (7 p.m.). Coach Smart and the Men won a pair of hard-fought games against TCU and Iowa State last week before coming up short at Kansas on Monday. It's back home for a pair of big ones with Texas Tech on Saturday (3 p.m.) and No. 1 Baylor on Big Monday (8 p.m.). The energy in the Erwin Center has made a huge difference in our last few games, and we hope to see everyone out there helping to push our Horns to victory!
It was a bit nippy on Lady Bird Lake watching our Rowing team work on Saturday, but it absolutely was a blast being out there! They're Texas Tough, so they had no problem handling the conditions, and it was such a treat seeing them in action. I'm so impressed by their teamwork, drive and determination. "Captain Dave" (O'Neill) and the Longhorns are working extremely hard, focused on another big year and taking dead aim on competing for the National Championship. This weekend should be a fun one as they'll host a scrimmage against the Chinese National Team at Walter E. Long Lake on Saturday.
Congrats to Coach Reese, Coach Capitani and Coach Scoggin, who traveled westward with our Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving teams and came away with a clean sweep in dual meets against Arizona and Arizona State. Coach Floréal and Track & Field had another record-breaking weekend, as well, as they came home from Fayetteville with seven individual event titles, one relay crown, two school records and the Men's team title at the Razorback Invitational.
What an incredible Super Bowl Sunday it was, and congratulations to our very own Longhorn4Life and Kansas City Chief Alex Okafor on earning a Super Bowl ring. It's always extra special when one of our family members accomplishes extraordinary things, and raising the Lombardi Trophy is truly a phenomenal achievement. It's so cool that we've had someone in the Super Bowl for 15-straight years and a member of the championship team in 12 of those 15. Congrats are also in order for our San Francisco 49ers Texas Exes in Marquise Goodwin, head coach Kyle Shanahan and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. It's a dream come true to play in the Super Bowl, and they had a terrific year, as well.
While I've got you, with our many ongoing construction projects, there are lots of Longhorn items, equipment, gear and much, much more being cleared out of facilities before demolition begins. Most of this stuff is going up for auction. We know a lot of you would love to get your hands on the collectibles, sporting goods, furniture and Longhorn branded pieces that are available now or will be in the future, so go to https://swicoauctions.com and click on The University of Texas at Austin link on the left side of the screen. Get your bids in and keep coming back because there will be plenty more available in the days, weeks and months to come!
2020 is moving fast as we're already into month two of the new decade. Don't forget about those things you set your sites on when the New Year began and let's focus on making our resolutions realities. We know one thing that hasn't changed, and never will, is our gratitude for all of you. We can't thank you for your continued support, your spirit and your commitment to Texas Athletics. Together, we'll continue to do great things!
To read the complete Forty Acres Insider via email, subscribe today!
Hook 'em, Horns!
