The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Forty Acres Insider: April 16
04.16.2024 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news 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>]
Longhorn Nation,
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?! The fun has arrived — it's time for the annual Orange-White Spring Game presented by Texas One Fund. I know y'all are in dire need of a Football fix, and we are here to deliver! Game Day is Saturday, and there will be tons of festivities with Bevo Blvd, Smokey's Midway, Hook 'Em Hangout and Longhorn City Limits fired up before the action in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, just like we do during the season. Coach Sark and the squad will kick the game off at 1 p.m. CT (LHN) and it will be one heck of a day to be a part of, so let's mark those calendars, get your Burnt Orange & White best ready and come on out for a fabulous, family fun-filled day of Texas Fight! There are tons of veterans returning, new faces galore, and if you need a little taste before Saturday to get charged up, click here and enjoy!!
One week away 🤘
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 13, 2024
🏈 Orange-White Game presented by @TexasOneFund
📅 Saturday, April 20 | 1 PM CT
📺 @LonghornNetwork pic.twitter.com/Ea1V02qdmI
But before we move ahead to this week, last week was filled with successes to look back on. YOU CAN LIGHT THE TOWER ORANGE - Men's Tennis clinched a share of the Big 12 Regular Season Championship a week ago, and with a 7-0 win over Baylor in Saturday's Senior Day match, we clinched the title outright! As a matter of fact, there was a whole lot of winning going down for our Longhorns last weekend. With our alumni among the thousands cheering them on at McCombs Field, Softball swept its series with Baylor, Baseball secured its series in thrilling fashion at Houston on Sunday, Rowing took to enemy water and conquered Michigan, and Women's Tennis and Beach Volleyball all were victorious, too! It was a glorious time to be a Longhorn!
Your OUTRIGHT 2024 Big 12 CHAMPIONS! #HookEm 🤘🎾🏆 pic.twitter.com/94Sgx2p6qF
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) April 14, 2024
So here we go again — we're right back at it this week, and it's that time in the spring when the stakes are getting even higher. Big 12 Championships (and hey, we've got eight of them this year already and are hunting for more) are on the line starting Thursday as Women's Golf heads to Houston and takes to the links, while Men's and Women's Tennis look to serve and volley in quest of titles in Stillwater.
The balls and bats will be in action home and away this week. Baseball hosts UTRGV later tonight (6:30 p.m./LHN) leading into a three-game home series against the folks from Fort Worth with TCU in town. Plus, Softball takes a six-game winning streak and 35-6 record to Lawrence for a weekend series with Kansas. It's getting close to crunch time, and they're both right in the thick of the Big 12 races with Softball winning five of their first six conference series and Baseball bringing home four of five series wins on the year.
Men's Golf (Western Intercollegiate) and Track and Field (Mt. Sac Relays) travel westward, my friends, as they continue to prepare for Big 12 Championships on the horizon. Men's Golf swings for the Big 12 Championship next week up the road in Trinity with Track and Field's conference meet set for May 9-12 in Waco. Rowing is coming off another big win, sweeping all four races at No. 9 Michigan on Saturday with a home meet next week followed by the Big 12 Championships in Sarasota, Fla. (May 19). And here's to Beach Volleyball, as they closed out their abbreviated season with an exciting 4-1 victory over No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this weekend at Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex. Man, did y'all show up and show out for that one! We can't thank you enough for all of your support of our newest sport — and each and every one of our teams for that matter. You're the absolute best, we couldn't do it without you, and I look forward to seeing a whole bunch of you on the regular in the days and weeks to come!
And talk about WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGING THE WORLD, our guy Scottie Scheffler did it again at the Masters. And how about the wonderful tribute from El Presidente Jay Hartzell for Lighting the Tower in Scottie's honor on Sunday Night?! The whole dang four days was so awesome to follow and watch, and I know y'all were swelling with pride cheering him on all weekend. Then, when they draped that famous green jacket (for the second time in three years I must add!) over his shoulders, just like y'all, I was beaming from ear to ear and so dang proud of our Longhorn Legend. Thanks Scottie, truly incredible, and we know there are so many more titles to come for you, my friend. You're the absolute best!
No better sight than a burnt orange Tower, and no bigger honor for a Longhorn than the Tower lit in one's honor. This one is for you, Scottie Scheffler! pic.twitter.com/j7yqx3unfA
— Jay Hartzell (@JCHartzell) April 15, 2024
Speaking of SIMPLY THE BEST, before we get to the notes, how about one more round of applause and an emphatic Hook 'Em, Horns for our four Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductees on Saturday (yes indeed — FOUR MORE Horns are Hall of Famers!)?! The pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas was on full display in Waco, and congrats again to Longhorn Legends Jamaal Charles, Colt McCoy, Christa Williams, and Coach Bubba Thornton for their induction in the Hall of Fame that recognizes our state's ALL-TIME GREATS!
congrats to the Longhorns being inducted into the @TXSportsHOF today! 👏🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/9mS94DcHhE
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) April 13, 2024
Our @TexasLonghorns Class of 2024 @TXSportsHOF inductees @jamaalcharles, @ColtMcCoy, @christawill14 & Coach Bubba Thornton🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/tRJjySve2d
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) April 13, 2024
Celebrating an Icon
Longhorn greats and Swimming legends from around the world will gather here in Austin on Friday night to honor and celebrate the one and only Eddie Reese for his nearly five decades of service to Texas Swimming and Diving. In 46 seasons on the Forty Acres, the man I affectionately call Yoda led our Longhorns to 15 national championships, 28 top-2 finishes and 36 top-three results, not to mention 45 consecutive conference crowns. The only coach to lead teams to national titles in five different decades, he was also a three-time head coach for the United States Olympic men's swimming team. We will be forever grateful to Coach Reese for what he has done for Longhorn Nation and look forward to saluting him on Friday night!
Get ready for "Made in Austin" Weekend
We can't wait to welcome Longhorn Nation back to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this Saturday for the annual Texas Football Orange-White Game presented by Texas One Fund.It's part of our annual 'Made in Austin' Weekend on the Forty Acres with an action-packed slate of events including Football, Baseball, UT's Family Weekend, and more! Don't miss a second of the action and make sure to visit TexasSports.com/MadeInAustin for the latest updates throughout the week.
Football autographs kick off Bevo Blvd activities this Saturday
On Saturday, we'll get things going at 9 a.m. as Bevo Blvd presented by H-E-B, Smokey's Midway, and Hook 'Em Hangout all open up. Our football team will sign autographs from 9-9:45 a.m. on the south end of Bevo Blvd, and all fans participating in the autograph session will receive an official 2024 schedule poster. Shortly after the team leaves for warmups, we'll welcome the Big Guy back to his boulevard with the Bevo Parade presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance at 10:30 a.m.
Reckless Kelly headlines the Orange-White Game edition of Longhorn City Limits
Texas Country pioneers Reckless Kelly are back and will headline Longhorn City Limits presented by Still Austin Whiskey on the LBJ Lawn prior to the Orange-White Game. The Still Austin Music Lounge and Tito's Tailgate will crank up at 9 a.m. for our fans ages 21 and up, and we'll have the pits hot and ready with Stubb's BBQ. Live music will start at 10 a.m. with an LCL debut appearance by the Sentimental Family Band followed by Reckless Kelly. Look forward to having Willy and Cody Braun back on the LBJ Lawn for an incredible day of music!
LCL (Orange White Scrimmage Version) 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/ksaTBm1I40
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) April 12, 2024
Annual Team Shop Fire Sale returns!
The fan-favorite Team Shop Fire Sale is back! This is your opportunity to gear up with exclusive Longhorns apparel, previously available only to student-athletes and coaches, this Saturday from 9-11 a.m. We ask that all fans attending the Fire Sale line up on the east side of DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium outside of Gate 28D.
Baseball rallies for series win at Houston
Our Baseball team showed incredible Texas Fight to win a road series at Houston over the weekend. Heading into the ninth inning of Sunday's series finale and facing an 8-5 deficit, our Longhorns never quit. The guys proceeded to score eight runs in the final frame to win the game 13-8 and take the series. It's another big week for Coach Pierce and our guys as we host UTRGV later tonight (6:30 p.m. CT/LHN). Then we welcome TCU to UFCU Disch-Falk Field with games on Friday (6:30 p.m. CT/ESPNU), Saturday (6 p.m. CT/ESPNU) and Sunday (1 p.m. CT/LHN). See y'all at the ballpark!
Got it done 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/YUx0nGzjoT
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) April 14, 2024
Softball ascends to consensus No. 1 ranking!
How about our Softball team! For the first time since March 2006, Texas sits atop both the NFCA/USA Today and ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 polls following a four-win week that was highlighted by a three-game sweep over Big 12 Conference foe Baylor. The winning ways began on Wednesday with a 6-4 win over I-35 opponent Texas State before Coach White and our Longhorns opened the Baylor series with a dominant 13-run win in Waco on Friday night. After the series shifted back to the Forty Acres, the offense continued the fireworks by combining to score 18 runs during wins on Saturday and Sunday. The newly-minted No. 1 team in the land will now turn its attention to setting a school single-season record for most true road wins when the Longhorns face Kansas in a three-game series in Lawrence. The action starts on Friday (5 p.m. CT/ESPN+) and continues on Saturday (2 p.m. CT/ESPN+) and Sunday (12 p.m. CT/ESPN+). Let's keep that momentum going!
.406, 13 HR, 61 RBI on the season.
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) April 14, 2024
and just a triple shy of the cycle today. #HookEm | @atwood_reese https://t.co/wsXF8kECUn pic.twitter.com/DUrAk3QRaN
Light the Tower Men's Tennis!
Like I mentioned earlier, it's Tower Lighting time once again, as Coach Berque and our No. 4 Men's squad completed an undefeated run through the Big 12, capped off by a 7-0 sweep over Baylor on Senior Day that appropriately gave them an unblemished 7-0 conference record! As wonderful as that Big 12 title is, I have to start with what concluded a great Saturday at the Texas Tennis Center, which was an awesome Senior Day. Six – let me say that again with you all having in mind that the size of a tennis roster generally hovers around 10-12 – six seniors were honored, and these weren't any run of the mill seniors. We're talking All-America honors galore, Academic All-America achievement in the classroom, National Champions, conference champions, just about everything you can do in college tennis this group has done. From 2020 through today, the core of the class has produced a 100-28 record along with two appearances in the Final Four, three top-four final rankings, and three Big 12 regular season championships. The outlier to starting with 2020 is my man, Cleeve-O Harper, one of the most energized players in college tennis, who has also been on the 40 the longest, as he was on the 2019 National Championship team as a redshirt, and then went on to win a Doubles National Championship two years ago. He was also a Doubles Runner-up last year with Eliot Spizzirri, who was, oh by the way, only the National Player of the Year last season and also one of six first-team Academic All-Americans. So amazing, and that combination is exactly what the University of Texas is all about. And how about this? Both of them have over 200 total wins in the Burnt Orange and White in their careers! That doesn't even get us to yet two more All-Americans in Micah Braswell and Siem Woldeab. This season only one person has spent a week at No. 1 in the singles rankings other than Eliot, and who would that be? Micah. Two players on the same team have been the only number ones in the nation this year, just incredible. And what can you say about a two-time doubles All-American in Siem, he just brings that fiery Longhorn spirit to the court every time and has been so exciting to watch. And although they might not have gotten all of the individual accolades in their time here, no less important are the glue guys of this team's culture and heart – Eshan Talluri and Evin McDonald. Both have provided the team great moments on the court, but what they bring every day is immeasurable. So, to this incredible class of seniors that has been the foundation of this team for the last five years, we simply say, thank you. As good as you are at tennis, you're better as people, my friends. Although we'll miss you, we can't wait to see all your future success. Between these six seniors for the Men, and the four seniors we honored for the Women last week, enough can't be said about those 10 tremendous people. Speaking of our Women's team, they also closed out their regular season in winning fashion with a pair of top-40 road wins over TCU and Baylor this weekend. They came oh so close to a Big 12 title themselves, finishing 12-1 in the conference with the only defeat being 4-3 to No. 1 Oklahoma State, and doing it all with their top player out of the lineup in Sabina Zeynalova. What fantastic Texas Fight they've shown, and now both teams will have a chance to play for a tournament title in Stillwater this week. With the women's championship being a larger field, our Horns earned one of two first-round byes and will start Thursday (3 p.m. CT), while our top-seeded men will serve it up on Friday (3 p.m. CT) against No. 8 seed BYU. For our members of Longhorn Nation who live up in that area, get out there and support these special teams, and for anyone who can't make it, the matches will all be streamed on ESPN+, so follow our socials for the exact links!
The Horns celebrated Senior Day after winning the outright @Big12Conference regular season title for the third time in last five seasons that the conference schedule has been played! #HookEm 🤘🎾 https://t.co/fXy8Xy6RKf
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) April 14, 2024
Women's Golf set to compete for a Big 12 Championship!
Freshman Selina Liao, competing in just her third collegiate tournament, was one of only seven players to shoot under par at the Silverado Showdown last week in Napa, California. Liao finished in fourth place in the event with a 54-hole score of 2-under-par 214 (71-72-71). Coach Murphy and our ladies now have their sights set on postseason play, and we'll start off by taking dead aim at the Big 12 Championships this Thursday through Saturday at Houston Oaks in Hockley (just outside of Houston). Saturday's final round will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, so be sure to tune in if you can't get out to the links to cheer on our team. Let's bring home another trophy!
Final from Napa 🤘
— Texas Women's Golf (@TexasWGolf) April 10, 2024
Selina Liao (4) and Cindy Hsu (T13) lead the Longhorns.#HookEm pic.twitter.com/Je2TQjvqBx
Track and Field distance crew shines in California
Our No. 10/10 Track and Field squad took on the distance carnival at the Bryan Clay Invitational over the weekend and showed out. Junior Eva Jess broke the school 10K record with an impressive time of 32:54.06, and both Cole Lindhorst and Olivia Howell cracked the UT top-10 performer list in the men's and women's 800m. Now our Longhorns head right back out to California again to compete at the Mt. Sac Relays on Wednesday-Saturday.
Eva Jess takes down to the UT 10K program record with her PB time of 32:54.06 ‼️🤘
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) April 12, 2024
Eva finished fourth overall at the Bryan Clay Invitational 🤘#FloKnows x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/c2MM10dtA4
Men's 800 Invite 🤘
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) April 13, 2024
Cole Lindhorst runs a PB time of 1:47.25 to finish 9th overall‼️
He moved to No. 8 on the UT All-Time Performer List 🤘#FloKnows x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/VQj0F78efL
Rowing dominates in top-10 showdown at Michigan
Coach Dave O'Neill and our No. 2 Rowing team battled tough conditions in Michigan to take down the ninth-ranked Wolverines in a sweep of four races last Saturday. That's two years in a row we've collected wins in each race against the Big Ten powerhouse! Three of our boats – the First Eight, Second Eight and First Four – remain UNBEATEN on the year with a huge challenge on the horizon. We will welcome a trio of the top programs in the nation to town on Saturday, April 27 for the Longhorn Invite with defending national champion and top-ranking Stanford, No. 11 Virginia and No. 12 Ohio State making their way to Austin. The action on Lake Walter E. Long will feature teams that have won nine of the last 14 NCAA titles. We look forward to seeing y'all out there as we celebrate our seniors!
Solid day of racing on Saturday against a Top-🔟 opponent. Got the job done under some extreme conditions in Michigan.
— Texas Rowing (@TexasRowing) April 15, 2024
Hook 'Em! 🤘🏼🤘🏽🤘🏾#HookEm | #HereComesTexas pic.twitter.com/Urw679ZNax
Beach Volleyball closes out the year in style!
Beach Volleyball wrapped up its season with a big-time win over No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in front of a great crowd at the Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex on Saturday. The Longhorns notched their first ranked win in program history and closed out their first season under head coach Stein Metzger. Our No. 1 pair of Katie Hashman and Emma Grace Robertson picked up their eighth win as a duo this season in the process. Excitement is high for our newest sport and we already can't wait for next season to get here in the spring of 2025.
Hook 'Em Horns,
Chris Del Conte
P.S. — We see you Rocket, thank you for you never-ending support my friend!
🤘🤘🤘 @TexasBaseball https://t.co/mSCXjb5tSJ
— Roger Clemens (@rogerclemens) April 12, 2024
P.S. — Burnt Orange and Green Jackets!
Burnt Orange and Green Jackets 🤘#HookEm | @TheMasters pic.twitter.com/o0lrUvCSP8
— Texas Men's Golf (@TexasMGolf) April 15, 2024
P.S. — A quick recap of our Super Saturday!
Saturday was a great one for our Horns🤘🏻@TexasMTN W over Baylor/outright Big 12 Title@TexasRowing sweeps all 4 races at # 9 Michigan@TexasBeachVB top-20 W vs A&M-Corpus Christi@TexasSoftball secures series vs # 24 Baylor & @TexasBaseball W at UH
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) April 14, 2024
4 @TXSportsHOF inductees pic.twitter.com/F1OV0YHIyU
P.S. — And Sunday was just as SPECIAL!!
What a Weekend we've had‼️ Closing it out with a victorious Sunday🤘🏻@TexasSoftball top-25 sweep over Baylor@TexasBaseball series win at UH@TexasWTN wins at Baylor@TexasMGolf's Scottie Scheffler Masters Champion 🏆 for second time pic.twitter.com/0svB6GWl28
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) April 14, 2024
HEADLINES
No. 17 Men's Golf concludes opening round at Western Intercollegiate
Nine former Longhorns set for 2024 NBA Playoffs
No. 10/10 Track and Field closes competition at Bryan Clay Invitational
Lindhorst breaks into school's 800m all-time performer list
Baseball bounces back with 6-5 win over Houston
Eva Jess breaks 10K school record at Bryan Clay Invitational
Video: Football players media availability (April 11)
Baseball wins resumed game 9-1 over Texas State
