The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Forty Acres Insider: May 13
05.13.2025 | 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,
LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE, huge congratulations and emphatic Hook 'Em, Horns to our 82 Longhorns that participated in graduation ceremonies last weekend on the Forty Acres. There's nothing like graduation ceremonies in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, what an epic scene and experience it is. It's truly a life-changing accomplishment to earn a degree from The University of Texas and we were oh-so-proud to honor all of our graduates at our annual Thursday evening reception before watching them walk that stage and receive that diploma. It was such a joy sharing our congratulations with all of them and their families who were beaming from ear to ear for this tremendous achievement. When you add that total to the 35 student-athletes who earned their degrees in December, we couldn't be more excited to salute our 117 GRADUATES DURING THE 2024-25 ACADEMIC CALENDAR YEAR! The world is your oyster my friends, now go make your pearl!!
what it's all about 🎓🤘#HookEm | @UTAustin pic.twitter.com/hJ0bF4kVPc
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) May 9, 2025
We lit the Tower Orange for all our UT Graduates on Saturday and then it was fired up again on Monday night after No. 2 Rowing secured a 10th-straight Conference Championship and first-ever SEC Title on Sunday morning! That's nine-straight in the Big 12 and now one for the other thumb for our guy Coach O'Neill, who I affectionately call "Captain Dave"!! Well folks, you can fill those lungs with Longhorn pride and puff your chests out as WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, AGAIN. That makes it eight conference championships (seven SEC and a CCSA crown for Beach Volleyball) and we're not done yet. We'll take a look back and prepare for what's on the horizon in this edition of the Forty Acres Insider!
Light the tower for the 2025 @SEC champions!#HookEm | #HereComesTexas pic.twitter.com/OsRT6rEcwP
— Texas Rowing (@TexasRowing) May 13, 2025
We'll start it off with Coach Berque and our No. 3-seeded Men's Tennis program who got a step closer in the NCAA Tournament with a home sweep of Tennessee on Saturday. Y'ALL SURE DID SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT for that one and what a magnificent scene it was at the Texas Tennis Center as you cheered our Horns to victory and a spot in the Elite Eight (for the fifth time in six years to boot!). Now it's a short trip up I-35 for our Horns as they head into quarterfinal play at the NCAA Championships with a matchup against UCLA on Friday (7 p.m. CT). On the women's side, Coach Joffe and our squad made a heck of a run too as our men's and women's programs are one of only two squads (Virginia is the other) nationally to advance to the Sweet 16 in each of the last five years. Coach Joffe and No. 14 Women's Tennis didn't go down without a ton of Texas Fight, taking it all the way to a third-set tiebreaker in the deciding match before falling in the Round of 16, 4-3, at No. 3 Michigan. It was a season of overcoming so many obstacles and this team dug deep, succeeded without excuses all season long and narrowly missed pulling off the upset to extend their season to the NCAA quarterfinals. In the end, it was another solid year with a fifth-straight Sweet 16 and another NCAA top-10 finish.
not done yet 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/CagT66BAG4
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) May 10, 2025
Coach White and Softball's run in the SEC Tournament ended too soon in the semifinal round but we sure did have a thriller of a memorable finish in the quarterfinals. Mia Scott's double in the bottom of the seventh drove in the game-winning run in a heart-pumping 7-6 victory over a red-hot Ole Miss squad to advance us to the semis. NOW IT'S ON TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT and y'all can be right here with us as we'll be hosting the opening rounds at Red & Charline McCombs Field. We were announced as the No. 6 overall seed on Sunday and will begin our Road to OKC on Friday (3:30 p.m. CT/ESPN+) against Eastern Illinois. I know you'll be fired up, full of energy and ready to bring your best Texas Fight just like our team! And while we're talking Softball, we've got to give a shoutout to all our Longhorns that earned All-SEC honors, matching the league-best with seven of them in all, led by first-teamers Reese Atwood, Teagan Kavan, Mia Scott and Joley Mitchell. Congrats and we know there are more to come. Can't wait to see y'all at the yard this week my friends!
6️⃣ seed for the Horns🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/RrSmZEnfPY
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) May 11, 2025
An SEC Championship is on the line this week as Coach Schloss and No. 3 Baseball close out the season with a Red River Rivalry in Norman this Thursday-Saturday. The magic number is ONE as we look finish the regular season strong. We battled all weekend in a tough series against Florida and had a chance to celebrate our seniors in our final home SEC games last weekend. Let's give an emphatic Hook 'Em, Horns Up to these guys but we fully expect to see them competing at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in an NCAA Regional, so this won't be the last time. Before that and after the Texas-OU series we'll have the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The conference tourney will be starting next week on Tuesday, but we've already earned a double-bye as one of the top-four seeds and won't play until the quarterfinals of the single-elimination format on Thursday or Friday. Here's to taking down the Sooners and getting that regular season SEC crown secured, first and foremost.
Coach Fields and No. 4 Men's Golf are off to a good start at NCAA Regional play in Reno, Nevada seeking to extend their nation's-leading streak to 18-straight NCAA Championship appearances. As they look to punch their ticket, our Coach Iannello and No. 6 Women's Golf already punched their ticket to a ninth-straight NCAA Championship and begin play on Friday at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. It's time to take dead aim on the title folks! Oh, let's give an emphatic Hook 'Em to our trio of men's golfers that earned SEC postseason honors last week!
It's another action-packed week for our Longhorns with Men's Tennis continuing its quest for a Natty right up the road in Waco, Softball hosting NCAA Tourney play, Baseball on the road in a Red River Rivalry with an SEC Title on the line for us, both Golf squads in action and Coach Flo and Track & Field off to Lexington for the SEC Championships. Get those HORNS UP FOLKS, and let's Hook 'Em!
postseason on the Forty 🤘#HookEm | @DellTech pic.twitter.com/VXlfWv1JKu
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) May 12, 2025
Hey, and while I've got you, I'm sure you saw the news but I'm stoked to have the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown football game moved back to its traditional spot on your calendar. Next year's game will be on the Friday after Thanksgiving and in that coveted primetime night window with a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff. That's going to make your holiday extra special so mark those calendars and be ready to be fired up on the Forty!
🚨 Schedule update 🚨
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 8, 2025
Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown
Friday Nov. 28 | 6:30 PM CT
Texas vs. Texas A&M pic.twitter.com/mrNy218EoQ
Cat Osterman to be enshrined in CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame
Our Longhorn Legend, three-time Olympic Medalist (2004 Gold/2008 & 2020 Silver) and all-around incredible student-athlete and person Cat Osterman has been selected for enshrinement into the CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame. Her phenomenal list of accolades is long and certainly worthy of becoming our first-ever member of this Hall of Fame. Cat was ONE OF THE GREATEST TO EVER WEAR THE BURNT ORANGE AND WHITE, the Red, White and Blue and set the standard as arguably the most decorated student-athlete in her sport (or any sport for that matter!), EVER! A three-time USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year, four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, and two-time Honda Award winner for Softball, Cat was twice tabbed an ESPY Award winner as Best Female College Athlete. A member of the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor and Texas Sports Hall of Fame, we were honored to retire her jersey No. 8 at Red & Charline McCombs Field a few years ago. Think about it my friends, she put up a staggering career record of 136-25 with a 0.51 ERA and 2,265 strikeouts while helping the Longhorns to three Women's College World Series appearances. In the classroom, the 2003 CSC Academic All-American was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection and 2006 NCAA Top VIII honoree for her athletics and academics prowess along with her contributions to our campus and community. Here's an emphatic Hook 'Em Horns for someone that truly has earned GOAT STATUS! She'll be officially enshrined on June 9 in Orlando, and we look forward to being there to celebrate along with her and her family.
an incredible honor for 8️⃣🤘
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) May 13, 2025
congrats, @catosterman 👏#HookEm pic.twitter.com/3Tz1wuN2tS
No. 3 Baseball sits one win away from clinching SEC Championship!
Coach Schloss and the guys are oh so close! With a 5-2 victory over Florida on Saturday, the Longhorns trimmed their magic number down to ONE! Texas is now 40-10 and leads the SEC by two games, boasting a 20-7 mark in conference play. The Longhorns took a game against the red-hot Gators with a five-spot in the sixth to erase an early two-run hole. Catcher Rylan Galvan launched a monstrous 416-foot no-doubter over the 28-foot batter's eye in straightaway center to lead off the frame. Galvan's team-leading 14 homers are the most by a Longhorn backstop in a season since Chris Abbe in 1992. Two pitches later, shortstop Jalin Flores delivered a game-tying shot over the YETI Yard in left field. Flores' 390-foot jack was his 35th career blast, which vaulted him into sole possession of fifth place on Texas' all-time home run list. After the Longhorns' loaded the bases, left fielder Jonah Williams laced an opposite-field three-run double to cap off Texas' offensive outburst. Relievers Thomas Burns and Dylan Volantis teamed up to hold the visitors hitless over the final four frames, combining for eight strikeouts to seal the Longhorns' 20th comeback win of the year. Volantis recorded the final seven outs to log his 11th save in a conference game, which marks the MOST SAVES BY A FRESHMAN IN SEC PLAY EVER. This past weekend featured plenty of pregame ceremonies, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 2005 National Championship squad as well as our annual Senior Day festivities. The Longhorns will look to become the first team to win the SEC in their first season since the league's inaugural campaign in 1933, when they head across the Red River to face rival Oklahoma for a three-game set on Thursday (6:30 p.m. CT/SEC Network+), Friday (6:30 p.m. CT/SEC Network+) and Saturday (2 p.m. CT/SEC Network+).
new name atop the @SEC record books 📚#HookEm | @TexasLonghorns | @DylanVolantis pic.twitter.com/36sF1F5NKu
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 10, 2025
Softball set to host NCAA Austin Regional!
What a time to be a Texas Softball fan! Between our SEC-leading seven all-conference honorees announced last Friday and watching our Longhorns react to earning the No. 6 overall seed in this season's NCAA Tournament, Coach White and his staff have this program rollin' towards a return trip to OKC. But more on that later, it's one game at a time right now and our first game is on Friday, when Eastern Illinois and our Longhorns do battle at Red & Charline McCombs Field (3:30 p.m. CT/ESPN+). The winner is sitting in the driver's seat with a matchup against either Michigan or UCF slated for Saturday (12 p.m. CT/TBD). It'll all come down to Sunday (time and TV is TBD), when it's 'Win or Go Home Day' for the two remaining teams on the weekend. It's going to be a fun, exciting weekend on the Forty Acres, so make sure to grab those tickets, bring water and help me cheer on the Longhorns.
the Austin regional 🤘#HookEm | @NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/UvIvPPkJqy
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) May 11, 2025
Women's Golf advances to the NCAA Championship
The No. 6 Women's Golf team advanced to the NCAA Championship for the 33rd TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY last week with their second-place finish at the NCAA Lubbock Regional. The Longhorns are one of just FOUR teams that have qualified for the NCAA Championship in each of the last NINE seasons. Farah O'Keefe, who also recently qualified for the U.S. Women's Open Championship for the second time, secured her second-straight runner-up individual finish to lead the Longhorns in Lubbock. O'Keefe, Cindy Hsu and Bohyun Park all finished in the top-10 in the individual standings at the Lubbock Regional. Coach Ianello has done a fabulous job with this group, and we're fired up to watch them compete at the NCAA Championship this week at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. The 30-team NCAA Championship features three rounds of stroke play on Friday-Saturday-Sunday, and the field is trimmed to the top 15 teams. A final round of stroke play on Monday determines the individual champion and advances the top eight teams to match play. Tuesday features quarterfinal and semifinal matchups in match play, followed by Wednesday's championship match. We'll get our opening round started on Friday (2:12 p.m. CT/12:12 p.m. PT). Golf Channel will televise Monday's final round of stroke play in addition to all three of the match play rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. Let's get it done Longhorns!
next stop: La Costa 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/1eC88Dvzuk
— Texas Women's Golf (@TexasWGolf) May 7, 2025
Light the Tower for Rowing!
Our Longhorns hit the water in the very first SEC Rowing Championship on Sunday in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and we left as the first-ever SEC Rowing Champions! Let's talk about what Captain Dave and his program has accomplished over the years, as it's quite the story. Not only did the Horns claim the first SEC Rowing 'ship, but they've now won 10-STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLES and 14 crowns overall. Talk about DOMINANCE! Sunday was a real test as Texas (83 points) edged out No. 4 Tennessee (78 points) in a back-and-forth affair on the Vols' home waters. Tennessee threw the first punch and grabbed an early lead by winning the first two races. But your Longhorns showed some TEXAS FIGHT and responded by winning the next two races in the Second and First Varsity Fours. With the SEC Championship on the line in the final race, the Texas First Varsity Eight absolutely emptied its tank and rallied for a come-from-behind victory. All gas, no brakes! Up next, Texas will hit the road to the east coast for the 2025 NCAA Championship on May 30-June 1 in West Windsor, N.J., vying to win its fourth NCAA title over the last five seasons. Tune into the NCAA Selection Show later today (4 p.m. CT/NCAA.com) and learn our seeds.
LIGHT THE TOWER 🤘🏆#HookEm pic.twitter.com/jp4aRoIP9A
— Texas Rowing (@TexasRowing) May 11, 2025
Hook 'Em Horns,
P.S. — Well said Boss!
What a night — congratulations Class of 2025! We are so proud of all you have accomplished so far and know that you are leaving this great University ready to change the world. Hook 'em!🤘#UTGrad25 pic.twitter.com/VpahF93YbZ
— Jim Davis (@JimDavis_UT) May 11, 2025
P.S. — Lighting the Tower Orange, AGAIN!
Today's @TexasRowing SEC Championship makes it 8️⃣ conference titles for our Longhorns this year. That includes 7️⃣ SEC Championship trophies (@TexasWBB, @TexasSoccer, @TexasMSD, @TexasWSD, @TexasMTN x2/regular season & tourney) and a CCSA Crown for @TexasBeachVB 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/1T6IwmDx8U
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) May 11, 2025
P.S. — Hope y'all had a great day celebrating Mom!
happy Mother's Day, y'all! 🫶🤘 #HookEm pic.twitter.com/a8oM8GkUzK
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) May 11, 2025
P.S. — Closed out the 2025 season at Texas Tennis Center with a win!
Horns up for one last home dub at the TTC 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/wBBuNL9D35
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) May 10, 2025
P.S. — Nothing like those caps & gowns and a good 'ol graduation pic, congrats to all our graduates!
Graduation weekend on the Forty!
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 9, 2025
Congrats to all @UTAustin graduates 🎓🤘 pic.twitter.com/guMk6FUWGY
added a special ring to the collection 💍🤘#HookEm | #RunWithTexas pic.twitter.com/mYDjYKxyyw
— Texas Soccer (@TexasSoccer) May 9, 2025
congratulations Bo and Tiffany 🤘🎓#HookEm pic.twitter.com/3VFN5xCSae
— Texas Women's Golf (@TexasWGolf) May 9, 2025
P.S. — We love supporting our community!
thank you @BGCAustin for welcoming us today 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/6QK5eCNVbu
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) May 3, 2025
P.S. — I second this!
Be at you best when your best is needed! @JonahW409 @TexasBaseball 🤘🏽 #toughallday https://t.co/elUeXgcogK
— Steve Sarkisian (@CoachSark) May 11, 2025
P.S. — We see ya out there support our Horns Coach Miller!
Hook'Em! @Original_Turner @_bigjayy_ pic.twitter.com/mu8tJOWlDx
— Sean Miller (@CoachMiller__) May 10, 2025
P.S. — The Pride and Winning Tradition … Honoring the Champs!
natty champs 🏆
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 10, 2025
honoring the 2005 Texas Longhorns today, as part of our #traDISCHion series#HookEm | @TexasLonghorns pic.twitter.com/Efc5IX8XZw
HEADLINES:
Women's Basketball new season tickets on sale now
No. 4 Men's Golf concludes opening day at NCAA Reno Regional
It took me 10 years to write this (Myles Turner for The Players' Tribune)
Beach Volleyball places eight on CCSA All-Academic Team
Video: Steve Sarkisian on Pate State
No. 2 Rowing's Holderness selected to SEC Community Service Team
A product of Longhorn Excellence: Baseball's Luke Harrison
Reed Merritt announced as Assistant Diving Coach
Playing softball the Texas way: Kayden Henry
No. 3/5 Softball's Stewart picks up NFCA Player of the Week honor