Horns Illustrated March 2021 Issue

MARCH 2021 SPRING ISSUE

Bijan Robinson, RB

Casey Thompson, QB

Sarkisian Building Team Of The Future #AllGasNoBrakes

BIG 12 CHAMPIONS No. 9 MEN’S BASKETBALL MEN’S & WOMEN’S TRACK MEN’S & WOMEN’S DIVING

Baseball Softball in full swing

MBB & WBB TO NCAA TOURNAMENT Texas Pro Day

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The Texas Cowboys

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ADVISORY BOARD RICK GROSS JAMES SCHLEICHER STEWART RAMSER TOM BUCKLEY JESSE MIDDLETON

Texas Longhorns Fans, Thank you for supporting Horns Illustrated. So many changes have taken place over the past several months, it sure is great being a Texas Longhorns fan.

We packed this issue with great stories, amazing photos of your favorite teams, players, and coaches.

As the world moves our of COVID, Texas Longhorns sports will likely turn up the volume on bring fans out to enjoy all the sports. July 2021 the massive new end zone is expected to be complete.

We will continue to be 100% dedicated to Texas Longhorns Sports.

Thank you for your continued support.

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In this Issue

18 28 35 36 40 Andrew Jones

USBWA All-District VII Team NABC District 8 Second Team

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Men’s Basketball BIG12 Champions Matt Coleman III Game Recap NCAA Tournament Women’s Basketball Jody Conradt Tribute Collier TO WNBA Draft Regular Season Ends Joanne Allen-Taylor Women’s Tennis Highlights Baseball Ty Madden Complete Game Softball Fort Worth Slugger Softball Starts Season BIG12 CHAMPIONS Track & Field Diving Affiliate Spotlight

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Football New Coaches 2021 Football Signees Sarkisian Impact on Texas Passing Game Casey Thompson’s Time Texas Pro Day

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Head Coach

Asst. Head Coach

Co-Def Coordinator

Wide Receivers

Defensive Line

Assoc. Head Coach

Steve Sarkisian

Jeff Banks

Jeff Choate

Andre Coleman

Bo Davis

Stan Drayton

Offensive Coord/Line

Safeties

Defensive Passing

Defensive Coord

Quarterbacks

Dir Football Perform

Kyle Flood

Blake Gideon

Terry Joseph

Pete Kwiatkowski

AJ Milwee

Torre Becton

Years Coaching C Experience Expe

National Championships

Coached Pro

237

9

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Coached College Coache

Played Pro

Played College

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Coach Sarkisian 2020 Broyles Award, Best Assistant Coach in College Football Coach Torre Becton Holds title of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCCC) - a top honor Coach Andre Coleman #21 Blake Gideon 08’ - 11’

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Holds Super Bowl records for most kickoff returns (8), most retun yards (244) and tied for second for longest kickoff return in Super Bowl history

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Texas Longhorns Football Coaches

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Texas Longhorns 2021 Signing Class

David Abiara

Jaden Alexis

Morice Blackwell Jr

Jonathon Brooks

Casey Cani

JD Coffey III

Hayden Conner

Terrence Cooks II

Juan Davis

Darion Dunn

Derrick Harris Jr

Gunnar Helm

Ishmael Ibraheem

Jamier Johnson

Keithron Lee

Max Merril

Bryon Murphy II

Isaac Pearson

Ja’tavion Sanders

Barryn Sorrell

23 Signees 16 from Texas 3 from Louisanna 1 from Californa 1 from Colorado 1 from Florida 1 from Australia Jordon Thomas

Ray Thornton

Charles Wright

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Sarkisian Impact On Texas Passing Game AUSTIN, Texas — The announcement by the University of Texas that Steve Sarkisian is the UT football team’s 31st head coach was met with the expected fanfare. The Longhorns’ new leader won more than half of his games as head coach at Washington, where his 5-7 mark in his first season — remember, he took over a team that had gone 0-12 the year before — turned heads across the country. He then...

He then went to USC, where he started his playing career and previously had served as an assistant coach, and went 12-6.

But make no mistake: having head coaching experience on the résumé is a good thing, but it was his work as an assistant coach that landed him in Austin. After all, Sarkisian won the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach, and the FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year award in 2020, and the former BYU star has a reputation for his work with quarterbacks … and with good reason. At Washington, he made “Who’s He?” quarterback Jake Locker into a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, where he was selected eight overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2011.

To see what Sarkisian’s arrival

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by Steve Lansdale

If his work with Kessler was impressive, what he did last season in Alabama bordered on the absurd. The Crimson Tide has an enviable problem in the sense that anonymous backups on the bench often are exceptional players, only languishing on the sideline because of a stockpile of NFL-worthy talent that requires a dose of patience.

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Such was the case at Bama,

Sarkisian is a meticulous teacher and innovative play caller who has shown an ability to tailor his offense to match the talents of his players.

When Sam Ehlinger was injured in the Valero Alamo Bowl, he was replaced in the Texas lineup by Casey Thompson. While some fans internally feared the worst, all Thompson did was go 8-for10 for 170 yards and four passing touchdowns in about half a game.

UT’s 55-23 rout of Colorado had some suggesting that the Longhorns had discovered their quarterback of the future.

could mean for the Longhorns, consider two of his former passers: At USC, he inherited an offense piloted by Cody Kessler, who had a solid season the year before his new coach arrived, completing 236 of 361 passes (65.4 percent) for 2,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions — numbers virtually any coach would glad accept from a returning quarterback. In his first season under Sarkisian, Kessler went from a solid college passer to sensational, connecting on 315 of 452 passes (69.7 percent) for 3,826 passing yards, good for 11th in Div. I. Better yet, Kessler lit up opposing defenses for 39 passing touchdowns — only three Div. I quarterbacks threw more — while offering up just five interceptions, fewer than all of the nation’s top passers except Oregon star Marcus Mariotta.

While they were at it, Sarkisian and Kessler made wide receiver Nelson Agholor into a 104-catch first-round draft pick.

exactly 4,500 yards Kessler’s gaudy numbers by throwing 41 touchdown passes and just four interceptions. Yes, Alabama gave Jones a roster of future NFL talent to whom he could throw, but he still had to get the ball to those teammates in order for them to catch it … which he did, and they did.

Maybe they did — that remains

where Mac Jones spent 2019 as Tua Tagovailoa’s caddy with a somewhat forgettable name.

He got a little playing time in Alabama’s lopsided victories, but anyone who claims to have seen Jones’s 2020 season coming is lying. Jones’s stat line from last season, when he led his team to the national championship in his only year as the team’s starting quarterback, looks like it includes numbers from a video game: 311of-402 passing works out to an absurd completion 77.4 percent completion rate. He threw for HORNS ILLUSTRATED

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This is not a prediction of what will happen, only an admission

to be seen. Thompson’s numbers can not be extrapolated over a full season, of course — just imagine the touchdown passes totals he could put up with a full season under center.

Sarkisian won’t make Thompson, or any other quarterback, a

of what could happen under Sarkisian, based on his previous results.

Quarterback is not the only position that needs addressing; after all, no skill players have much success without a strong offensive line leading the way. But if the Horns can bolster the line, and couple a superior passing game with a ground attack led by rising star Bijan Robinson, and the Texas offense could go from solid to explosive.

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national star overnight. But based on his track record, he has shown the ability to develop quarterbacks into top performers.

If he can do that in Austin, he will have taken a major step forward in the process of putting his stamp on the Texas offense.

A banner offensive season in his first year or two at Texas also very well could change the level of quarterback recruits who consider UT.

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Casey Thompson’s Time

Until Thompson came in, Longhorn fans had been wondering if Sam Ehlinger would return for a fifth season, and if not, who would be the QB for Texas next season. In the first 37-seconds of the 3rd, Thompson made his mark and fans breathed a sigh of relief.

In case there were any doubts, 18 seconds into the start of the 4th quarter, Thompson found Bijan Robinson with a 23 yard pass. From the vantage point of the press box at the Alamo Bowl, Robinson’s 23 yard run looked more like an electric card going from 0 to 60 in 1.99 seconds. My first thought was, “that is ludicrous.”

Ehlinger commented later that Thompson was always ready and prepared himself to come in on any play because he practices like he was the starter. It was crystal clear Thompson was ready.

Casey Thompson

Thompson entered the transfer portal briefly back in Jan 2019 during the time two other Texas QB’s figured that Ehlinger would likely be the starting QB until he graduated.

Thompson quickly changed his mind and came back to Texas for his sophomore year.

He played in only three games in 2020 against UTEP, Kansas State,

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Casey Thompson shocked fans during the 2020 Alamo Bowl when he entered the game in the second half and immediately got to work completing 8 of 10 passes for 170 yards and four touchdowns.

and the Alamo Bowl. It was the perfect ending to a crazy COVID plagued season and an excellent passing of the torch by Ehlinger knowing he was leaving his team in capable hands.

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Just days later, Tom Herman was released as the head coach and Steve Sarkisian was hired where he assembles a coaching staff that has 237 years of coaching experience.

Sarkisian was a QB, coached elite players such as Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons.

Thompson has a coaching staff around him that may be the best combined in all of college this year.

Twelve coaches with 9 National Championships among them, five who coached in the pros, three who played in the pros, and one, Andre Coleman, a Super Bowl record holder.

Casey’s decision to stay with Texas back in 2019 may have been the best decision of his career because he had the patience, determination, perseverance, and faith to endure and never give up on his dream.

The Longhorns Spring Game is Saturday April 24. Texas fans will be deeping interested in seeing who comes out throwing as well as all of college football.

It sure is great being a Texas Longhorn fan, yeah!

Casey Thompson

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Texas Pro Day March 11, 2021

Did you know...Cosmi in 2019 against West Virginia became the first Texas offensive line with a rushing touchdown and the third in the Big 12 history.

Brennan Eagles, WR

Caden Sterns, S

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Samuel Cosmi, OT

Ta’Quon Graham, DL

Joseph Ossai, JACK

Sam Ehlinger, QB

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Which Texas Longhorn will be drafted into the NFL?

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TEXAS PRO DAY Joseph Ossai

Ta’Qu a

n Gra

ham

linger

h Sam E

Samual Cosmi Bench Press 36 reps

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Vertical Jump 42.0 41.5 40.0

Caden Sterns Joseph Ossai Tarik Black

Standing Long Jump 11-0 Tarik Black 10-11.5 Joseph Ossai 10-11 Tarik Black Bench Press (225 reps) 36 32 19

Samuel Cosmi Ta’Quon Graham Joseph Ossai

40-Yard Dash 4.40 4.53 4.55

Caden Sterns Tarik Black & Chris Brown Brennan Eagles

Additional notables – Joseph Ossai (4.65), Samuel Cosmi (4.84), Ta’Quon Graham (4.93)

The Best Part of Texas Pro Day AUSTIN, TEXAS - Texas Athletics allowed players to spend time with the media after their showing at Texas Pro Day. Players answered questions about how they did, what they hope the scouts would take away from their performance, and tooks us through their toughts of the day.

The most impressive was Joseph Ossai.

Listening to Ossai was like hearing Tony Romo breaking down a play and going over the fine details.

The one topic that caused each player to become animated was went asked about how they felt seeing their teammates again.

It was clear this was a family reunion.

Pro-Agility (20’s)

Caden Sterns Tarik Black

4.16 4.20 4.26

Caden Sterns Chris Brown Tarik Black

3-Cone Drill 6.85 6.91 6.93

Chris Brown Tarik Black Brennan Eagles

Ossai - Ehlinger - Graham 16

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If there was one highlight to everyones day, it was getting to see each other. The love and bond these guys have for each other goes beyond teammates. It truly is a deep brotherhood.

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Texas Pro Day Performances

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TEXAS LONGHORNS 2021 BIG12 C

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MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS

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2021 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

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MATT COLEMAN III

Coleman, Sims lead men’s basketball to Big 12 tournament crown

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by Steve Lansdale KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When the clock ticked down to 0:00 at the end of the Texas Longhorns’ 91-86 victory Saturday over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the title game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the T-Mobile Center, guard Matt Coleman locked in an emotional embrace with head coach Shaka Smart.

A coach hugging a star player who leads a team to a championship is anything but an uncommon sight. With Smart and Coleman, however, the emotions ran a little deeper.

“He’s playing at such a high level right now, with so much confidence,” Smart said after Coleman led UT to its first championship in the tournament in the history of the program.

“This is what he came here to do.

“You know, at the end of the day, he had to decide between us and Duke. When you’re a kid coming out of high school, and a program like that wants you, and a coach like [Mike Krzyzewski] … I mean, it takes a special type of guy to say, ‘Nah, I’m going to do something different’ … and he did that, and he believed in us and our program. I’m just so happy that he’s being able to live out what we

Head Coach Shaka Smart

“I trust him” Shaka Smart talked about during the recruiting process and what we talked about over these last three years.”

In a balance that seemed only appropriate, Coleman said he was as proud of his coach as Smart was of him.

“I just cried,” Coleman said. “It was like tears of joy. I said, ‘Coach, this is what we’ve been saying since Day 1. It took four years to make it happen, to take a step in the right direction, man, and you did this. You built a culture here, and I’m proud to be a part of it.’

The rest was just tears and feeling his love. It’s deeper than the game of basketball.”

Coleman was spectacular on a day when his team needed him

to be, pouring in a career-high 30 points, becoming the first Longhorn to score 30 in a Big 12 tournament game since Kevin Durant. Coleman hit 10 of 14 shots from the floor, including four of five from three-point range, and connecting on all six of his free throws.

Coleman’s offensive outburst only slightly overshadowed a sensational performance by senior forward Jericho Sims, who also reached a new career high with 21 points and pulled down a seasonhigh 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season, his third in the Horns’ last four games. For good measure, he also tacked on a career-high three steals.

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The victory left the No. 13/16 Longhorns to wait for the announcement of their NCAA tournament seeding with a 19-7 record, while No. 12/14 Oklahoma State fell to 20-8.

The 91 points were the most UT has scored in a Big 12 tournament game, surpassing the 89 scored in 2002 against Missouri. The Horns also broke the school Big 12 tournament record for made free throws in a game with 28 and free throws attempted (36).

Courtney Ramey

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Coleman and Sims were the stars of the night, but were far from the only contributors. Guard Andrew Jones and forward Kai Jones added 13 points apiece, while forward Brock Cunningham matched Sims with three steals, and Courtney Ramey handed out five assists.

Some teams have breakout offensive performances when their players start nailing three-

Jericho Sims

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Kamaka Hepa / Royce Hamm Jr

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Greg Brown

pointers from every corner of the gym, but other than Coleman, the Longhorns were quiet from long range. While Coleman shot 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, his teammates hit a combined three of 13, with Andrew Jones, Kai Jones and Cunningham each hitting once from outside the stripe.

“We knew, coming in, it was going to be a heck of a battle,” Smart said. “We knew there was going to Kai Jones

Jase Febres

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Brock Cunningham

For Oklahoma State, most of those plays were made by doeverything freshman Cade Cunningham, the first-team All-Big 12 honoree and the conference’s unanimous Freshman of the Year, who is widely expected to be the first pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Cunningham was spectacular, but Smart said he was impressed by his team’s ability to survive Cunningham’s onslaught and still make the plays needed to bring the tournament title to Austin.

“Cade was phenomenal,” Smart said. “He kept making shots at the end there, to keep them attached, and in the game. But I thought our guys’ poise against the press and ability to make free throws … was a big, big difference.”

Pressed for how the victory feels to him, Smart acknowledged his satisfaction with the Longhorns’ accomplishment … temporarily, before immediately swerving back to his focus on what the

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tournament crown means for the players who earned it on the floor.

“It feels great — it feels great,” Smart said. “More than anything, I’m happy for our guys. The most important thing is that our guys stayed connected, and I’m happy they get to experience this feeling.”

Andrew Jones

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be a lot of plays made, both ways.”

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Will Brown Make It Next To Durant and

Ford?

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Drayton Whiteside - Guard

Royce Hamm Jr - Forward

Jase Febres - Guard 26

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Blake Nevins - Forward

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NCAA TOURNAMENT

Texas Men’s Basketball To Indianapolis for NCAA Tournament as No. 3

Texas Women’s Basketball Headed To San Antonio for NCAA Tournament as No. 6

#MARCHMADNESS Hookem

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6

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Saturday, March 20 8:50PM CT

Monday, March 22 7:00PM CT

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Congratulations Jody Conradt

2021 Jostens-Berenson Lifetime Achievement Award

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Charli Collier declares for WNBA draft

Charli Collier

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by Steve Lansdale AUSTIN, Texas — Charli Collier is moving on.

The Texas women’s basketball team’s star center/forward announced Sunday that she will forego her final year of eligibility in 2021-22 in order to enter the 2021 WNBA Draft.

In her announcement on her Twitter account, Collier thanked her family and the array of coaches who helped her develop in to the player she is.

“It is a blessing to say that I will graduate from the University of Texas this spring (2021) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Culture and Sports with a minor in Communication Studies,” Collier wrote in part of her announcement. “Education has always been a priority in my life, and I am so blessed to have attended one of the most prestigious universities in the country.”

Since the start of this season, Collier has been projected by many to be the first player taken in the draft, the dates of which have not yet been determined. The 30

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Dallas Wings hold the first pick.

Collier has thrived under first-year head coach Vic Schaefer, averaging 20.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game. Her 17 double-doubles are tied for the second-highest total among Div. I players. She is the only player in the country averaging more than 20 points and 12 boards per game.

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Charli Collier declares for WNBA Draft

Among the honors that have come her way this season, Collier is a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top center, a semifinalist for the Naisemith Defensive Player of the Year award and earned a spot on the Wooden Award National Ballot.

She has accounted for 29.9 percent of UT’s scoring and 31.9 percent of the team’s rebounds.

“I look forward to finishing this season strong,” she wrote, “with full focus on helping our team accomplish its mission.”

CHARLI COLLIER

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Women’s basketball ends regular season with 69-60 win at TCU, will face Iowa State in Big 12 tournament

Kyra Lambert

by Riley Zayas FORT WORTH, Texas — The Texas women’s basketball thwarted a late TCU scoring run and closed out the regular season with a 69-60 victory Sunday afternoon at Schollmaier Arena.

The victory closed out the Longhorns’ regular-season record at 17-8 overall, and 11-7 in games against Big 12 teams, while TCU fell to 9-14 overall, and 4-14 in conference games.

Texas earned the No. 5 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship in Kansas City, Mo. The Longhorns earned a first-round bye and will open postseason play at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 12, against No. 4 seed Iowa State in a game that can be seen on ESPNU. The Longhorns swept their two matchups this season against the Cyclones, who crushed Kansas Sunday, 83-53, to finish the regular season with a 16-9 overall record, including a 12-6 mark against the rest of the Big 12.

Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said after the game that while his team’s performance was not always perfect, the end result is what ultimately matters.

“I thought we competed and battled all night,” Schaefer said. “We got a little fatigued at the end, but it is what it is. Nothing has changed. We just need to keep fighting through these times. My job is to get them home, and tonight we got home.”

Texas held a 58-40 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but the Horned Frogs had fuel left in the tank. Texas forward/center Charli Collier got a jumper to fall 21 seconds into the final period, extending the Horns’ lead to 20, but TCU fought back, mounting a 14-0 run. Texas guard/forward Audrey Warren sank a free throw to break the Horns’ scoring drought that spanned 5:04, but a Tavy Diggs layup with 4:26 to play put TCU within six points, at 60-54.

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“I can’t play for them,” Schaefer said.

“I thought we [as a coaching staff] put [our team] in some positions and tried to get them to go back to being aggressive. Again, we’ve got some young players that aren’t real experienced. Our decision making is shaky sometimes.”

the first half, the Longhorns held a commanding 43-27 lead at the half.

The Horns showed their resiliency and countered from the free-throw line late, going 7-of-10 from the charity stripe in the final four minutes, as TCU intentionally fouled in an attempt to close gap.

Warren, who struggled to see the court last season, was one of four guards who started Sunday for Texas. The junior scored 18 points, which tied Collier for the team lead, and had 12 rebounds.

“It took us a little while to settle down and get back to being aggressive,” Schaefer said. “When we did, we got back to the free throw line.”

With six days to prepare, UT lurched out of the gates, going on a 13-0 run midway through the opening quarter. The offense came easily for the Longhorns, who shot 52 percent in the first, and led for all but 52 seconds.

Texas held a 21-10 lead as the second quarter began, and the advantage swelled to 18 on a Lauren Ebo free throw with 5:28 to go in the first half. Though TCU scored seven points in just over a minute late in

Audrey Warren

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Perhaps Warren’s biggest play of the afternoon came with 3:00 left on

Coach Vic Schafer

Celeste Taylor

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Throughout the season, the third quarter had been one in which the Horns often struggled, but they came out of the locker room with confidence on the offensive end.

Texas made 54 percent of its shots in the third, outscoring TCU, 1513. Warren, who finished her high school career in Fort Worth, carried the Longhorns on both ends of the floor, scoring six points.

the clock, when she drilled a jumper from the corner to extend UT’s lead to 63-56.

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“She made a big jump shot in the corner,” Schaefer said. “They had cut it to five and she made a jump shot down there on the baseline that we really needed.”

Collier, who announced her decision to forego her senior season and enter into the 2021 WNBA Draft shortly after the victory, also tallied a double-double with 18 points and 13 boards.

“You just got to go turn it loose,” Schaefer said of the upcoming conference tournament. “You can’t look to the top of the mountain. You got to take every step step-by-step.

You start looking at the top, that’s when you’re going to misstep and fall to the bottom. You just got to take it one day at a time, one game at a time.

Allen-Taylor’s doubledouble leads five in double figures as women’s basketball downs Drake

by Riley Zayas AUSTIN, Texas — Lauren Ebo suited up at Texas for the first time Friday night, scoring 14 points to help the Texas women’s basketball team take down Drake, 101-80, Friday at the Frank Erwin Center.

With the victory, the Longhorns improved to 5-1 overall — all games played so far have been non-conference tilts — while the Bulldogs slipped to 2-4.

Lauren Ebo

State who previously had been denied immediate eligibility by the NCAA, benefited from the recentlyannounced NCAA blanket waiver that made all transfers immediately eligible. It was an emotional return for the forward, who was simply thankful to be back on the court in an actual game.

“It was definitely exciting,” Ebo said after the game. “I was ready to be out there. Obviously, I’d been watching for the last couple of games. My game condition is going to get better, but it was exciting.”

The 6-4 Ebo teamed teamed up with 6-5 Charli Collier to provide Texas with a potent one-two punch in the paint that played a crucial role in the Longhorns’ victory. In addition to her 14 points, Ebo brought down seven rebounds, and while Collier failed to record her sixth straight double-double of the season, she did score 17 points to go along with four boards.

The two were among five Longhorns who recorded double-digit scoring totals. Guard Joanne Allen-Taylor found her mark from outside, scoring a team-high 23 points.

Repeated drives down the lane left the Bulldogs little choice but to foul her, resulting in multiple trips to the charity stripe; Allen-Taylor knocked down 10 of 12 free throws from the line.

Audrey Warren scored 18 points, while transfer guard Kyra Lambert added 11.

“I just go with the flow of the offense,” Allen-Taylor said. “[Drake] was double-teaming so much in the paint so it really opened up so much for the guards. It was just my night tonight.”

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Joanne Allen-Taylor

not overstate the value of facing a solid mid-major such as Drake before kicking off Big 12 play Sunday at Kansas State.

“I think it was really good preparation for Kansas State,” added Allen-Taylor. “Drake being a team that pushes it up the floor, our conditioning was tested tonight, which I think we needed. I think we’re ready to play our next one because of this game.”

It was one of those offensive slugfests that often result when both teams produce offensively, but struggle to find a defensive rhythm. Texas took a 59-44 lead into halftime en route to hittine the century mark for the second time this season; the 59 points were the most in a first half for the Horns in this 2020-21 season. At the same time, the Bulldogs never completely went away, and put 11 more points on the board than any other Texas opponent this season.

“I thought we really played well offensively,” Schaefer said.

“Obviously, 59 points in a half is a lot of points. I thought we were aggressive, we attacked. I’m not excited about giving up 80 points or 44 in the first half. That’s enough to cause me a lot of heartburn, but we did hold them to 5-of-20 from three 34

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point range, had 16 steals and 21 turnovers. I want commend Drake for an outstanding ballgame. Those kids never quit, they really challenge you, every offensive possession.”

Texas came out strong from the tip, going on a 12-0 scoring run midway through the first quarter, which helped the Horns put together a comfortable lead. Drake cut the deficit to single digits at multiple points in the second quarter, even using solid defense and trips to the foul line to post a 10-2 run late in the second quarter. The Horns quickly put an end to the Bulldogs’ upset bid, forcing 21 turnovers by the final buzzer, and running away with the victory in the second half.

Regardless of the final score and the positives and negatives to be taken away from the win, Schaefer could

SHOP

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“It was critical, I thought,” Schaefer said. “I wasn’t interested in playing a lower Div. I or a three-name directional school. We needed to play somebody good. It was a great challenge for us. We needed that.

We needed to have that focus and intensity.”

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Anna Turati

No. 2 Texas Women’s Tennis

sweeps

UTSA, 7-0 Kylie Collins

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BASEBALL

Cam Williams

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with center fielder Mike Antico’s heads-up baserunning.

Douglas Hodo III

Texas baseball defeats Sam Houston State, 15-9

by Riley Zayas AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas baseball team rode 16 hits and a four-run first inning to a 15-9 win over Sam Houston State Tuesday night at UCFU Disch-Falk Field.

Texas, which improved its record to 8-5 while SHSU fell to 3-6, had little trouble handling the Bearkats, as four different Longhorns had multiple hits.

Antico reached base on a fielder’s choice with one out and right fielder Austin Todd on first, before stealing second and advancing to third on Bearkats’ starter Cole Wesneski’s wild pitch. Wesneski’s second wild pitch of the inning allowed Antico to race home from third, tying the score at 1-1. Ivan Melendez demonstrated an excellent piece of two-out hitting three batters later, singling up the middle to score Zubia from third and catcher Silas Ardoin from second. The 3-1 advantage became 4-1 in the next at-bat, as third baseman Cam Williams doubled down the right field line, scoring Faltine.

In the second, it was Antico again, this time scoring from second after stealing his second base of the night on a double by Zubia. Though the 5-1 lead seemed to seal the midweek victory for the Longhorns, SHSU was far from done, scoring Cowser in the third on a base hit off the bat of left fielder Jack Rodgers.

Texas scored three in the fourth and two in the fifth, taking a commanding 10-2 advantage as the crowd seemed to head for the exits early. The Bearkats unleashed one last charge at taking the lead in the sixth inning, however, pushing

Not one of SHSU’s five different pitchers managed to retire Texas first baseman Zach Zubia, who reached base in all five plate appearances and went three-forthree with two doubles. Zubia was at the center of UT’s quick start in the bottom of the first, scoring the Horns’ third run after drawing a walk with two outs.

SHSU leadoff hitter Colton Cowser scored in the top of the first on a groundout to shortstop Trey Faltine, but the Longhorns countered soon after, beginning

Zach Zubia

Ivan Melendez seven runs across. Eleven batters stepped to the plate in the top of the frame, as a fielding error by Texas second baseman Mitchell Daly began the scoring outburst. Runners scored from second and third on the error, which came on the fourth pitch of reliever Drew Shifflet’s outing. A three-run homer from Mason Schultz followed, cutting UT’s lead to 10-7. SHSU tacked on two additional runs off reliever Tanner Witt before the Longhorns recorded the first out of the inning.

Leading by just one, Daly made up for his error with an RBI single to score Faltine in the bottom of the inning, giving Texas a much-needed insurance run. Four more runs would cross the plate for Texas in the seventh on three doubles, as the Horns closed out the victory.

As is the case in an offensive shootout, pitching lacked for both sides, with right-handed starter Pete Hansen (1-0) earning his first win of the season, allowing two earned runs and four hits in four innings of work. Four relievers took the mound for the Longhorns, three of whom gave up at least one earned run. Lucas Gordon closed out the contest, tossing two scoreless frames with three strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

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by Perfect Game/Rawings and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association

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National Pitcher of the Week

Ty Madden

Ty Madden’s complete game lifts Texas over Houston in pitchers’ duel

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by Riley Zayas HOUSTON, Texas — Texas starter Ty Madden tossed a complete-game two-hitter as the Longhorns edged by Houston, 1-0, in the first of a three-game series Friday night.

Houston’s starter, righty Robert Gasser, looked just as good on the mound, firing seven scoreless innings. He struck out five and allowed just four hits and two walks as neither team generated much offense in the early innings.

UT’s first hit did not come until the fourth inning, when third baseman Cam Williams doubled to left-center field with two outs.

The moment that changed the course of the game came in the top of the eighth with the

one batter later but was caught stealing. Williams then drew a walk, and Cherry walked first baseman Zach Zubia on four straight balls in the following atbat, loading the bases.

Shortstop Trey Faltine worked the count to 3-1 before he too was walked by Cherry, allowing Antico to trot home from third for the game’s only run.

Cherry struck out three Texas batters in the ninth, but the damage was done, as Madden

The victory is the No. 19 Longhorns’ sixth in the last seven contests, and moves Texas to 6-4 on the season, while UH felt to 6-3.

Maybe it’s something about facing teams with Cougar mascots: Madden (2-1), who said his performance against the BYU Cougars last Friday could be considered his best start in a Texas uniform, had an equally strong, if not stronger outing against the UH Cougars. The redshirt sophomore was untouchable, striking out 14 Houston batters while giving up two hits and only two walks.

Madden surrendered his chance to record a no-hitter against the first batter he faced, as Houston’s leadoff hitter, center fielder Brandon Uhse, singled down the right field line on the third pitch of the game. Madden, a righthanded pitcher, quickly settled down after that, and did not allow a base runner past second base.

Longhorns at the plate and Houston reliever Derrick Cherry on the mound. Center fielder Mike Antico doubled down the left field line on Cherry’s second pitch of the game, putting a runner in scoring position with no outs. With both teams struggling to put runners on base, Texas head coach David Pierce went with a “small ball” strategy, instructing left fielder Douglas Hodo III to bunt and advance Antico to third. Right fielder Austin Todd walked

shut down Houston’s second, third and fourth hitters in a three-up, three-down inning to close out the victory. Madden’s final out came on a swinging strikeout by second baseman Brad Burckel.

With just four hits, Texas did not have many offensive stars, though Antico and Williams each had a double for the Horns’ only extrabase hits of the night.

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Shannon Rhodes

FORT WORTH SLUGGER

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AB: 51 TB: 51 R: 23 H: 19 2B: 3 3B: 1 HR: 9 RBI: 27

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SOFTBALL

Softball starts season with sweep of Wichita State, North Texas

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by Steve Lansdale

striking out four in the five-inning shutout.

CONROE, Texas — The No. 7 Texas softball team hit .412 with 11 extra-base hits and didn’t allow an earned run as the Longhorns kicked off their 2021 season by sweeping games Sunday against Wichita State and North Texas in the Scrap Yard Blizzard Challenge at the Scrap Yard Complex Iron Field in Conroe. The Longhorns (2-0) pounded WSU, 8-0, in a game that was called after five innings before knocking off North Texas, 5-1.

Catcher Colleen Sullivan drove in the only runs the Longhorns would need in the bottom of the first with a double — her first of three over the two games — plated second baseman

Washington, and pinch runner Alyssa Popelka raced home on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Courtney Day. Center fielder Shannon Rhodes led the UT offense against UNT, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a double, and Molly Jacobsen came on in relief to pick up her first win as a Longhorn after transferring from Ole Miss.

The Longhorns grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Burke tripled to right and scored on a Sullivan Colleen Sullivan

The victory in the opener improved the Longhorns’ all-time record in season openers to 25-0, and was the second in as many years against the Shockers.

Sophomore pitcher Shea O’Leary was dominant in the opener, allowing just a single hit, walking three and Bailey Williams

Janae Jefferson and first baseman Lauren Burke to give UT a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

In the second, freshman shortstop Alyssa Washington doubled to right-center and scored on a triple

by Jefferson. Third baseman Mary Iakopo walked and then scored ahead of Jefferson on Burke’s three-run home run to make it 6-0.

Texas added its last two runs in the third. Rhodes scored from third on an RBI single by left fielder Kaitlyn

double. Kaitlyn Washington doubled the Texas lead and scored what proved to be the eventual gamewinning run when she scored in the second on an RBI double by catcher Taylor Ellsworth.

UNT center fielder Tuesday DerMargosian scored the only run of the day against her former team when she took third base on a wild pitch and came home on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Molly Rainey to cut the UT lead to 2-1, but Rhodes pushed the margin back to two runs HORNS ILLUSTRATED

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when she led off the fourth with a solo home run.

Texas starter Ryleigh White scattered four hits, walked one, struck out four and allowed the game’s only run over 3-1/3 innings before giving way to Jacobsen, who surrendered two hits over 3-2/3 scoreless innings.

2021 TRACK & FIELD BIG 12 INDOOR CHAMPIONS MEN AND WOMEN

LUBBOCK, Texas – Kynnedy Flannel and Micaiah Harris were Texas’s top scorers when No. 11/3 Texas Track and Field program swept the 2021 Big 12 Indoor Championships.

The women won for the fourthstraight time with 154.5 points and the men won with 141 points.

Kynnedy Flannel

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Micaiah Harris

It’s the first time since 2015 that a team has won both men and women titles.

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In her first collegiate action in the circle, White allowed the first two UNT batters of the game to reach on singles, but quickly fought her way out of trouble in the first on consecutive fly outs and a swinging K.

Paola Pineda

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No. 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving win Big 12 Championship

No. 1 Men’s Swimming and Diving win Big 12 Championship

Paola Pineda

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