Horns Illustrated Week in Review (May 27th-June 3rd)

Texas Football

The Countdown Begins! 88 days until the 2013-2014 Texas Football Season kicks off against New Mexico State.

**Video courtesy of TexasLonghornsVideo (Texassports.com)**

Softball

On Sunday, the Texas Softball team ended their record-breaking season with a 2-1 loss to Tennessee in the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series. Texas returned to the College World Series for the first time since 2006.

It marked the third time in program history the Longhorns made a WCWS semifinals appearance.

Senior Blaire Luna ended her remarkable career at Texas with a 32-7 record this season. Luna set personal best in wins (32) and strikeouts (422) this season.

Seniors Taylor Hoagland, Kim Bruins and Torie Schmidt also played in their final game at Texas on Sunday.

Texas scored 356 runs this season—the second most in program history. The 2012 team finished with 372 runs.

They defeated Arizona State 6-3 in the opening round. Texas rallied and scored four runs in the fifth inning to defeat the Sun Devils and stay in the winner’s bracket. Kim Bruins led the way with a 2-run homer in the fifth. Luna recorded the win after allowing three runs on four hits and three walks. She struck out 10 batters.

The Longhorns met their hated rivals Oklahoma in the next round. Texas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning with RBIs from Brejae Washington and Kim Bruins. Texas couldn’t hold on and the Sooners erased the lead in the bottom of the third inning and scored six runs. Oklahoma went on to score four more runs and ended the game with a 10-2 victory. The loss knocked Texas into the loser’s bracket to play Florida.

Luna led Texas to a 3-0 shutout against the Gators on Sunday. She allowed no runs, one hit, five walks and struck out 14 batters. Kim Bruins hit a 3-run homerun in the third inning to put the Longhorns on top.

Texas returned on Sunday night to face Tennessee in the semifinals, but couldn’t capitalize and stranded seven base runners.

A solo-homerun by Tennessee’s Lauren Gibson gave the Volunteers an early 1-0 lead. Tennessee extended their lead in the sixth inning when Blaire Luna walked Lexi Overstreet with the bases loaded.

Pinch-hitter Lindsey Stephens cut the Vol’s lead to 2-1 in the seventh inning, but the Longhorns couldn’t complete the comeback and feel short.

Luna posted a 2-2 record in the College World Series and a 2.55 earned run average.

Torie Schmidt and Stephanie Ceo lead the Longhorn batters in the World Series. Schmidt finished with a team-high four hits and Ceo finished with a .400 average.

Men’s Golf

The Texas Men’s Golf team finished in fifth place at the NCAA Championships this week at Capital City Club Crabapple Course in Milton, Ga….[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)], and ended the Longhorns’ chance to defend their 2012 NCAA Title. The Longhorns couldn’t complete a late rally on the back 9 and were defeated by fifth-seeded Illinois in a 3-2 decision in the quarterfinals.

**Video courtesy of TexasLonghornsVideo (Texassports.com)**

Freshman Brandon Stone defeated 2012 NCAA stroke-play medalist Thomas Pieters in his match-play debut.

Stone received First Team All-American honors and won the Phil Mickelson Award, presented to the most outstanding freshman in NCAA Division I men’s golf.

Track and Field

The Texas Men’s Track and Field team competed in the NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round at Mike Myers Stadium last week. Fifteen Longhorns qualified in nine events for a berth to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 5-8.

The Texas Women’s Track & Field qualified twelve entries across ten events for the Championshps, which will also be held June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Longhorn MVP

This week’s MVP goes to—Blaire Luna, Taylor Hoagland, Kim Bruins, Torie Schmidt, and the Texas Softball team—The Texas Seniors led the softball team to a record-setting season and returned Texas to the Word Series for the first time since 2006. They also made their first WCWS semifinals appearance since 2005. Senior Blaire Luna finished the postseason with a 6-2 record and now ranks second in program history in strikeouts during the Women’s College World Series with 38.

Honorable Mention

This week’s Honorable Mention goes to—Brandon Stone—who received First Team All-American honors and won the Phil Mickelson Award, presented to the most outstanding freshman in NCAA Division I men’s golf.

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