Junior shortstop Viviana “Vivi” Martinez watched from the dugout as her team won a national championship. It wasn’t where she wanted to be, but a season-ending knee injury left her cheering for the Longhorns instead of joining them on the field.
“This will, without a doubt, be one of the hardest softball seasons for me,” Martinez said in a statement posted to Instagram and X ahead of the 2025 season.
Still, Martinez found ways to cope and overcome the sadness that came with sitting out the 2025 season. In previous seasons, she hadn’t learned all the cheers shouted out from the dugout because she spent most of her time playing. So when she found out about her injury, Martinez made it her mission to not just learn the chants but lead them.
Martinez became the team’s hype woman. She got everyone pumped up in the dugout and talked to her teammates whenever they needed. However, she didn’t get to a place where she could turn her experience into a positive one on her own.
“We worked with a lot of mental health coaches,” Martinez said after the Longhorns’ first exhibition game. “They’ve really helped me turn my perspective into something positive.”
When she was injured, Martinez learned more about the coaches’ perspective: how to read different situations and pitches, and what to do in pressure situations. Now, fall ball is well underway, and Martinez is back on the field, seemingly getting her groove back.
In a 10-inning game against Temple, Martinez got one hit and an RBI. Then, in a seven-inning 4-0 win against Texas A&M, she showed off what she learned defensively. Martinez’s quick reflexes at shortstop were essential in keeping the Aggies scoreless through all seven innings, showing no hesitation when diving for ground balls.
The exhibition may not count in the standings, but it certainly meant a lot to the team as they build confidence for the 2026 season. Luckily, the Longhorns have no shortage of support, with teams of screaming little girls in their pink softball uniforms watching their idols play their favorite game.
Emotions ran high for these two teams, and while the crowd mostly wore burnt orange, there were still cheers when an Aggie player hit a ground ball. The stadium was at capacity 13 minutes before the first pitch, so the gates were shut early. Fans packed the stands, some forced to sit in aisles while others opted to look over the padded outfield fence, to get a pre-season look at this classic rivalry.
“They’re ranked number one last year for a reason,” head coach Mike White said when asked about playing Texas A&M after their first fall exhibition game. “They’re very, very good.”
Texas A&M traveled to Austin looking for a win to build confidence. Instead, they must return to College Station humbled by the Texas defense. Martinez looks to grow for the upcoming 2026 season and is determined to be the reason Texas lifts the trophy in June.
