The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball preview: UTEP and UTA
03.09.2010 | Softball
March 9, 2010
Complete Notes 
Games 21-23: No. 14/15 TEXAS (17-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. UTEP (15-6) & at UTA (12-8)
When: Wednesday, March 10 vs. UTEP at 5/7 p.m. / Thursday, March 11 at UTA at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Austin, Texas (McCombs Field) & Arlington, Texas (Allan Saxe Field)
Live Stats: TexasSports.comLive Internet Audio/Video: TexasSports.tv for the UTEP doubleheader
All-Time Record vs. UTEP: Texas leads UTEP, 5-0 (H: 2-0, A: 0-0, N: 3-0)
Last Meeting with UTEP: Texas won, 13-4 on March 1, 2009 in El Paso
Last UTEP Victory: none
Current Streak vs. UTEP: Texas has won all five meetings
All-Time Record vs. UTA: Texas leads UTA, 20-2 (H: 16-2, A: 4-0, N: 0-0)
Last Meeting with UTA: Texas won, 11-1 on Feb. 17, 2009 in Austin
Last UTA Victory: UTA won, 4-3 on March 22, 2001 in Austin
Current Streak vs. UTA: Texas has won the last 12 meetings
LONGHORNS NOTABLES
- The Horns are ranked No. 15 in the most recent USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Poll released on March 9 ... thirteen of Texas' opponents are ranked in the poll with five of them being ranked in the top 10 ... four other Big 12 teams are ranked in the Top 25 ... Missouri is the highest ranked Big 12 team in the No. 3 spot, Oklahoma ranks 12th, Oklahoma State ranks 20th and Texas A&M holds the No. 24 position ... Texas' highest ranking of the year was No. 14 on Feb. 23.
- Texas is ranked No. 14 in the current ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll that was released March 9 ... fourteen of Texas' 2010 opponents are ranked in the poll ... five other Big 12 Conference teams appear in the poll, with Missouri holding the No. 3 spot, Oklahoma ranking No. 9, Oklahoma State ranking 19th, Texas A&M holding the No. 21 spot and Baylor weighing in at No. 22 ... UT's highest ranking of the year was No. 13 (Feb. 23 & March 2)
- The Horns posted a 2-1 record last weekend (March 6-7) at the Tennessee Classic in Knoxville, Tenn. ... Texas notched victories over Ohio (11-5) and Illinois State (6-3) and dropped a tight contest with No. 20 Tennessee (3-2) ... junior catcher Amy Hooks headlined Texas' offense over the weekend, hitting .500 with two homers, three runs scored, six RBI and ten total bases ... freshman pitcher Blaire Luna fanned 29 batters in 12 innings work at the tourney.
- Texas has connected for 35 homers in its first 20 games and has hit at least one homer in each of its last 17 games, dating back to Feb. 13 vs. DePaul ... UT is currently on pace to hit 98 homers in 2010, which would shatter the current single-season record of 59 (2009).
- Texas made quick work of Texas Southern on March 4, as freshman pitcher Kim Bruins fired her first career no-hitter in the 8-0 run-rule victory ... Bruins tossed 5.0 innings, striking out three and allowing only one baserunner on a hit-by-pitch ... senior designated player Tallie Thrasher headlined the Horns' offense with a double, a triple, one run scored and three RBI.
- Freshman righthander Blaire Luna remains red hot through one month of play, owning an 8-2 record and a Big 12-best 1.05 ERA in 13 appearances and 60.0 innings of work ... she has added two saves, four complete games and a no-hitter to her stat line ... she has fanned 103 batters on the year and surrendered just nine runs, while averaging 12.02 K's per-seven innings of work ... her .132opponents batting average ranks No. 1 in the Big 12.
- The Longhorns opened the 2010 season with 11 straight wins, including six wins over ranked opponents to mark the second-best start in program history ... the start fell short of the 16-0 record that UT posted to start the 2003 season ... the Horns suffered their first loss of the year, to Fresno State (5-4) on Feb. 25.
- Texas' bats have been outstanding in its first 20 games, connecting for a Big 12-best 35 home runs ... the Horns have also driven in 101 runs and out-scored opponents 114-to-56 ... two Longhorns have five home runs each (Courtney Craig and Tallie Thrasher), while Shelby Savony has ripped six homers, while tallying just seven hits on the year ... Texas is currently on pace to hit 98 home runs in its 56-game regular season ... the UT single-season record is 59 and was set in 2009 ... after failing to homer in its first three games of 2010, Texas has now hit at least one home run in 17 straight games.
- Despite playing a limited role as a pinch hitter in Texas' first 16 games, senior Tallie Thrasher earned a place in the lineup and has been coming up big ... showing flashes of her All-Big 12 form from 2007 and 2008, Thrasher is hitting .519 in 27 at-bats this season ... she is 14-for-27 with eight runs scored, five home runs and 13 RBI ... the Southlake, Texas, native is slugging at a 1.185 clip on the season ... Thrasher made her first start of the season (at DP) on March 4 against Texas Southern.