The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Tuesday, March 24
Austin, Texas
5 p.m.
University of Texas
vs
UTSA
Softball preview: vs. UTSA (DH) [March 24, 2015]
03.23.2015 | Softball
Texas hosts the Roadrunners in a doubleheader at 5 & 7:30 p.m. CT live on Longhorn Network
Complete Texas Game Notes - vs. UTSA
UTSA (21-9) at No. RV/RV Texas (18-9) - DOUBLEHEADER | March 24 | McCombs Field, Austin, Texas – 5 & 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Austin, Texas (Red & Charline McCombs Field)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: LINK
Television: Both games of Tuesday's doubleheader will be broadcast live on Longhorn Network with Tyler Denning (play-by-play) and Megan Willis (analyst) on the call. To watch online via Watch ESPN: GAME ONE | GAME TWO
Radio: Scheduled for broadcast with Terry Lewis on the call via the following link (also accessible on smartphones): LINK
Base Knocks:
- Both Texas softball and Connie Clark, the only head coach in program history, are closing in on another impressive number as far as program victories go. Entering Tuesday's doubleheader against UTSA, UT boasts 749 all-time varsity wins, needing just one more to reach the 750 milestone. As of March 23, the Longhorns' all-time record is 749-325-3 for a .697 winning percentage.
- Texas possesses a long series history against UTSA, leading the Roadrunners all-time by a 34-5-1 count dating back to the first match-up between the two teams on April 23, 1997 (UT won 5-4 in San Antonio, Texas). The Longhorns lost the last meeting between the squads, however, dropping a 4-2 decision to UTSA in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 12, 2014. Texas owns a 22-3-1 overall mark in home contests versus the Roadrunners.
- UTSA will be bringing along one of the nation's top offensive attacks when it visits McCombs Field for Tuesday's doubleheader. As of the most recent release of the NCAA Division I statistics (March 19), the Roadrunners were ranked among the nation's top 25 in home-runs-per-game (10th-1.61), slugging percentage (13th-.582), scoring (21st-7.07) and on-base percentage (23rd-.428). UTSA enters Tuesday's DH boasting a .324 team batting average and 48 home runs. Six different Roadrunner batters have at least 20 RBI, led by Randee Crawford with 43 (ranked 18th in NCAA DI stats as of March 19 with 35).
- The Longhorns have always had a tremendous amount of success against programs from the "Lone Star State," as UT holds a 289-69-1 (.806) overall record versus a combined 19 Texas teams and is 2-1 against such squads in 2015. The Burnt Orange & White leads the all-time series over 18 of those 19 programs with the lone blemish being a 20-20 series tie against longtime rival Texas A&M. The Horns faced off against Lamar (lost) and Texas Southern (won two games) during the Texas Invitational and will also battle Baylor, Houston, Texas State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UT-Arlington and UTSA during the 2015 regular season.
- There's not a more en fuego hitter in the Texas line-up over the last eight games than junior second baseman Stephanie Ceo. After hitting just .184 over UT's first 18 contests, the Meadow Vista, Calif., native wasn't penciled into the line-up on March 1st against Dartmouth, marking her only missed game of the season. She has responded since then by hitting an impressive .556 (10-for-18) with six runs scored, a triple, three walks, three RBIs and a .636 on-base percentage while making just one error at second base.
- Talk about taking advantage of an opportunity. With the third base position in the Texas line-up in flux during the early part of 2015, freshman Randel Leahy has stepped up to fill the void despite having virtually no experience at the position (she's always been a catcher/outfielder). Since making her first start at third base against Dartmouth on February 27th, Leahy is hitting .379 overall (second behind Ceo on the team over that stretch) with a .724 slugging percentage, six of her seven total extra-base hits, six walks, a .472 on-base percentage and all eight of her total RBIs.
- If there are two outs and runners in scoring position, Texas really enjoys seeing Holly Kern and Erin Shireman step to the plate. Kern leads the way for the Longhorns in such instances in 2015 with 13 two-outs RBIs and an overall two-out batting average of .371 (13-for-35), while Shireman has 11 two-out RBIs and a .391 mark (9-for-23). Freshman third baseman Randel Leahy is also proving to be rather adept with two retired, batting .500 (8-for-16) with five two-out RBIs. This season, 55 of Texas' 153 total RBIs (35.9 percent) have been registered with two outs.
- Entering the doubleheader against UTSA, several Longhorns have some solid streaks going. Sophomore shortstop Devon Tunning has reached base in a career-best 12 straight contests, sophomore left fielder Stephanie Wong has reached successfully in a career-high 10 straight match-ups, junior second baseman Stephanie Ceo has reached in her last seven games and freshman third baseman Randel Leahy has reached successfully in a career-best six straight contests. Wong and Ceo boast the longest current Texas hitting streaks at six games apiece (Wong's streak is a career-best).
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
C/UTIL
/ Softball
C/3B
/ Softball
SS/3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball