The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Friday, March 27
Lawrence, Kan.
5 p.m.
University of Texas
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Kansas
Softball preview: at No. 22 Kansas [March 27-29, 2015]
03.26.2015 | Softball
Texas travels to Lawrence, Kan., to open the Big 12 Conference campaign against the nationally-ranked Jayhawks
Complete Texas Game Notes - at #22 Kansas
No. RV/RV Texas (20-9) at No. 22/22 Kansas (29-2) | March 27-29 | Arrocha Ballpark, Lawrence, Kan.
Schedule:
Fri., March 27 – No. RV Texas at No. 22 Kansas – 5 p.m. CT – Jayhawk TV Network & ESPN3
Sat., March 28 – No. RV Texas at No. 22 Kansas – 2 p.m. CT
Sun., March 29 – No. RV Texas at No. 22 Kansas – 12 p.m. CT
Location: Lawrence, Kan. (Arrocha Ballpark)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: Available for all three games at the following link: LINK
Television: The first game of the series is slated for broadcast on the Jayhawk TV Network (available on Time Warner Cable in the state of Kansas) and ESPN3 (for those outside the state with the right cable provider). Lief Lisec (play-by-play) and Maggie Hull-Tietz (analyst) will be on the call.
Radio: Kansas will be providing a free radio broadcast of all three games at the following link: LINK
Base Knocks:
- By registering back-to-back walk-offs in both ends of the doubleheader sweep of UTSA (2-1 & 3-2) on Tues., March 24, it marked the first consecutive walk-offs for UT since turning the trick on April 2 & 4, 2009, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Iowa State, respectively. Texas now has recorded four walk-off wins during the 2015 campaign with previous occurrences against Northwestern (Feb. 7) and Dartmouth (Feb. 27). In Texas softball history, there have been two other instances of back-to-back walk-off wins in a doubleheader (vs. Florida on March 1, 2003, and vs. Oklahoma State on April 17, 1999). The Longhorns have now posted consecutive walk-offs on seven different occasions in program history dating back to 1999.
- Texas and Kansas possess a lengthy series history having faced each other 39 times overall with the Longhorns holding a 26-13 edge. UT took two-of-three in its 2014 series at McCombs Field against the Jayhawks and have won 15 of the last 16 contests between the pair dating back to April 13, 2008. Texas is just 12-10 on the road against KU but has won the last nine meetings in Lawrence, Kan.
- Some say the hardest thing to do in softball is be a pinch hitter. Well if that's the case, sophomore Mickenzi Krpec is quickly proving her impressive skill in that position this season. The Fulshear, Texas, product is 3-for-8 in such situations (.375) and owns hits in each of her last two such plate appearances. Included are a key three-run pinch-hit HR that helped beat Arkansas (8-6, 8 inn., March 16) and a walk-off two-RBI single that finished off UTSA in the second game of a doubleheader, 3-2 (March 24).
- The Longhorns enter this weekend's Big 12 Conference opener at 14-5 all-time in league lid-lifters and have won their last seven in a row dating back to a loss to Oklahoma to open the 2007 league slate. UT is 3-1 against this weekend's opponent Kansas in conference starters. UT is 204-111 (.648) all-time in Big 12 Conference play.
- Texas seems comfortable playing away from the friendly confines of McCombs Field, boasting a 4-1 mark in true away games in 2015. Included in that mark are victories at No. 16 Arizona State and a three-game road sweep of Arkansas. The only true road match-up that UT has dropped this season was an 8-3 decision at North Carolina (March 6). In road games, Texas has out-hit the opposition as a team, .345 to .218.
- After dealing with some error issues defensively during the early portion of the 2015 campaign as a result of an unsettled infield line-up, things have improved significantly for the Longhorns since suffering through its last multi-miscue game against Lamar on Feb. 28 (three errors). Over the last 11 contests, Texas has committed just five total errors for a stellar .982 fielding percentage while going mistake-free in six of those match-ups. That's certainly had an influence on UT's solid 9-2 record over those last 11 games.
- Sophomore left fielder Stephanie Wong has proven an especially tough out at the plate over Texas' last eight games, hitting .478 over that stretch with a recent career-long seven-game hitting streak, a .538 on-base percentage, three walks and four RBIs. She's also currently reached base safely in a career-long 12 straight games.
- There's not a more en fuego hitter in the Texas line-up over the last 10 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 being left out of the starting nine by hitting an impressive .476 (10-for-21) with seven runs scored, a triple, three walks, three RBIs and a .577 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 .382 overall (second behind Ceo on the team over that stretch) with a .706 slugging percentage, seven of her eight total extra-base hits, seven walks, a .476 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 .361 (13-for-36), while Shireman has 11 two-out RBIs and a .375 mark (9-for-24). Freshman third baseman Randel Leahy is also proving to be rather adept with two retired, batting .471 (8-for-17) with five two-out RBIs. This season, 55 of Texas' 157 total RBIs (35 percent) have been registered with two outs.
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Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
C/UTIL
/ Softball
Co-Ed Squad
/ Spirit Squad
C/3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball