The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Wednesday, April 27
Austin, Texas
6 p.m.
University of Texas
vs
Texas Southern
Softball preview: vs. Texas Southern [April 27, 2016]
04.26.2016 | Softball
The Longhorns step out of league play to host TSU in a mid-week tilt at McCombs Field
Texas Game Notes vs. Texas Southern - April 27, 2016
Texas Southern (22-14, 14-2 SWAC) at No. RV Texas (30-13, 5-6 Big 12) | April 27 | McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Wednesday, April 27
6 p.m. CT Texas Southern at No. RV TEXAS – LINK TO WATCH LHN
**check TexasSports.com or our Twitter account (@TexasSoftball) for any weather-related delay or cancellation information should it become necessary
Location: Austin, Texas (Red & Charline McCombs Field)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: LINK
Television: The game will be broadcast on Longhorn Network with Tyler Denning (play-by-play) and Megan Willis (color) on the call.
Radio: The contest is slated for radio broadcast via web stream with Terry Lewis on the call through this LINK. It can also be heard locally in Austin on 105.3 FM in the local and surrounding areas, part of the Austin Radio Network supported by the flagship radio station of the Longhorns, 104.9 FM The Horn.
Base Knocks:
- UT head coach Connie Clark could reach a MILESTONE VICTORY on Wednesday night with a win over Texas Southern. With her 2016 team currently sitting at 30-13, Clark's overall record stands at 799-343-3, meaning the 20th year varsity coach needs just one more victory to reach the 800-win mark in her career.
- Junior designated player/pitcher Paige von Sprecken was named the Big 12 Conference's Player of the Week on April 26, after leading the Longhorns during their sweep of Oklahoma State over April 22-24 by hitting .571 (4-for-7) with her first career HR and six RBIs. Included in her efforts was the game-winning RBI single in the sixth inning of the 8-7, series finale triumph. Over UT's last 13 games dating back to the second game of the DH against BYU on April 2nd, von Sprecken is batting a team-best .500 (11-for-22) with five extra-base hits and a squad-high 11 RBIs.
- Texas has made protecting its home turf a priority in 2016 and still has a chance, with six home games remaining and an outstanding 20-4 home record entering Wednesday night's match-up against Texas Southern, to eventually enter the program's all-time top five list for most home victories in a single season. If the Longhorns were to win five-of-six, they would equal the 2011 and 2005 Texas teams with a 25-5 home mark. A clean sweep of all six games would mean a 26-4 home mark and fifth by itself. The all-time program record for home triumphs is 32 established back in 2006.
- The Longhorns also have an opportunity to set a new single-season record for double plays in a campaign, entering this week's action with 17 this year. The all-time record is 25 by the 2009 Texas team, while just two more twin-killings would move the 2016 edition of the Horns into a tie for fourth in a single-season (19) in the Texas record book.
- The latest release of the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) was issued by the NCAA on Monday with Texas rated at a season-best No. 32 overall. In the Big 12 Conference, the Longhorns were third behind Oklahoma (No. 3) and Baylor (No. 14). UT was No. 37 in the initial release of the season on March 20, No. 41 on March 27, No. 36 in both the April 4 & 11 releases and No. 38 last week (April 18).
- Senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens is approaching several personal milestones at Texas as the senior center fielder is just 11 HITS AWAY from becoming just the 10th Longhorns player in program history to reach the 200-career-hit plateau (has 189 hits as of April 26), needs to appear in just FOUR MORE GAMES to join teammate Stephanie Ceo in reaching the 200-games-played mark (currently has 196 career appearances as of April 26) and has to hit just ONE MORE HR to become only the second UT player to hit 40 HR's in her career (Taylor Hoagland blasted 58 HR's from 2010-13).
- Which Longhorns hitters do you want at the plate with two outs in an inning and needing a run? Junior third baseman Celina Felix and senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens, that's who. Felix owns a .415 two-out average (17-for-41) with 14 two-out RBIs, while Stephens is at .366 (15-for-41) with 12 two-out RBIs.
- The Longhorns have had some difficulty this season settling on a one-through-nine batting line-up as UT has used 32 different combinations through the opening 43 games. In fact, the most Texas has used any one-through-nine combination has been four times. Texas has used different 1-through-9 line-up combos in 19 of its last 21 GAMES starting on March 17 at Hawai'i.
- Texas is currently on pace to strike out as a team just 189 times in 2016, which would mark the second-fewest K's by a UT team in a single season in program history (No. 2 is currently 196 K's by the 2015 team). The school record for the fewest K's in a single campaign was established by the 1997 edition of the Horns which struck out just 169 times over 54 match-ups.
- When the Longhorns out-hit their opponent, that usually means a "W." This season Texas is 24-4 when putting more hits up on the board than the opposition and just 6-9 when tied or trailing in the hit category.
- Who scores first has played a major role to this point in whether Texas or its opposition wins games in 2016. Thus far through 43 contests, the Longhorns are 21-2 when putting a run on the scoreboard first and just 9-11 when the opposition crosses the plate initially.
- Scoring three runs appears to be the magic number for success for the Texas softball teams this season. Through the opening 43 games of the season, the Longhorns are 29-5 when scoring three-or-more times in a game and 1-8 when being held below that number.
- Texas is obviously comfortable playing close games as the Longhorns currently boast an 11-6 record in one-run games in 2016. UT also owns five walk-off wins and 12 come-from-behind victories this year. In all, 12 of Texas' last 26 games have been settled by one run with Texas owning a 6-6 mark in those contests.
- Senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens continues her quick ascension up the Texas career charts in numerous categories. She's now fourth in career batting average (.359), tied for second in triples (13), second in HR's (39), third in RBIs (152), second in slugging percentage (.702), tied for sixth in runs scored (138), eighth in doubles (38) and tied for fourth in on-base percentage (.439).
Players Mentioned
2B
/ Softball
3B/SS
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballRHP
/ Softball