Softball preview: vs. North Texas [May 4, 2016]

Texas Game Notes vs. North Texas - May 4, 2016

North Texas (20-31, 3-18 Conference USA) at No. RV Texas (33-14, 7-7 Big 12) | May 4 | McCombs Field, Austin, Texas

Schedule:

Wednesday, May 4

5 p.m. CT North Texas 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 Leigh Ross (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:

For her efforts last week in helping Texas to a Big 12 series victory over Kansas, junior pitcher Tiarra Davis has picked up her first career selection as the Big 12 Conference's Player of the Week (May 3). The Henderson, Texas, native was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, two complete games, her fourth solo shutout of the season and 15 strikeouts over 14 innings of work against the Jayhawks. This award marks the fifth for a Longhorns player in 2016 after Lindsey Stephens (twice), Celina Felix and Paige von Sprecken previously earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors. This also marks the second consecutive week that Texas has earned a league weekly award (von Sprecken won Big 12 Player of the Week on April 26).
There's no place like home for junior pitcher Tiarra Davis as she boasts a 15-2 home pitching mark at McCombs Field with a 1.28 ERA, 12 complete games, three solo shutouts and 91 K's in 109.1 innings. Contrast that to her road numbers: 2-5 record, five complete games and 35 K's in 47.1 frames. Junior designated player/pitcher Paige von Sprecken also loves the friendly confines, batting .548 (17-for-31) at home this season and .000 (only five away at bats) on the road.
Don't try to run on senior catcher Erin Shireman as the backstop has thrown out 14-of-27 base runners this season (52%) and 39% of all would-be base stealers in her career on the Forty Acres (27-for-69).
Senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens needs just two more doubles to join Taylor Hoagland as the only two Longhorns to reach the 40-double, 40-HR club in their career on the Forty Acres. Stephens currently owns 38 doubles and 40 HR's, while Hoagland finished with 40 doubles and 58 HR's. In all, six former Longhorns managed 40 or more doubles in their playing careers but none of those, other than Hoagland, hit more than 40 big flies.
l Senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens is approaching or has already set several personal milestones at Texas this season. The senior center fielder is just NINE HITS AWAY from becoming just the 10th Longhorns player in program history to reach the 200-career-hit plateau (has 191 hits as of May 3). She just reached the 200th career game played plateau (vs. Kansas on May 1) to join teammate Stephanie Ceo in reaching the mark in 2016 and with a grand slam against KU on May 1 became only the second UT player to hit 40 HR's in her career (Taylor Hoagland blasted 58 HR's from 2010-13).
Stephens also continues her quick ascension up the Texas career charts in numerous categories. She's now tied for fourth in career batting average (.355), tied for second in triples (13), second in HR's (40), second in RBIs (156), second in slugging percentage (.697), sixth in runs scored (141), eighth in doubles (38) and fourth in on-base percentage (.437).
The Longhorns have an opportunity to set a new single-season record for double plays in a campaign, entering Wednesday's action with 21 twin-killings this year to tie for the SECOND-MOST in the program's record book in the category. The all-time record is 25 established by the 2009 Texas team.
Sophomore 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 17 games dating back to the second game of the DH against BYU on April 2nd, von Sprecken is batting a team-best .485 (16-for-33) with five extra-base hits and a squad-high 11 RBIs.
Which Longhorns hitters do you want at the plate with two outs in an inning and needing a run? Junior third baseman Celina Felix, senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens and sophomore designated player/pitcher Paige von Sprecken, that's who. Felix owns a .419 two-out average (18-for-43) with 15 two-out RBIs, Stephens is at .319 (15-for-47) with 12 two-out RBIs and von Sprecken is batting a remarkable .571 (8-for-14) with five two-out RBIs.
Texas has made protecting its home turf a priority in 2016 and still has a chance, with two home games remaining and an outstanding 23-5 home record entering Wednesday night's game against North Texas, 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 both, they would equal the 2011 and 2005 Texas teams with a 25-5 home mark to rate in a tie for fifth. The all-time program record for home triumphs is 32 established back in 2006.
The latest release of the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) was issued by the NCAA on Monday with Texas rated at a season-best No. 31 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, No. 38 on April 18 and No. 32 on April 25.
Texas is currently on pace to strike out as a team just 181 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 27-4 when putting more hits up on the board than the opposition and just 6-10 when tied or trailing in the hit category. Who scores first has also played a major role to this point in whether Texas or its opposition wins games in 2016. Thus far through 47 contests, the Longhorns are 24-2 when putting a run on the scoreboard first and just 9-12 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 47 games of the season, the Longhorns are 32-5 when scoring three-or-more times in a game and 1-9 when being held below that number.
Texas head coach Connie Clark reached a MILESTONE VICTORY on April 27th with a 6-0 win over Texas Southern. Clark's overall record stands at 802-344-3. The postgame celebration where senior captains Lindsey Stephens, Rachel Scott and Stephanie Ceo surprised coach during the postgame LHN interview with pies in the face made Thursday morning's edition of ESPN SportsCenter AM (as #BestPie) as well as the national NCAA Softball and NFCA Twitter accounts.

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Players Mentioned

Stephanie Ceo

Tiarra Davis

Celina Felix

Rachel Scott

Erin Shireman

Lindsey Stephens

Paige von Sprecken

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics