The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Indiana
Softball preview: the Texas Invitational [Feb. 16-19, 2017]
02.15.2017 | Softball
The Longhorns return to action this weekend by hosting Indiana, South Carolina and Louisiana Tech
Texas Game Notes - the Texas Invitational
Texas hosts the Texas Invitational | Feb. 16-19 | McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Thursday, February 16
6 p.m. Indiana at TEXAS – Longhorn Network
Friday, February 17
10 a.m. Louisiana Tech vs. Indiana – Longhorn Network
12:30 p.m. Louisiana Tech at TEXAS – Longhorn Network
3 p.m. South Carolina at TEXAS – Longhorn Network
5:30 p.m. Indiana vs. South Carolina – Longhorn Network (tape delayed to 9:30 pm CT)
Saturday, February 18
10 a.m. Indiana at TEXAS – Longhorn Network
12:30 p.m. Indiana vs. South Carolina – Longhorn Network (tape delayed to 12 am CT – 2/19)
3:30 p.m. Louisiana Tech at TEXAS – Longhorn Network (tape delayed to 10 pm CT)
6 p.m. South Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech – Longhorn Network (tape delayed to 2 am – 2/19)
Sunday, February 19
11 a.m. South Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech – Longhorn Network
**ALL games during the Texas Invitational are slated for live broadcast on Longhorn Network (unless otherwise noted above) or through the WatchESPN app; second team listed is the home team
Location: Austin, Texas (Red & Charline McCombs Field)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: Available for every game here: LINK
Television: Each game of the Texas Invitational is slated for broadcast on Longhorn Network (see tape delay notes on the above schedule). Tyler Denning (play-by-play) and Megan Willis (color) will call the Texas match-ups, while Alex Loeb (play-by-play) and Erin Miller (color) will handle the neutral contests.
Radio: Texas' games are slated for radio broadcast via web stream with Andrew Haynes on the call via this LINK. The Texas broadcasts can also be heard locally this weekend in Austin on "The Bat" 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:
- With seven seniors on the roster in 2017, this ties the 2005 Texas Longhorns squad for the most seniors on the roster in a single season in program history. That 2005 senior class consisted of pitcher Lizi Sowers, third baseman Wynter Turner, outfielder Lacy Robinson, outfielder Monica Askew, outfielder Melanie Jarrett, pitcher Amy Bradford and first baseman Alexis Garcia. That group (with a junior Cat Osterman throwing in the circle) went 49-13 overall, finished third in the Big 12 and advanced to the WCWS.
- Talk about the definition of a true pitching STAFF. After the opening five games of the 2017 season, Texas has already utilized ALL FIVE pitchers on its roster. Keep this in mind, in the history of the program, the Longhorns have only used five pitchers during an entire season on three occasions: 2009, 2005 and 1998.
- Texas preps to enter the 2017 Texas Invitational having scored in 38 consecutive contests dating back to a 1-0 shutout loss to Iowa on March 16, 2016, in Honolulu, Hawai'i, during the 2016 Rainbow Wahine Classic. The Longhorns need to score in all five games during the Texas Invitational to tie for the second-longest consecutive-game scoring streak (stretching over more than one season) in school history (43 from April 23, 1997 to March 22, 1998). The longest such streak in school history is 56 contests, established from May 4, 2013-April 18, 2014.
- Several Texas players enter this weekend with impressive streaks going. Sophomore Reagan Hathaway is currently riding career-long seven-game hitting and 15-game reached base streaks dating back to the end of the 2016 campaign, while seniors Devon Tunning and Stephanie Wong each reached in all five games to begin 2017.
- "Why Knot Texas?" - That's a new motto coined by this year's team for 2017. Back in January, new assistant coach Tripp MacKay tied knots in the ends of black ropes, that are being worn by each member of the squad and coaching/support staff this season, to represent "holding the rope," in supporting each other all year through good times and bad. Coach Clark also asked the team during the preseason to strive for consistent effort and a championship mindset throughout the season.
- Over the past two seasons the nucleus of this season's Longhorns squad has demonstrated a resilience and "never quit" attitude in fighting back from deficits. Texas owns 25 come-from-behind victories (those where UT trailed at ANY point in a game) and 10 total "true" walk-off wins combined over the 2015 & 2016 campaigns, including three walk-offs during last season's Texas Classic.
- The Longhorns should have plenty of pinch-hitting threats at their disposal this year as the top three options off the bench return for 2017. Sophomore Bekah Alcozer led the way last season in UT pinch-hitting at .462 (6-for-13), with seniors Taylor McAllister (.333 on 5-for-15) and Mickenzi Krpec (.333 on 4-for-12) close behind. In all, of the 22 total pinch hits Texas managed in 2016, players who combined for 19 of those return this season.
- After week one, Texas remains among those teams "receiving votes" in both the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls. In the NFCA rankings, UT earned three points, while in the USA Softball listing, the Horns tallied two points.
- In all, Texas will face NINE MEMBERS OF BOTH THE NFCA AND USA SOFTBALL PRESEASON TOP 25 POLLS (24 total games against NFCA poll teams and 23 against USA Softball poll teams) as well as four teams receiving votes in either ranking (Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Cal State Fullerton, Arizona State).
- Texas is challenging itself schedule-wise during the upcoming 2017 campaign with 28 games scheduled against 16 teams that reached the 2016 NCAA Field of 64 (Oklahoma, UCLA, Arizona, Washington, Missouri, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Long Beach State, Baylor, Cal State Fullerton, Tennessee, Minnesota, Texas State, McNeese State, Arizona State and Notre Dame). EIGHT OF THE GAMES AGAINST 2016 NCAA TEAMS WILL BE CONTESTED BY THE END OF FEBRUARY! Along the way, the Longhorns will face-off against a pair of last season's Women's College World Series participants in eventual national champion Oklahoma and UCLA as well as five NCAA Super Regional qualifiers (Oklahoma, UCLA, Arizona, Washington and Missouri).
