The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#RV/RV Notre Dame
Softball preview: the Mary Nutter Classic [Feb. 23-26, 2017]
02.22.2017 | Softball
The Longhorns head to Cathedral City, Calif., to face Notre Dame, Missouri, Bethune Cookman, Tennessee, Arizona State and Washington
Texas Game Notes - the Mary Nutter Classic
Texas at the Mary Nutter Classic | Feb. 23-26 | Big League Dreams Park, Cathedral City, Calif.
Schedule:
Thursday, February 23
5:30 p.m. #RV/RV Notre Dame vs. TEXAS – Yankee Field/FloSoftball.com
10:30 p.m. TEXAS vs. #20/22 Missouri – Yankee Field/FloSoftball.com
Friday, February 24
12:30 p.m. TEXAS vs. Bethune Cookman – Des Moines Field/FloSoftball.com
Saturday, February 25
2 p.m. #15/13 Tennessee vs. TEXAS – Yankee Field/FloSoftball.com
4:30 p.m. #21/19 Arizona State vs. TEXAS – Yankee Field/FloSoftball.com
Sunday, February 26
11 a.m. TEXAS vs. #8/7 Washington – Yankee Field/FloSoftball.com
**ALL games during the Mary Nutter Classic will be live streamed by FloSoftball.com and can be accessed for a subscription fee. Team listed second on the above schedule is the HOME team.
Location: Cathedral City, Calif. (Big League Dreams Park)
Mary Nutter Classic Homepage: LINK
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: Available for every game here: LINK
Television/Video Stream: Every game from this year's Mary Nutter Classic will be live video streamed via FloSoftball.com for a subscription fee. The broadcasts can be accessed via this link: LINK
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:
- Texas has made a habit of participating in the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (formerly the Palm Springs & Cathedral City Classic) in Cathedral City, Calif. The Longhorns will be making their 11th all-time appearance in the event this weekend, boasting a 34-17 overall record. Texas is 12-10 against ranked teams in the event and will face four ranked squads at the MNC for the second straight time after doing so in 2015 (wins over No. 8 Georgia and No. 12 UCLA and losses to No. 18 Missouri and No. 24 Notre Dame). UT made previous visits in 2005 (3-2), 2006 (5-0), 2007 (4-1), 2008 (3-2), 2009 (4-1), 2010 (3-2), 2011 (4-2), 2012 (4-1), 2014 (2-3) and 2015 (2-3).
- The 2017 Longhorns are making a habit out of getting the leadoff batter on base to start an inning. Through the opening 10 games of the season, Texas lead-off hitters in any inning are reaching at a 58.1% success rate (36-for-62). The most successful practitioners thus far include actual lead-off hitter senior outfielder Stephanie Wong (10-for-17, .588) and senior shortstop Devon Tunning (5-for-6, .833). **Texas has scored 52 of its 67 total runs (78%) during innings where it has gotten the leadoff hitter on via hit, walk, error or hit-by-pitch. Wong (eight times) and Tunning (four times) have been the most successful in starting run-scoring innings out of the 24 total times Texas has gotten the leadoff on and subsequently scored.
- Texas has had a load of success with two outs in 2017, hitting .370 (34-for-92) while registering 33 of its 63 total RBIs with two outs in an inning. In all, 14 different Longhorns batters own two-out RBIs, led by senior third baseman Celina Felix and junior catcher Randel Leahy with four each.
- Texas has had some difficulty settling on a batting line-up during the 2017 campaign as the Longhorns have utilized 10 different one-through-nine combinations on the pre-game card through the opening 10 games of the season.
- Several Texas players enter this weekend with impressive streaks going. Senior shortstop Devon Tunning and senior outfielder Stephanie Wong have reached base in all 10 games to open the season, while sophomore outfielder Reagan Hathaway is on a five-game hitting streak.
- Texas preps to enter the Mary Nutter Classic having scored in 43 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 13 more games to tie for the longest such streak in school history at 56 contests, established from May 4, 2013-April 18, 2014.
- 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. Just five games into the 2017 season, Texas had 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.
- Since the beginning of the 2015 season, the nucleus of this year's Longhorns squad has demonstrated a resilience and "never quit" attitude in fighting back from deficits. Texas owns 27 come-from-behind victories (those where UT trailed at ANY point in a game) and 11 total "true" walk-off wins combined, including a walk-off this year to beat Louisiana Tech during the Texas Invitational on Feb. 17, 6-5.
- After week two, 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 two points, while in the USA Softball listing, the Horns tallied three points.
