The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Friday, March 24
Stillwater, Okla.
6:30 p.m.
University of Texas
at
Oklahoma State
Softball preview: at Oklahoma State [March 24-26, 2017]
03.23.2017 | Softball
The Longhorns head back out on the road to open Big 12 Conference play against the Cowgirls
Texas Game Notes at Oklahoma State
Texas (17-11) at Oklahoma State (19-11) | March 24-26 | Cowgirl Stadium, Stillwater, Okla.
Schedule:
Friday, March 24
6:30 p.m. CT TEXAS at Oklahoma State – FOX Sports Plus – 105.3 FM "The Bat" in Austin
Saturday, March 25
2 p.m. CT TEXAS at Oklahoma State – FOX Sports Oklahoma – 105.3 FM "The Bat" in Austin
Sunday, March 26
1 p.m. CT TEXAS at Oklahoma State – FOX Sports Oklahoma – 105.3 FM "The Bat" in Austin
Location: Stillwater, Okla. (Cowgirl Stadium)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: LINK
Television/Web Stream: Friday's opener of the three-game set is scheduled for broadcast on FOX Sports Plus while the final two contests will be on FOX Sports Oklahoma.
Radio: All three games are slated for radio broadcast via web stream with Andrew Haynes on the call via this LINK. The Texas broadcast can also be heard locally 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:
- The Longhorns enter Friday's Big 12 Conference opener with a 14-6 all-time record in league lidlifters and have won eight of their last nine (lost at Baylor in 2016). UT has never faced Oklahoma State in a Big 12 opener and enters the weekend with a 33-14 all-time series advantage over the Cowgirls. Texas has won the last eight games in the series (last loss in Austin on April 25, 2014) and is 14-6 at OSU.
- Redshirt sophomore pitcher Erica Wright is currently riding a streak of 13.1 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to March 14 at Loyola Marymount, just 1.2 innings from tying her career long of 15 straight scoreless frames from April 11-24, 2015. She came extremely close to throwing her first career no-hitter during the 4-0 victory in the second game of a doubleheader at Cal State Fullerton (March 18). The Huntington, Texas, native didn't allow a hit until permitting a bloop single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. The one-hit shutout marked the fourth of Wright's career and her first since beating Oklahoma State, 11-0 (5) back on May 1, 2015.
- On Wednesday night during a 4-0 win over McNeese State at McCombs Field, Texas utilized all 20 players on its roster while all five pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout. Each hurler tossed at least one scoreless inning with starter Erica Wright and winning pitcher Paige von Sprecken (in relief) both firing two frames.
- The Longhorns are currently on pace to break the school single-season walks record. With 114 so far through 28 games, if Texas continues averaging 4.1 walks-per-game, it would finish with 217, four above the all-time record of 213 set back in 2013.
- Texas has had a load of success with two outs in 2017, hitting .323 (87-for-269) while registering 61 of its 139 total RBIs (44%) with two outs in a inning. In all, 15 different Longhorns batters own two-out RBIs, led by eight from freshman infielder Jade Gortarez and seven each from senior first baseman Kelli Hanzel and sophomore outfielder Reagan Hathaway.
- It's been quite an exhausting late February through March so far for the Longhorns as far as travel goes. Since leaving for the trip to the Mary Nutter Classic on Feb. 22, Texas was on the road for 18 of 26 possible days (until returning from its Spring Break Trip on March 18) and four consecutive weekends. In all, counting trips to Palm Springs, Calif., Tucson, Ariz., and Los Angeles/Long Beach/Fullerton, Calif., the Burnt Orange & White have traveled over 7,800 miles. Add in this weekend's upcoming trip to Stillwater, Okla., to open Big 12 play and that total will rise to nearly 9,000 miles and 22 of 34 possible days.
- Texas rated No. 21 in the initial release of the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and has played the fifth-toughest schedule in NCAA Division I. The Longhorns currently possess 13 victories over teams ranked in the RPI Top 100, including four wins over RPI Top 50 foes in Tennessee, Notre Dame, Missouri and McNeese State. Other triumphs have come against Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton (two), Colorado State (two), Louisiana Tech (two) and Indiana (two). In all, 10 of Texas' 11 losses thus far in 2017 have come against RPI Top 33 teams, with seven of those occurring by three runs or less and three by just a single tally (Arizona, UCLA, Texas State).
- The Burnt Orange & White have played 15 of their 28 contests against teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) or ESPN.com/USA Softball polls at time of playing, while eight of those tilts have been against top 15-rated foes.
- A year after seeing her average drop from .350 as a sophomore (2015) to .225 as a junior (2016), it seems that senior shortstop Devon Tunning is revitalized at the plate in 2017. The Henderson, Texas, native is currently batting .360, is ninth in the Big 12 Conference in slugging percentage at .573, has reached base safely in 25 of 28 games and has hit safely in 20 of 28 contests. After entering the season with nine career HR's (career-high seven in 2015), Tunning already owns a team-high four dingers over this year's initial 28 games.
- Texas' schedule has been incredibly difficult to this point in 2017 as 12 of UT's 20 opponents played currently possess winning records, six are currently ranked in the USA Today/NFCA coaches poll and 10 of them own at least 19 wins. Included are four teams with 23 or more victories, No. 5 Arizona (29-1), No. 6 Washington (24-3), No. 8 Minnesota (25-2) and No. 20 Tennessee (23-5). Overall, the Longhorns' opponents (as of March 23) are 336-217-2 (.607).
- If Texas is leading after four innings of play so far in 2017, you can virtually put a check in the win column as the Longhorns are 13-1 when leading after four and five innings and 12-1 when ahead after six innings of action.
- Getting off to a quick start seems important for the 2017 Texas squad as the Longhorns are 13-4 when scoring first and 10-3 when tallying at least once in the first inning. On the other hand, UT is just 4-7 when its opponent puts the initial run on the board.
- If Texas homers, it seems to have a lot to do with its success so far in 2017 as the Longhorns are 12-1 when hitting at least one over the fence. Conversely, UT is just 5-10 when it doesn't manage a single HR.
- Miscues can change a game, and that has been true for Texas in 2017. UT is 9-2 if it is error-free and just 8-9 with at least one error.
- 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 29 come-from-behind victories (those where UT trailed at ANY point in a game) and 12 total "true" walk-off wins combined, including two walk-offs this year to beat Louisiana Tech during the Texas Invitational on Feb. 17, 6-5, and to down Notre Dame at the Mary Nutter Classic on Feb. 23, 4-3.
Players Mentioned
IF/OF
/ Softball
1B/2B
/ Softball
OF/C
/ Softball
SS/3B
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball