The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Rutgers
Softball preview: the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge [Feb 15-17, 2018]
02.14.2018 | Softball
The Longhorns venture outside of the continental U.S. to play for the first time in program history
Texas Game Notes - Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
Texas at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge | Feb. 15-17 | Nancy Almaraz Stadium, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Schedule:
Thursday, February 15
5 p.m. Rutgers vs. TEXAS – CBS College Sports Live - LINK
8 p.m. No. 15/18 Ole Miss vs. TEXAS – CBS College Sports Live - LINK
Friday, February 16
8 p.m. No. 3 Oregon vs. TEXAS – CBS College Sports Live - LINK
Saturday, February 17
5 p.m. Houston vs. TEXAS – CBS College Sports Live - LINK
Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Nancy Almaraz Stadium)
Live Stats: Expected to be available for every Texas game here: LINK
Television: Every Longhorns game at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge is slated for web stream on CBS College Sports Live and is available with a paid subscription fee. Links to watch are on the schedule.
Radio: Texas' games are scheduled for radio broadcast via web stream at this LINK. The Texas broadcasts 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:
- Texas is heading outside the continental United States to play for the first time in program history by venturing to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the third-annual Puerto Vallarta Collegiate Challenge. During the trip, the Longhorns will battle Rutgers, No. 3 Oregon, No. 15/18 Ole Miss and Houston.
- Freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson wasted no time making her presence felt during last weekend's Texas Classic. The Humble, Texas, native led the Longhorns with a .500 batting average (6-for-12), six total hits, four extra-base hits, including three doubles, and five RBIs. She's also been extremely dangerous with two outs, going 3-for-3 at the plate with four two-out RBIs.
- During a 5-1 victory over Wisconsin on Feb. 9, the Longhorns pulled off a feat that hadn't been accomplished since Feb. 21, 2016, by hitting back-to-back HRs. Junior pinch hitter Reagan Hathaway returned from an ACL tear that cost her much of the 2017 campaign to homer down the RF line on the first pitch she received. Two pitches later, sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth drove a HR to left. Hathaway has now been a part of three instances of back-to-back HR's in her career.
- Texas is getting impressive contributions so far through its first four games from the leadoff spot in the lineup. Counting all opportunities to start an inning, the Longhorns are opening a frame by reaching successfully 46.2% of the time. Freshman second baseman and true lead-off hitter Janae Jefferson (3-for-7) and sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack (3-for-4) have had the most success of anyone in the line-up when given the opportunity to lead-off.
- Texas owns an INCREDIBLE season-opening winning streak dating all the way back to the initial varsity season for the program in 1997. The Longhorns have won ALL 22 of their season openers, including high-profile wins over No. 3 UCLA (2007), Florida State (2009), No. 20 DePaul (2010), Louisville (2011) and No. 17 LSU (2014). During that stretch, Texas has registered 14 shutouts and outscored its opponents by a combined 143-11. The streak grew during the 2018 season as UT shutout UIW at the Texas Classic on Feb. 9, 2-0.
- In her 22nd season as Texas head coach, Connie Clark is quickly closing in on another milestone. She now owns 842 career wins, needing just eight more to reach the 850-victory mark. She currently ranks #25 on the list of winningest active coaches (at four-year colleges) with at least five years of NCAA Division I experience.
- The Longhorns added a pair of promising transfers this past offseason to a solid four-member freshman signing class as junior infielder/outfielder Ki'Audra (Kay Kay) Hayter and junior infielder Ciera Schick joined the program. Hayter helped Butler Community College to the 2017 NJCAA Division I national title by hitting .462 overall with 84 runs scored, 51 RBIs and 45 stolen bases, while Schick played in six contests at Arizona State in 2016 but batted .344 overall with 32 RBIs during her scholastic career while helping Los Osos H.S. to three-straight CIF Southern Section Division I Championships appearances.
- In a recent team vote, senior catcher/utility player Randel Leahy and junior outfielder Bekah Alcozer were elected team captains for the 2018 season. Entering the campaign, Leahy had played in 115 career games (88 starts) with a .272 career average, 27 extra-base hits and 56 RBIs, while Alcozer had played in 66 games (33 starts) and led the Longhorns in HR's with six in 2017.
- Texas will look to have more success this season in one-run games than it did during the 2017 campaign as the Longhorns went just 4-12 last year in contests decided by a single tally. In all, Texas finished the year by dropping 12 of its last 13 one-run contests with the only win over that stretch coming in a 2-1 (8 inn.) victory over Houston (April 2).
