The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#9/8 Arizona
Softball preview: vs. #9/8 Arizona [March 2-4, 2018]
03.01.2018 | Softball
The Longhorns host the Top-10 ranked Wildcats in a three-game series at McCombs Field
Texas Game Notes vs. #9/8 Arizona
Texas (7-8) hosts No. 9/8 Arizona (13-1) | March 2-4 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Friday, March 2
4:30 p.m. #9/8 Arizona at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
Saturday, March 3
11 a.m. #9/8 Arizona at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
"FAN APPRECIATION DAY" – Postgame autograph session/meet the team
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the first Texas WCWS team
Free Texas hat provided to the first 250 fans
Sunday, March 4
11 a.m. #9/8 Arizona at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
**check into TexasSports.com or the Texas softball Twitter account (@TexasSoftball) for any weather-related delay or cancellation info should it become necessary
TEXAS CLEAR BAG POLICY: Please note that there is a new Clear Bag Policy in effect for fans when attending Texas Athletic events. For more details, please visit this LINK
Location: Austin, Texas (Red & Charline McCombs Field)
Ticket Information: LINK
Parking: Purchase in advance for the East Campus Parking Garage through CLICK & PARK - LINK
Live Stats: Available here: LINK
Television: All three weekend contests are slated for live broadcast on Longhorn Network with Alex Loeb (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (color) on the call.
Radio: Texas' games this season 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 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:
- Head coach Connie Clark played for current Arizona head coach Mike Candrea for two seasons at Central Arizona Junior College, winning NJCAA National Championships in 1984 & 1985.
- Texas trails Arizona in the all-time series between the two teams, 14-7, and is 1-1 in all-time match-ups at McCombs Field. The two programs met in a three-game set in Tucson, Ariz., during March 2017, with the Wildcats winning three close games, 3-0, 2-1 and 4-2. In all, eight of the last 11 overall meetings dating back to 2005 have been settled by one run with four requiring extra innings.
- Texas' schedule has been absolutely brutal so far in 2018 with 10 of its 15 games coming against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. Add in this upcoming weekend's series against #9/8 Arizona and it will raise the total to 13 of 18 games against rated foes with five coming against top 10 teams.
- Texas sophomore infielder Malory Schattle is turning into quite the dependable threat off the bench in 2018 as the Salado, Texas, native is 3-for-4 (.750) in pinch-hit appearances thus far this season with pinch hits against No. 15/18 Ole Miss, Houston (double) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
- With the appearance of freshman Ariana Adams in the fifth inning of the 8-0 (5 inn.) rout of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 28, the Longhorns accomplished a feat never before done in program history: use six different pitchers in the same season. On five previous occasions (2017, 2015, 2009, 2005 & 1998), Texas had utilized five different hurlers in one year, but never as many as six.
- With a third-inning strikeout on Feb. 28 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, redshirt junior pitcher Erica Wright became the ninth pitcher in UT history to reach the 300-K plateau. She needs 61 more strikeouts to move past former Longhorns Carmen Martinez (1997-2000) and Amy Bradford (2002-05) into seventh in the career record book.
- In her 23rd season (22nd as varsity coach) as Texas head coach, Connie Clark is quickly closing in on another milestone. She now owns 847 career wins, needing just three 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.
- Look out for the Longhorns during the third inning as Texas has posted 16 of its 48 (33%) total tallies in the frame over their first 15 games of 2018, almost twice as many as in the next most prolific inning (second - 10 runs).
- Three appears to be the magic number relating to wins for Texas this season as the Longhorns are 6-1 when holding opponents to fewer than three runs and 1-7 when the opposition scores three or more runs.
- Texas has had much of its success this season hitting with two outs in an inning. In all, the Longhorns have scored 27 of their 48 total runs (56%) and registered 23 of their 40 total RBIs (58%) with two outs in a frame.
- Twice this season, the Longhorns have been within one out of victory only to have an opponent snatch the "W" away. Against Wisconsin (Feb. 10), UT was leading 3-2 with two outs in the seventh before a RBI single tied things up and the Badgers went on to win in the 8th, 7-3. On Feb. 24 versus No. 21 Ohio State, Texas was one strike from victory until Emily Clark hit a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a seventh-inning grand slam to power the Buckeyes to an 8-5 win.
- Out-hitting the opposition has proven to be a predictor of success thus far for the Longhorns in 2018 as Texas is a perfect 6-0 when tallying more hits, 0-6 when out-hit by an opponent and 1-2 when the hits are tied.
- By virtue of seven innings of work in a complete-game win over Houston (Feb. 17), redshirt junior pitcher Erica Wright became just the 10th Longhorns pitcher to toss 300 innings in her career. With 310.2 career frames, she needs 35.2 more innings to move past former Longhorns pitcher Carmen Martinez (346.1 IP - 1997-2000) into eighth on the all-time list.
- In a preseason 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 2017 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). With a 2-1 loss to No. 1 Washington (Feb. 21) and a 3-2 win over Virginia Tech (Feb. 24), Texas is 1-1 in such contests this year but has now lost 13 of its last 15 one-run games dating back to 2017.
