The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Tuesday, April 17
Austin, Texas
4:30 p.m.
University of Texas
vs
#21 Baylor
Softball preview: vs. No. 16/17 Baylor [April 17, 2018]
04.16.2018 | Softball
The Longhorns look to extend an unbeaten league start while hosting the nationally-ranked Lady Bears
Texas Game Notes vs. #16/17 Baylor
#16/17 Baylor (25-13, 3-6 Big 12) at TEXAS (26-15, 9-0 Big 12) | April 17 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Tuesday, April 17
4:30 p.m. #16/17 Baylor at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
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)
Promotions: "PINK AT THE PLATE" – all fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game to support breast cancer awareness; $3 General Admission tickets are also available for purchase
Ticket Information: LINK
Parking: Purchase in advance for the East Campus Parking Garage through CLICK & PARK - LINK
Live Stats: LINK
Television: The game is slated for live broadcast on Longhorn Network with Alex Loeb (play-by-play) and Megan Willis (color) on the call.
Radio: Texas' game is slated for radio broadcast via FREE web stream with Andrew Haynes on the call through 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 9-0 in Big 12 play for only the second time in program history. The only other time UT started off the league season at 9-0 was in 2011 on the way to a school-record 12-0 Big 12 start. With nine wins in 2018, Texas already owns more league victories than it posted during its entire 2017 Big 12 campaign (seven wins). UT has also already clinched a spot in the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla.
- Texas enters Tuesday's match-up against Baylor with a 29-19 all-time series advantage, including a 16-6 mark at McCombs Field. The Lady Bears have had the best of the recent series, winning five of the last six and seven of the last 11 overall match-ups. The two teams split a pair of games in Austin in 2017 with Texas winning on May 6, 3-1, before falling on May 7, 4-0. In all, the Longhorns have won seven of the last eight overall meetings at McCombs Field.
- Texas pitchers are currently riding a streak of four straight complete games that started at Texas State on April 11. Before this, the last time the Longhorns pitching staff registered four consecutive complete games was from May 7 (vs. Iowa State) to May 21, 2016 (at Louisiana-Lafayette). The last time Texas had more than four straight complete games was from March 25 (at Baylor) to April 9, 2016 (at Texas Tech), an incredible streak of 11 consecutive complete-game efforts.
- A big factor in Texas' 9-0 Big 12 record has been its offense as the Longhorns have managed to out-hit their league opponent in all nine of their conference games so far in 2018. UT is averaging 8.8 hits-per-game while its Big 12 opponents are averaging just 5.0 hits-per-game.
- At the plate, Texas senior pitcher/first baseman Paige von Sprecken has registered a Big 12 Conference-leading 16 doubles in 2018 (eighth in the NCAA) to move into a tie for second all-time in the category in UT single-season history. The Yorba Linda, Calif., product needs four more to equal Lindsey Stephens' 2016 program record of 20 doubles.
- In Sunday's series finale against Texas Tech, redshirt junior pitcher Erica Wright was really getting ahead of Red Raider hitters on the way to a 6-2, complete-game win. The Huntington, Texas, native fired a first-pitch strike to 26-of-27 batters she faced and to the last 25 hitters in a row.
- Texas has had much of its success this season hitting with two outs in an inning. In all, the Longhorns have scored 77 of their 150 total runs (51%) and registered 70 of their 136 total RBIs (51%) with two outs in a frame.
- The Longhorns pitching staff as a whole has been lights out over its last 23 contests, registering 18 wins (two 1-0 defeats and a 2-1 loss over that stretch), a miniscule 1.46 ERA with 12 complete games, nine shutouts, five saves and 140 strikeouts over 153 innings while limiting opponents to a .205 average. Paige von Sprecken (0.61 ERA, 7-2, 44 K, 57 IP) and Brooke Bolinger (1.50 ERA, 7-3, 61 K, 46.2 IP) have been a terrific 1-2 punch, while Erica Wright has registered four saves.
- Senior right-hander Paige von Sprecken has allowed just four total runs over her last 50 innings (0.56 ERA) of work, and posted scoreless streaks of 15.1 and 23.1 innings while going 7-1 over that stretch, with seven complete games, six shutouts, just 11 walks and 40 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .171 average.
- Texas' schedule has been absolutely brutal so far in 2018 with 16 of its games coming against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. UT is just 6-10 in those contests, but posted wins over No. 9/8 Arizona, No. 20 Michigan and No. 25 Texas State and lost to No. 1 Washington (2-1), No. 18/17 South Carolina (1-0, 8 inn.) and No. 24/25 Texas State (2-1) by a run.
- Scoring in the first inning leads to success for Texas in 2018 as the Longhorns are 13-1 when tallying in the opening frame. Over the last 15 contests (versus Kansas, Iowa State, Houston, UTSA, Samford, #24/25 Texas State and Texas Tech), UT has scored in the opening inning 10 times while totaling 36 runs.
- Watch out for sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Washington when she's leading off an inning as the Humble, Texas, native is batting a remarkable .526 (10-for-19) with four extra-base hits when starting out a frame.
- UT sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Washington was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (April 2) for hitting .500 with three HR's and seven RBIs during the road sweep of Iowa State. The Humble, Texas, native has really picked up her offensive production recently with a .440 average, 11 extra-base hits (three HR's) and 12 RBIs over the last 16 contests.
- After starting off the 2018 season on fire at the plate and then cooling off, freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson has heated back up over the last 21 contests, leading the squad with a .462 average (30-for-65) over that stretch while reaching safely in 20 of 21 games (a career-best 16 in a row at one point).
- Redshirt junior pitcher Erica Wright is making the save her own personal statistic so far in 2018 as the Huntington, Texas, native has already registered FIVE SAVES (eighth in the NCAA). She's already tied the UT single-season record of five held by Amy Bradford (2002) & Christa Williams (1998) and is one from equaling the UT career record of seven held by Blaire Luna (2010-13) and Erin Tresselt (2007-10).
- Janae Jefferson is Texas' most dependable hitter with runners in scoring position at a remarkable .469 (15-for-32) overall. That's even more impressive considering the Longhorns as a team are batting just .256 with RISP in 2018.
- Out-hitting the opposition has proven to be a predictor of success thus far for the Longhorns in 2018 as Texas is 22-2 when tallying more hits, 1-11 when out-hit by an opponent and 3-2 when the hits are tied.
- Three appears to be the magic number relating to wins for Texas this season as the Longhorns are 22-5 when holding opponents to fewer than three runs and 4-10 when the opposition scores three or more runs.
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball