The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#24/19 Oklahoma State
Softball preview: vs. No. 24/19 Oklahoma State [April 20 & 22, 2018]
04.19.2018 | Softball
Second place in the Big 12 standings is on the line as the Longhorns host the nationally-ranked Cowgirls
Texas Game Notes vs. #24/19 Oklahoma State
#24/19 Oklahoma State (32-13, 10-2 Big 12) at TEXAS (26-16, 9-1 Big 12) | April 20 & 22 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Friday, April 20 - DOUBLEHEADER
4:30 p.m. #24/19 Oklahoma State at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
7 p.m. #24/19 Oklahoma State at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK (tape-delayed)
Sunday, April 22
11 a.m. #24/19 Oklahoma State 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: Sunday – "SENIOR DAY" – ceremonies to honor Texas' four seniors will begin at approximately 10:48 a.m.; Whatburger Canned Food Drive; Texas Tank Top Giveaway; Paige von Sprecken Senior Poster Giveaway
Ticket Information: LINK
Parking: Purchase in advance for the East Campus Parking Garage through CLICK & PARK - LINK
Live Stats: LINK
Television: All three games are slated for broadcast (the second game of Friday's doubleheader will be tape-delayed on LHN) on Longhorn Network with Tyler Denning (play-by-play) and Megan Willis (color) on the call.
Radio: Texas' games are 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 freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson has been honored for her outstanding work during her inaugural UT campaign by being named a Top 25 candidate for the prestigious Schutt Sports/NFCA National Freshman of the Year trophy according to a release by the Association on Thurs., April 19. The award is being handed out for the fifth time this year and was created to honor outstanding athletics achievement among Division I softball student-athletes. Jefferson currently leads the Longhorns in batting average (.372), hits (48), runs (21) and on-base percentage (.456) while having hit safely in 31-of-42 games played.
- Texas currently owns three of the Top 10 in league batting average (counting Big 12 games only) as freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson TOPS THE BIG 12 with a staggering .531 average (17-for-32). Sophomore left fielder Kaitlyn Washington is at .431, while senior pitcher/first baseman Paige von Sprecken is holding at an even .400.
- Freshman Janae Jefferson has successfully reached base in ALL 10 OF HER CAREER BIG 12 GAMES coming into this weekend's series against No. 24/19 Oklahoma State. The Humble, Texas, native has also hit safely in nine of those 10 match-ups.
- At 9-1 in Big 12 play, the 2018 Longhorns are tied with four other UT squads for the second-best 10-game league start in program history. 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 this weekend with a 33-17 overall series advantage over Oklahoma State and an 18-7 all-time mark at McCombs Field. The Longhorns have won the last five meetings in Austin, but have dropped the last three contests in the overall series after suffering a sweep in Stillwater, Okla., over March 24-26, 2017.
- 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 last 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 24 contests, registering 18 wins (two 1-0 defeats and a 2-1 loss over that stretch), a miniscule 1.53 ERA with 13 complete games, nine shutouts, five saves and 142 strikeouts over 160 innings while limiting opponents to a .209 average. Paige von Sprecken (0.88 ERA, 7-3, 46 K, 64 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 seven total runs over her last 57 innings (0.86 ERA) of work, and posted scoreless streaks of 15.1 and 23.1 innings while going 7-2 over that stretch, with eight complete games, six shutouts, just 13 walks and 42 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .187 average.
- Texas' schedule has been absolutely brutal so far in 2018 with 17 of its games coming against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. UT is just 6-11 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 16 contests (versus Kansas, Iowa State, Houston, UTSA, Samford, #24/25 Texas State, Texas Tech and #21 Baylor), UT has scored in the opening inning 10 times while totaling 36 runs.
- 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 .415 average, 11 extra-base hits (three HR's) and 12 RBIs over the last 17 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 22 contests, leading the squad with a .456 average (31-for-68) over that stretch while reaching safely in 21 of 22 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 .455 (15-for-33) overall. That's even more impressive considering the Longhorns as a team are batting just .254 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, 1-12 when out-hit by an opponent and 3-2 when the hits are tied.
