The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Friday, April 27
Norman, Okla.
6:30 p.m.
University of Texas
at
#3 Oklahoma
Softball preview: at No. 3 Oklahoma [April 27-29, 2018]
04.26.2018 | Softball
The Longhorns head to Norman to renew the softball version of the "Red River Rivalry"
Texas Game Notes at No. 3 Oklahoma
TEXAS (28-18, 10-3 Big 12) at No. 3 Oklahoma (41-3, 12-0 Big 12) | April 27-29 | Marita Hynes Field, Norman, Okla.
Schedule:
Friday, April 27
6:30 p.m. TEXAS at No. 3 Oklahoma – SoonerSports.TV (webstream) - LINK
Saturday, April 28
1 p.m. TEXAS at No. 3 Oklahoma – ESPN2 - LINK
Sunday, April 29
1 p.m. TEXAS at No. 3 Oklahoma – ESPN2 - LINK
Location: Norman, Okla (Marita Hynes Field)
Ticket Information: LINK
Television: Friday's game will only be available via video webstream through SoonerSports.TV. Both Saturday and Sunday's games are scheduled for live broadcast on ESPN2 with Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Carol Bruggeman (color) on the call.
Radio: All three 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 trails rival Oklahoma in the two teams' all-time series by a 38-24 count. OU has won the last 11 meetings dating back to UT's last win over the Sooners on April 18, 2014, in Norman, 9-0 (6 inn.). Over that stretch, seven of the 11 games have been settled by three runs or less. The Longhorns are 7-15 all-time at the OU Softball Complex at Marita Hynes Field.
- Texas freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson is currently riding a NINE-GAME HITTING STREAK, just one short of a career-best 10-game skein from earlier this season. Over the nine-contest stretch, she has hit at a .594 clip (19-for-32) with two doubles and five RBIs to go along with seven multi-hit games and a .606 on-base percentage.
- Texas has had much of its success this season hitting with two outs in an inning. In all, the Longhorns have scored 85 of their 161 total runs (53%) and registered 78 of their 147 total RBIs (53%) with two outs in a frame.
- Texas freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson currently TOPS THE BIG 12 (counting league games only) with a staggering .558 average (24-for-43). The Humble, Texas native has successfully reached base in ALL 13 OF HER CAREER BIG 12 GAMES coming into this weekend's series at No. 3 Oklahoma. The Humble, Texas, native has also hit safely in 12-of-13 league match-ups and in each of the last eight dating back to March 30 at Iowa State.
- With her current .406 overall batting average, freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson would finish with the seventh-best mark in a single season and the second-highest mark by a UT freshman in program history. Lexy Bennett established the school record back of .438 back in 2011, while the school record for a rookie was set by Lindsay Gardner back in 2000 at .421.
- The Longhorns defense has continued to improve as the season has gone on. Despite typically starting nothing but freshmen and sophomores at all four infield spots, behind the plate and in left field, Texas rates 12th in all of NCAA Division I and second in the Big 12 in fielding percentage at .976 (currently rates third in UT history). The single-season school record is .980 set back in 2011.
- Scoring in the first inning leads to success for Texas in 2018 as the Longhorns are 13-3 when tallying in the opening frame. The first inning is far-and-away Texas' most prolific scoring frame as UT has registered 48 of its 161 runs during that inning (30%). Over the last 20 contests, UT has scored in the opening inning 12 times while totaling 38 runs.
- Texas senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken has been terrific in the circle for the Longhorns this season, currently LEADING THE BIG 12 IN OVERALL SHUTOUTS WITH EIGHT (as of April 23). She also ranked second in the league in complete games (14), fourth in opponent batting average (.200) and ERA (1.62), seventh in strikeouts (82) and ninth in wins (10).
- Texas' schedule has been absolutely brutal so far in 2018 with 20 of its games coming against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. UT is just 7-13 in those contests, but owns wins over No. 9/8 Arizona, No. 20 Michigan, No. 24/19 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Texas State while losing 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 single run.
- At 10-3 in Big 12 play, the 2018 Longhorns are tied with the 2000 team for the seventh-best 13-game league start in program history. With 10 wins in 2018, Texas already owns more league victories than it posted during its entire 2017 Big 12 campaign (seven wins). UT has also clinched a spot in the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla.
- At the plate, Texas senior pitcher/first baseman Paige von Sprecken has registered a Big 12 Conference-leading 17 doubles in 2018 (12th in the NCAA) to move into second all-time in the category in UT single-season history. The Yorba Linda, Calif., product needs three more to equal Lindsey Stephens' 2016 program record of 20 doubles.
- In the series finale against Texas Tech back on April 15, 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.
- The Longhorns pitching staff as a whole has been strong over its last 28 contests, registering 20 wins (two 1-0 defeats and a 2-1 loss over that stretch), a miniscule 1.56 ERA with 15 complete games, 11 shutouts, five saves and 170 strikeouts over 188 innings while limiting opponents to a .210 average. Paige von Sprecken (1.05 ERA, 7-4, 10 complete games, six shutouts, 50 K, 73 IP) and Brooke Bolinger (1.34 ERA, 8-3, 75 K, 57.1 IP) have been a terrific 1-2 punch, while Erica Wright has registered four saves.
- 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 .400 average, 12 extra-base hits (three HR's) and 13 RBIs over the last 21 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 26 contests, leading the squad with a .500 average (41-for-82) over that stretch while reaching safely in 25 of 26 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 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 .486 (17-for-35) overall. That's even more impressive considering the Longhorns as a team are batting just .249 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 23-3 when tallying more hits, 2-13 when out-hit by an opponent and 3-2 when the hits are tied.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball