The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Samford
Softball preview: vs. Samford [April 7-8, 2018]
04.06.2018 | Softball
The Longhorns (20-14) continue their non-conference stretch by hosting a three-game series versus the Bulldogs (12-26).
Samford (12-26) at TEXAS (20-14) | April 7-8 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Saturday, April 7
11 a.m. Samford at TEXAS (GM-1) – LONGHORN NETWORK – LINK
1:30 p.m. Samford at TEXAS (GM-2) – LONGHORN NETWORK – LINK
Sunday, April 8
11 a.m. Samford at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK – LINK
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: For Saturday's doubleheader, it's officially "90's Day" at the park and the first 200 fans also get a FREE Randel Leahy Senior Poster
Ticket Information: LINK
Parking: Purchase in advance for the East Campus Parking Garage through CLICK & PARK - LINK
Live Stats: Available here for all games: LINK
Television: All three games are slated for live broadcast on Longhorn Network with Alex Loeb (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:
- Watch out for sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Washington when she's leading off an inning as the Humble, Texas, native is batting .533 (8-for-15) with four extra-base hits when starting out a frame.
- Texas freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson's current 14-game reached base streak is the longest for a Longhorns player since Stephanie Wong reached successfully in 17 straight contests during the 2017 campaign. She has a LONG way to go to reach the all-time UT record of 57 straight games set by Taylor Hoagland from May 18, 2012-May 3, 2013.
- Longhorns freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson seems to be averse to the strikeout as the Humble, Texas, native has yet to K this season over 123 total plate appearances and currently ranks in the tie with just one other player (Zamari Hinton - Sacramento State - 110 plate appearances) as the "toughest player to strikeout in all of NCAA Division I softball."
- The Longhorns pitching staff as a whole has been lights out over its last 16 contests, registering 12 wins (two 1-0 defeats over that stretch), a miniscule 1.64 ERA with seven complete games, six shutouts, five saves and 96 strikeouts over 107 innings while limiting opponents to a .217 average. Paige von Sprecken (0.57 ERA, 5-1, 30 K, 37 IP) and Brooke Bolinger (1.62 ERA, 5-3, 44 K, 34.2 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 .464 average, eight extra-base hits (three HR's) and eight RBIs over the last nine contests.
- Scoring in the first inning leads to success for Texas in 2018 as the Longhorns are 9-1 when tallying in the opening frame. Over the last eight contests (versus Kansas, Iowa State, Houston and UTSA), UT has scored in the opening inning six times and totaled 19 runs.
- Texas is 6-0 in Big 12 play for the fifth time in program history and for the first time since 2013. The last time UT started off the league season at 7 or 8-0 was 2013, while the only time its started 9-0 was 2011 on the way to a 12-0 start.
- After starting off the 2018 season on fire at the plate and then cooling off, freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson has started heating back up over the last 14 contests, leading the squad with a .463 average (19-for-41) over that stretch while posting an active career-long 14-game reached base streak.
- Texas has had much of its success this season hitting with two outs in an inning. In all, the Longhorns have scored 57 of their 115 total runs (50%) and registered 52 of their 104 total RBIs (50%) with two outs in a frame.
- Over Texas' last 20 games, redshirt junior pitcher Erica Wright has been strong from the circle, posting a 1.81 ERA with a 2-0 record, five saves and 18 strikeouts over 27 IP while limiting opponents to a .190 batting average.
- 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 a Big 12-leading FIVE SAVES (second 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).
- With the third release of the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) on Monday, Texas discovered that its perfect 3-0 week (with a sweep of Iowa State) had resulted in an one-point jump as the Longhorns rose to No. 25 in the latest RPI. Texas has also played the TOUGHEST NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE IN NCAA DIVISION I (out of 296 teams), while UT's overall schedule strength is ranked No. 9.
- Janae Jefferson is Texas' most dependable hitter with runners in scoring position at a remarkable .444 (12-for-27) overall. That's even more impressive considering the Longhorns as a team are batting just .234 with RISP in 2018.
- Texas' schedule has been absolutely brutal so far in 2018 with 15 of its games coming against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. UT is just 6-9 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) and No. 18/17 South Carolina (1-0, 8 inn.) by a run.
- Out-hitting the opposition has proven to be a predictor of success thus far for the Longhorns in 2018 as Texas is 16-2 when tallying more hits, 1-10 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 16-4 when holding opponents to fewer than three runs and 4-10 when the opposition scores three or more runs.
