The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Wednesday, May 2
Austin, Texas
4:30 p.m.
University of Texas
vs
Incarnate Word
Softball preview: vs. UIW (DH) [May 2, 2018]
05.01.2018 | Softball
The Longhorns wrap up the 2018 non-conference slate with a doubleheader against the Cardinals
Texas Game Notes vs. UIW
Incarnate Word (13-30) at TEXAS (28-21) | May 2 (Doubleheader) | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Wednesday, May 2
4:30 p.m. UIW at TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK - LINK
7 p.m. UIW 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: $3 General Admission tickets; Double Play Concession Day
Ticket Information: LINK
Parking: Purchase in advance for the East Campus Parking Garage through CLICK & PARK - LINK
Live Stats: LINK
Television: Both games are scheduled for broadcast on Longhorn Network with Tyler Denning (play-by-play) and Erin Miller (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:
- With her current .418 overall batting average, freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson would finish with the fifth-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.
- Watch out for sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth (3-for-5, .600) and sophomore left fielder Kaitlyn Washington (3-for-4, .750) with the bases loaded in 2018 as the duo has combined for half of UT's 12 total hits in those situations.
- Texas has had much of its success this season hitting with two outs in an inning. In all, the Longhorns have scored 87 of their 166 total runs (52%) and registered 80 of their 152 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 .566 average (30-for-53). The Humble, Texas native has successfully reached base in ALL 16 OF HER CAREER BIG 12 GAMES coming into this weekend's last two league games at #19/18 Baylor. The Humble, Texas, native has also hit safely in 15-of-16 league match-ups and in each of the last 11 dating back to March 30 at Iowa State. Her 30 league hits are the most by any Longhorns player in a single league campaign in history.
- The Longhorns defense has been strong all season long. Despite typically starting nothing but freshmen and sophomores at all four infield spots, behind the plate and in left field, Texas rates 15th in all of NCAA Division I and second in the Big 12 in fielding percentage at .974 (currently rates in a tie for 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 13-4 when tallying in the opening frame. The first inning is far-and-away Texas' most prolific scoring frame as UT has registered 50 of its 166 runs during that inning (30%). Over the last 23 contests, UT has scored in the opening inning 13 times while totaling 40 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 30). She also ranked second in the league in complete games (15), fourth in opponent batting average (.199) and ERA (1.77), seventh in strikeouts (86) and tied for ninth in wins (10).
- Texas' schedule has been absolutely brutal so far in 2018 with 23 of its games coming against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. UT is just 7-16 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 games to No. 1 Washington (2-1), No. 18/17 South Carolina (1-0, 8 inn.), No. 24/25 Texas State (2-1) and No. 3 Oklahoma (5-4, 8 inn.) by a single run.
- At 10-6 in Big 12 play, the 2018 Longhorns already own more league victories than they posted during the 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 (11th 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 31 contests, registering 20 wins (four one-run losses over that stretch), a miniscule 1.79 ERA with 17 complete games, 11 shutouts, six saves and 183 strikeouts over 207.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .211 average. Paige von Sprecken (1.39 ERA, 7-5, 11 complete games, six shutouts, 53 K, 80.2 IP) and Brooke Bolinger (1.50 ERA, 8-4, 81 K, 65.1 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 .373 average, 12 extra-base hits (three HR's) and 13 RBIs over the last 24 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 29 contests, leading the squad with a .511 average (47-for-92) over that stretch while reaching safely in 28 of 29 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 (12th 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 .472 (17-for-36) overall. That's even more impressive considering the Longhorns as a team are batting just .243 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 23-5 when tallying more hits, 2-14 when out-hit by an opponent and 3-2 when the hits are tied.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball