The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#RV Wisconsin
No. 9 Softball preview: Sun Devil Classic
02.28.2019 | Softball
The Longhorns (13-1) venture out west to face No. 15/17 Arizona State, No. RV Wisconsin and Princeton
Texas Game Notes at the Sun Devil Classic
No. 9/10 Texas (13-1) at the Sun Devil Classic | March 1-3 | Farrington Softball Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
Schedule:
Friday, March 1
1 p.m. CT #9/10 TEXAS vs. #RV/RV Wisconsin (13-1)
6 p.m. CT #9/10 TEXAS at #15/17 Arizona State (12-4) – PAC-12 NETWORK PLUS
Saturday, March 2
11 a.m. CT #9/10 TEXAS vs. Princeton (1-3)
1:30 p.m. CT #RV/RV Wisconsin vs. #9/10 TEXAS
Sunday, March 3
1:30 p.m. CT #9/10 TEXAS at #15/17 Arizona State
Location: Tempe, Ariz. (Farrington Softball Stadium)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: For both Wisconsin games and the Princeton game click here: LINK | For the Arizona State games click here: GAME 1 | GAME 2
Television: Texas' Friday game at Arizona State is scheduled for broadcast on Pac-12 Network Plus streaming online through Facebook. No other broadcasts are scheduled.
Radio: Texas' games are slated for radio broadcast via 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 off to a strong start both at the plate and in the circle this season. UT is currently second in the Big 12 and 18th in the NCAA (as of Feb. 26) in batting average (.341), while leading the league and rating fourth in the country (as of Feb. 26) in ERA (0.92). Sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson is second in the league in average (.452), while junior Miranda Elish (0.23) and freshman Shealyn O'Leary (0.29) are the top two in Big 12 ERA.
- Texas' 13-1 mark is currently tied with the 2012, 2006 and 2013 teams for the second-best 14-game record in program history. Only the 2003 Longhorns opened a perfect 14-0.
- Texas' team ERA of 0.92 after 14 games is the fourth-lowest at this point in a season in program history. Only the Cat Osterman-led 2005 (0.29), 2003 (0.30) and 2006 (0.31) squads were better at this point of a campaign.
- Texas sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson now has enough at-bats to qualify for the Longhorns career record book. With a .403 career batting average, she currently sits FIRST all-time in UT history ahead of second-place Lexy Bennett's (2009-12) career mark of .385.
- Texas sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo is off to a tremendous start for the Longhorns. She has now reached base safely in all 13 played games of her UT career.
- Freshman pitcher Shealyn O'Leary is off to a perfect 5-0 opening to her collegiate career. With that effort, she has joined former Longhorns pitchers Blaire Luna (2010) and Meagan Denny (2005) as the only Texas pitchers ever to start their UT careers at 5-0. No freshman has ever started 6-0.
- Texas' four transfers from Oregon have wasted no time making an immediate impact as Miranda Elish, Shannon Rhodes, Mary Iakopo and Lauren Burke have combined for a .377 average (46-of-122) with 27 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples, SIX-OF-SEVEN TEXAS HR'S and 35 RBIs over 14 games.
- Junior pitcher Miranda Elish has proven to be quite the "dual threat" so far in 2019 as she currently ranks first in the Big 12 in ERA (0.23) to go along with a .355 batting average. At the plate, she's reached base safely by hit, walk or hit-by-pitch in 10-of-13 games played.
- Some trends are already beginning to develop for the Longhorns in 2019. UT is 9-0 in games when scoring first, 7-0 when scoring in the first inning and 12-0 when out-hitting opponents. During Texas' only loss so far to No. 8/7 LSU, the Tigers both scored first and out-hit the Longhorns.
- The Longhorns have been strong so far this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .379 (50-of-132) in such instances. Janae Jefferson leads the squad with seven hits in those situations.
- Watch out for Texas with two outs in an inning. So far through 14 games, the Burnt Orange & White are batting .363 (41-of-113) with 40 two-out RBIs (48% of the team's total RBIs have come with two outs this season). Redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway and junior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington lead the team with seven two-out RBIs each.
- New publication Softball America had three Longhorns listed in their inaugural Top 100 National Player Rankings: No. 13 Miranda Elish, No. 17 Janae Jefferson and No. 57 Shannon Rhodes.
- Texas needs to find a way to win more of the close games to have success in 2019. Over the past two seasons (2017-18), UT went a combined 19-28 in one- or two-run decisions (10-18 in one-run games). Last year, the Longhorns lost a total of 12 games by two-runs-or-less during a 33-26 season, nine of those coming against nationally-ranked teams. UT is already 2-0 in such games this year after posting comeback wins over No. 18/21 Kentucky (4-3) and Ole Miss (3-2).
