The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
California Baptist
No. 6 Softball preview: Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
02.11.2020 | Softball
The Longhorns venture out of the country to play for only the second time in program history with a weekend trip to Mexico
No. 6 Texas (6-0) at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge | Feb. 13-15 | Nancy Almaraz Stadium, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Schedule:
Thursday, February 13
3:00pm California Baptist vs. TEXAS – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
Friday, February 14
3:00pm Utah vs. TEXAS – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
8:30pm Tennessee vs. TEXAS – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
Saturday, February 15
6:00pm TEXAS vs. Mexican National Team – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
8:30pm TEXAS vs. Ole Miss – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Nancy Almaraz Stadium)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: Available through the PVCC Tournament Central here: LINK
Television: Every game at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge will be web-streamed for a subscription fee through FloSoftball.com at this LINK.
Radio: Texas' games are slated for radio broadcast via web stream with Andrew Haynes on the call via this LINK. The California Baptist, Utah and Tennessee broadcasts can be heard locally this weekend 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. The Mexican National Team and Ole Miss games will be broadcast on 1260 AM.
Base Knocks:
- Texas enters this weekend's Puerto Vallarta College Challenge leading all of NCAA Division I in batting average (.486) & doubles-per-game (3.17), while ranking second in scoring (13 runs-per-game), on-base percentage (.564) and slugging percentage (.801).
- The Longhorns have now scored in 19-of-27 total team at-bats this season, have registered at least three runs in a frame 15 times and are averaging a remarkable 2.9 runs-per-at-bat.
- Last weekend, 17 different Longhorns registered at least one hit, while 17 different Longhorns posted at least one RBI.
- Texas is currently riding a program-record streak of SIX CONSECUTIVE RUN-RULE WINS. The previous Burnt Orange & White mark at any point of a season was four straight.
- Texas' 78 runs scored over its first six games are the most after six games in any season in program history. The previous high after the initial six contests was 66 runs by the 2012 Longhorns squad. Here's the current program record after seven (73 - 2012), eight (82 - 2011), nine (90 - 2011) and 10 (95 - 2011) games.
- Senior pitcher/utility player Miranda Elish was named both the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week and the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 11) after batting .818 with three doubles, four HR's, including a grand slam, and 17 RBIs during the Texas Classic.
- Individually, Miranda Elish currently leads NCAA Division I in RBIs (17), total bases (24) & slugging percentage (2.182), is tied for the national lead in HR's (four), rates third in average (.818) & RBIs-per-game (2.83) and is sixth in on-base percentage (.800).
- Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson is also off to another hot start with the bat, currently rating fifth in the nation in total hits (10) and sixth in runs scored-per-game (1.83).
- Now in his 11th season as a head coach, Mike White is quickly closing in on another career milestone. He currently owns 487 career wins, needing just 13 more to reach the 500-win plateau. With a .791 career winning percentage, White currently rates as the fourth-winningest active coach in NCAA Division I softball.
- Junior second baseman and two-time All-American Janae Jefferson currently ranks as the school's career leader in batting average at .409 (well ahead of Lexy Bennett at .385), while rating third all-time in on-base percentage (.458). The Humble, Texas, native is also closing in on the 200-hit mark with 164 total hits through her first two+ seasons in the Burnt Orange & White.
- Softball America listed four Longhorns in their 2020 Top 100 National Player Rankings: No. 30 Janae Jefferson, No. 32 Miranda Elish, No. 36 Shea O'Leary and No. 47 Mary Iakopo.
- Texas remained at No. 6 in this week's USA Today/NFCA, ESPN.com/USA Softball & D1Softball polls and climbed five positions to No. 5 in the Softball America rankings.
- Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson and junior catcher/third baseman Mary Iakopo were both selected as Softball America Preseason Second Team All-Americans prior to the 2020 campaign. Jefferson was also named a preseason All-American by the ESPN staff (Beth Mowins, Holly Rowe, Michele Smith, Amanda Scarborough, etc.) in charge of producing the 7InningsPodcast.
- Texas was one of just six schools in NCAA Division I (UCLA, Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington) to have at least three players on the USA Softball National Player of the Year Watch List: senior pitcher Miranda Elish (her third time on the watch list), junior catcher/third baseman Mary Iakopo and sophomore pitcher Shea O'Leary. As a sophomore at Oregon in 2018, Elish finished as a top 25 finalist for the honor after going 25-2 overall from the circle.
- Texas returned 14 letter winners that combined to total 82% of the runs, 90% of the hits, 93% of the doubles, 88% of the HR's, 89% of the RBIs, 86% of the walks and 74% of the stolen bases. From a pitching standpoint, Texas returns 80% of the pitching wins, 75% of the starts, 91% of the complete games, 89% of the solo shutouts, 78% of the innings pitched and 74% of the strikeouts.
