The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#10/9 Louisiana
No. 4 Softball preview: No. 11/10 Louisiana
02.24.2020 | Softball
A top-10 doubleheader showdown awaits on Tuesday between the Longhorns & Ragin' Cajuns
No. 4 Texas (15-1) hosts No. 11/10 Louisiana (11-3) -- DOUBLEHEADER | Feb. 25 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Tuesday, February 25
4:30pm #11/10 Louisiana at #4 TEXAS (Game 1) – LONGHORN NETWORK
7:00pm #11/10 Louisiana at #4 TEXAS (Game 2) – LONGHORN NETWORK**
**The Longhorn Network broadcast of game two will be tape-delayed to 10:30 p.m. CT because of Texas baseball
TEXAS CLEAR BAG POLICY: Please note that there is a 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)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: LINK
Television: The first game will be shown live on Longhorn Network while the second game will be shown on a tape-delayed basis at 10:30 p.m. CT following the conclusion of Texas baseball
Radio: Texas' games are slated for radio broadcast via web stream with Andrew Haynes on the call at this LINK. They 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:
- Now in his 11th season as a head coach, Mike White is quickly closing in on another career milestone. He currently owns 496 career wins, needing just four more to reach the 500-win plateau. With a .793 career winning percentage, White currently rates as the third-winningest active coach in NCAA Division I softball behind only Florida's Tim Walton (.796) and Arizona's Mike Candrea (.794).
- Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson is off to another hot start with the bat, currently rating first in the Big 12 in total hits (24 - eighth in NCAA Division I), batting average (.558 - 12th in NCAA Division I), on-base percentage (.627 - 15th in NCAA Division I) and runs scored-per-game (1.25 - 20th in NCAA Division I).
- The Longhorns have been strong this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .430 (83-of-193) in such instances. Junior third baseman Mary Iakopo leads the team with 10 hits, while senior pitcher/utility Miranda Elish (.700, 7-of-10) owns the highest average of any regular with at least 10 at-bats with RISP.
- Look out for Texas during the fourth inning as the Longhorns have now outscored opponents in the frame, 45-2. Overall, UT has scored 31% of its total runs in the fourth inning this season.
- Texas' offense currently boasts two regulars batting over .500 overall through the first 16 games of the 2020 season: junior second baseman Janae Jefferson (.558) and senior outfielder Kaitlyn Washington (.552). In all, seven regulars are at .400 or above.
- Texas' 146 runs scored over its first 16 games are the most in any season in program history. The previous high after the initial 16 contests was 129 runs by the 2011 Longhorns squad.
- Watch out for Texas with two outs in an inning. So far through 16 games, the Burnt Orange & White are batting .476 (68-of-143) with 60 two-out RBIs (44% of the team's total RBIs have come with two outs this season). Junior third baseman Mary Iakopo leads the team with eight two-out RBIs.
- With 43 doubles through 16 games (2.69 doubles-per-game), the Longhorns are ahead of the pace needed to break the school single-season mark of 91 doubles set by the 2019 team. Maintaining its current pace over the next 40 games, Texas would finish a 56-game regular-season schedule with approximately 151 doubles. UT RANKS FIRST IN NCAA DIVISION I IN TOTAL DOUBLES & SECOND IN DOUBLES-PER-GAME.
- The Longhorns have registered at least three runs in a frame 26 times over 16 games this season, have sent at least nine batters to the plate in an inning 11 times and are averaging an impressive 1.66 runs-per-at-bat.
- So far in 2020, Texas has out-hit each of its first 16 opponents (while averaging 10.8 hits-per-game), is 10-0 when scoring first and 8-0 when scoring in the first inning.
- Junior second baseman and two-time All-American Janae Jefferson currently ranks as the school's career leader in batting average at .416 (well ahead of Lexy Bennett at .385), while rating second all-time in on-base percentage (.469). The Humble, Texas, native is also closing in on the 200-hit mark with 178 total hits through her first two+ seasons in the Burnt Orange & White.
- Sophomore catcher/first baseman Colleen Sullivan wasted no time making her impression felt at the plate for the Longhorns by reaching base safely in each of HER FIRST 11 GAMES at Texas. She's now reached safely in 13 of the 16 total match-ups.
- With redshirt junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth's fourth-inning single against North Texas (2/19), all 18 possible batters on Texas' roster now own at least one hit in 2020. Overall, 18-of-18 have also registered at least one RBI.
- Texas rose to No. 2 in the Softball America poll on Feb. 18, marking the highest the Longhorns have been in ANY POLL since rating No. 2 in the NFCA rankings back on May 10, 2006.
- Facing Utah (Feb. 14) at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, redshirt senior outfielder Reagan Hathaway was a part of back-to-back HR's for the FOURTH TIME in her career. She teamed with senior shortstop Kaitlyn Slack on back-to-back solo jacks in the seventh inning against the Utes to help rally Texas from a 2-0 deficit to a 3-2 win.
- 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.
