The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#1 UCLA
No. 3 Softball preview: at No. 1 UCLA & the Judi Garman Classic
02.26.2020 | Softball
It's off to California for the Longhorns as a challenging schedule, including three top-15 teams, awaits
No. 3 Texas (16-2) at No. 1 UCLA & the Judi Garman Classic | Feb. 27-March 1 | Easton Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.) & Anderson Family Field/Field 2 (Fullerton, Calif.)
Schedule:
Thursday, February 27
8:00pm #3 TEXAS at #1 UCLA – UCLA LIVE STREAM (FREE)
Friday, February 28
5:45pm #3 TEXAS vs. #2 Washington – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
Saturday, February 29
2:30pm #3 TEXAS vs. Fresno State – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
4:30pm #13/11 Michigan vs. #3 TEXAS – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
Sunday, March 1
11:00am Boise State vs. #3 TEXAS – FLOSOFTBALL.COM ($$ REQUIRED)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Easton Stadium) & Fullerton, Calif. (Anderson Family Field/Field 2)
Ticket Information: UCLA – LINK; Judi Garman Classic - LINK
Live Stats: UCLA – LINK; Judi Garman Classic - LINK
Television: The game at UCLA will be web-streamed for FREE via this LINK; Every game at the Judi Garman Classic 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 UCLA, Washington, Fresno State and Boise State 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 Michigan game will be broadcast on 1260 AM.
Base Knocks:
- Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes is currently riding a Texas career-high-tying 10-game hitting streak. Over that stretch, she's batting .400 with four extra-base hits and six RBIs. Junior utility Lauren Burke is on a nine-game reached base streak. Over those nine games, Burke is batting .565 with five doubles, a triple and six RBIs.
- Texas has trailed at some point in seven games this season and come back to win five of those: Wichita State (trailed in 1st), Texas A&M-CC (1st), Utah (7th), North Texas (7th) and Lipscomb (2nd).
- Now in his 11th season as a head coach, Mike White is quickly closing in on another career milestone. He currently owns 497 career wins, needing just three more to reach the 500-win plateau. With a .792 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).
- Texas' 150 runs scored over its first 18 games are the most in any season in program history. The previous high after the initial 18 contests was 138 runs by the 2011 Longhorns squad.
- Watch out for Texas with two outs in an inning. So far through 18 games, the Burnt Orange & White are batting .454 (74-of-163) with 63 two-out RBIs (45% 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.
- Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson is off to another hot start with the bat, currently rating first in the Big 12 in total hits (27 - eighth in NCAA Division I as of 2/24), batting average (.551 - 12th in NCAA Division I), on-base percentage (.621 - 15th in NCAA Division I) and runs scored-per-game (1.22 - 20th in NCAA Division I).
- The Longhorns have been strong this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .427 (88-of-206) in such instances. Junior third baseman Mary Iakopo leads the team with 10 hits, while senior pitcher/utility Miranda Elish (.667, 8-of-12) 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, 45-3. Overall, UT has scored 30% of its total runs in the fourth inning this season.
- With 46 doubles through 18 games (2.56 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 38 games, Texas would finish a 56-game regular-season schedule with approximately 143 doubles. UT RANKED FIRST IN NCAA DIVISION I IN TOTAL DOUBLES & SECOND IN DOUBLES-PER-GAME (2/24).
- The Longhorns have registered at least three runs in a frame 26 times over 18 games this season, have sent at least nine batters to the plate in an inning 11 times and are averaging an impressive 1.49 runs-per-at-bat.
- So far in 2020, Texas has out-hit each of its first 18 opponents (while averaging 10.3 hits-per-game), is 11-1 when scoring first and 8-1 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 .417 (well ahead of Lexy Bennett at .385), while rating second all-time in on-base percentage (.471). The Humble, Texas, native is also closing in on the 200-hit mark with 181 total hits through her first two+ seasons in the Burnt Orange & White.
- 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.
- 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.
