The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Tarleton State
No. 10/11 Softball preview: BYU, Tarleton State & Texas Southern
03.11.2021 | Softball
The Longhorns enter the weekend with 496 all-time victories at Red & Charline McCombs Field
No. 10/11 Texas (11-2) hosts Tarleton State (7-12), Texas Southern (2-9) and BYU (9-9) | March 12-13 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Friday, March 12
1:00pm Tarleton State vs. #10/11 TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
3:30pm Texas Southern vs. #10/11 TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
6:00pm Texas Southern vs. Tarleton State* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until 9:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 13
11:00am BYU vs. Tarleton State – LONGHORN NETWORK
1:30pm BYU vs. #10/11 TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
4:00pm Tarleton State vs. #10/11 TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
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: Due to limited capacity at home softball games this season, no individual tickets will be sold.
Live Stats: LINK
Television: All games are slated for broadcast on Longhorn Network and WATCH ESPN with Tyler Denning (PXP) and Erin Miller (color) on the call.
Radio: Texas' games are scheduled for radio broadcast via web stream with Andrew Haynes on the call via this LINK. The Texas broadcast can also be heard locally on 105.3 FM as part of the Austin Radio Network supported by the flagship radio station of the Longhorns, 104.9 FM The Horn.
Base Knocks:
- With a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 10), Texas now owns 496 all-time victories at McCombs Field, needing just four more to reach the 500-win mark at the friendly confines.
- With 195 career hits (107 of those during her two seasons at Oregon), senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes is bidding to join teammate Janae Jefferson in becoming a member of the 200-career-hit club this season. Jefferson reached 200 career hits on a first-inning bunt single against Lamar (Feb. 26) and needs just 42 more hits to break Brejae Washington's (2011-14) Texas career record of 254 hits.
- Shannon Rhodes is on a Texas single-season record HR pace, averaging a HR every 5.1 AB's. During her record 2012 campaign, Taylor Hoagland hit 18 HRs - one every 9.9 ABs.
- Sophomore catcher/first baseman Colleen Sullivan has been red-hot at the plate over the past four games, batting .636 (7-for-11) with a double, her first Texas HR and four RBIs while posting a 1.692 OPS. The Poway, Calif., native is currently riding a career-high 12-game reached base streak and rates fourth on the Longhorns with a .407 overall batting average (11-for-27) in 2021.
- Texas freshman designated player/first baseman Jordyn Whitaker is off to a strong start to her collegiate career by LEADING the Longhorns in batting average at .462 (12-for-26).
- Texas is getting great production out of its pinch hitters this season as the group has combined to hit .400 (8-for-20) in such situations. Leading the charge is freshman Courtney Day at a perfect 2-for-2.
- Longhorns rookie catcher/first baseman JJ Smith has gotten the most out of each of her limited at-bats so far over her brief career by going 6-for-10 (.600) at the plate with four extra-base hits and a 1.200 slugging mark.
- Until failing to reach base in the second game at No. 13/12 LSU (March 6), junior second baseman Janae Jefferson had reached base safely in 27 straight games dating back to the 2020 season. It was the longest such skein of the two-time All-American's decorated career and tied former Longhorns standout Taylor Hoagland (April 29, 2010-Feb. 27, 2011) for the fourth-longest streak in program history. Jefferson has now reached safely in 12-of-13 games in 2021.
- Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes and junior catcher/third baseman Mary Iakopo love extra bases as 16 of their 22 combined hits this season have gone for extra bases. Of Rhodes' 13 total hits, 10 have gone for extra bases (two doubles, one triple, seven HR's), while of Iakopo's nine hits, six have gone for extra bases (six HR's).
- Watch out for Texas with two outs in an inning. So far through 13 games, the Burnt Orange & White are batting .375 (45-for-120) with 37 two-out RBIs (43% of the team's total RBIs have come with two outs this season). Shannon Rhodes currently leads the squad with seven two-out RBIs, while seven different Longhorns have recorded at least three two-out RBIs.
- Texas has been strong this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .363 (45-for-124) in such instances. Two-time All-American Janae Jefferson (.462) and sophomore Colleen Sullivan (.500) lead the team with six hits each with RISP.
- Texas is 8-0 when scoring in the first inning this season. Under the guidance of head coach Mike White, the Longhorns are an impressive 34-4 since the start of the 2019 campaign when scoring in the opening frame.
- Look out for the Texas offense getting off to a quick start as the Longhorns have now outscored their 2021 opponents by a total of 63-15 over the first three innings, including 24-5 during the second inning.
- The Longhorns have out-hit nine of their first 13 opponents in 2021. Since the arrival of head coach Mike White prior to the 2019 campaign, Texas is an impressive 70-11 when out-hitting an opponent.
- Senior outfielder Kaitlyn Washington is within striking distance of a long-standing Texas career record. The Humble, Texas, native has 44 doubles, just five from surpassing Jodi Reeves' (1997-2000) program record mark of 48 doubles that has stood for more than 20 years.
