The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
New Mexico
No. 10/11 Softball preview: New Mexico
03.19.2021 | Softball
The Longhorns welcome the Lobos in for a three-game series over March 19-20
No. 10/11 Texas (17-3) hosts New Mexico (1-18) | March 19-20 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Friday, March 19
6:00pm New Mexico vs. #10/11 TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
Saturday, March 20
12:00pm New Mexico vs. #10/11 TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK
2:30pm New Mexico 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: Slated for broadcast on Longhorn Network and WATCH ESPN with Tyler Denning (play-by-play) and Megan Willis (color).
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 101.9 FM and 1260 AM as part of the Austin Radio Network supported by the flagship radio station of the Longhorns, 104.9 FM The Horn.
Base Knocks:
- Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson was listed at No. 2 in the March 18 version of ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays for her terrific diving catch during the fourth inning of the 4-0 shutout of No. 15 Louisiana.
- Over the past two seasons, Texas has posted a 41-6 overall record. Five of those six losses have come by just one run with the lone multiple-tally defeat occurring at No. 13 LSU on March 6, 2021, 7-2. Texas hasn't lost at home by more than one run since April 20, 2019, against Oklahoma (L, 2-9). That's a stretch of 38 home contests.
- Redshirt junior catcher/DP Taylor Ellsworth is currently riding a career-long 12-game streak of reaching base safely. Over that stretch, the Georgetown, Texas, native is batting .462 (12-for-26) with five extra-base hits and 10 RBIs.
- No player in Texas history has hit more HR's over the first 20 games of the year than senior Shannon Rhodes and junior Mary Iakopo have in 2021 (nine HR's). The closest to the mark were Lindsey Stephens (seven HR's in 20 games in 2014) and Desiree Williams (seven HR's in 20 games in 2006).
- Sophomore catcher/first baseman Colleen Sullivan has been red-hot at the plate over the past 12 games, batting .500 (15-for-30) with two doubles, her first two Texas HR's and 11 RBIs while posting a 1.326 OPS. The Poway, Calif., native recently posted a career-high 16-game reached base streak and rates fourth on the Longhorns with a .422 overall batting average (19-for-45) in 2021.
- The 2010 Longhorns set the school single-season record with 88 HR's (had 35 after 20 games). This year's Texas squad is just slightly off that pace with 34 HR's after 20 games.
- Texas is getting great production out of its pinch hitters this season as the group has combined to hit .407 (11-for-27) in such situations. Leading the charge are freshman Courtney Day (2-for-4) and freshman JJ Smith (2-for-6).
- Longhorns rookie catcher/first baseman JJ Smith has gotten the most out of each of her at-bats so far over her brief career by going 9-for-16 (.563) at the plate with six extra-base hits and a 1.063 slugging mark.
- Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes and junior catcher/third baseman Mary Iakopo love extra bases as 22 of their 39 combined hits this season have gone for extra bases. Of Rhodes' 22 total hits, 13 have gone for extra bases (three doubles, one triple, nine HR's), while of Iakopo's 17 hits, nine have gone for extra bases (nine HR's).
- Watch out for Texas with two outs in an inning. So far through 20 games, the Burnt Orange & White are batting .385 (70-for-182) with 61 two-out RBIs (41% of the team's total RBIs have come with two outs this season). Shannon Rhodes currently leads the squad with nine two-out RBIs, while 10 different Longhorns have recorded at least three two-out RBIs.
- Texas has been strong this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .383 (80-for-209) in such instances. Two-time All-American Janae Jefferson (12-24, .500) leads the team with 12 hits, while sophomore Colleen Sullivan (11-22, .500) is right behind at 11 hits with RISP.
- Texas is 11-1 when scoring in the first inning this season. Under the guidance of head coach Mike White, the Longhorns are an impressive 37-5 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 71-17 over the first two innings, including 41-9 during the second frame.
- The Longhorns have out-hit 14 of their first 20 opponents in 2021. Since the arrival of head coach Mike White prior to the 2019 campaign, Texas is an impressive 75-11 when out-hitting an opponent.
- With a first-inning single against BYU (March 13), senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes joined 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) & needs just 29 more hits to break Brejae Washington's (2011-14) UT career record of 254 hits.
- 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 18-of-20 games in 2021.
- Senior outfielder Kaitlyn Washington is within striking distance of a long-standing Texas career record. The Humble, Texas, native has 46 doubles, just three from surpassing Jodi Reeves' (1997-2000) program record mark of 48 doubles that has stood for more than 20 years.
