The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
South Dakota
No. 8/10 Softball preview: Bevo Classic
03.25.2021 | Softball
The Longhorns welcome in South Dakota, UT Arlington and UTSA for a three-day non-conference event
No. 8/10 Texas (20-3) hosts the Bevo Classic | March 26-28 | Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas
Schedule:
Friday, March 26
1:00pm South Dakota vs. #8/10 TEXAS* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until Friday night at 10 p.m. CT
3:30pm UTSA vs. South Dakota* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until Saturday morning at 2 a.m. CT
6:00pm UT Arlington vs. UTSA* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until Saturday morning at 12 a.m. CT
Saturday, March 27
11:00am UT Arlington vs. #8/10 TEXAS – LONGHORN NETWORK - LIVE
1:30pm UTSA vs. #8/10 TEXAS* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. CT
4:00pm South Dakota vs. UT Arlington* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. CT
7:00pm South Dakota vs. UTSA* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until Sunday morning at 12:30 a.m. CT
Sunday, March 28
10:00am UT Arlington vs. South Dakota – LONGHORN NETWORK - LIVE
12:30pm UT Arlington vs. #8/10 TEXAS* – LONGHORN NETWORK
*tape-delayed until Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. CT
HOME team is listed second for all games
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)
Live Stats: Available for every game of the Bevo Classic here: LINK
Television: Every game at the Bevo Classic is slated for either live or tape-delayed broadcast on Longhorn Network. Links are included on the above tournament schedule.
Radio: Texas' games are slated for radio broadcast via web stream with Andrew Haynes on the call via this LINK. The Texas broadcasts can also 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.
Base Knocks:
- Junior Ariana Adams is fresh off throwing her first career and the program's 51st all-time no-hitter last Saturday against New Mexico. The Magnolia, Texas, native has still yet to taste defeat from the circle, boasting a perfect 11-0 overall record from 2018-2021.
- The 2010 Longhorns set the school single-season record with 88 HR's (had 39 after 23 games). This year's Texas squad is right on that pace with 39 HR's after 23 games.
- No player in Texas history has hit more HR's over the first 23 games of the year than junior Mary Iakopo has in 2021 (10 HR's). The closest to the mark was Tallie Thrasher (nine HR's in 23 games in 2007).
- 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 44-6 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 41 home contests.
- Redshirt junior catcher/DP Taylor Ellsworth is currently riding a career-long 14-game streak of reaching base safely. Over that stretch, the Georgetown, Texas, native is batting .469 (15-for-32) with eight extra-base hits (three HR's) and 12 RBIs.
- Sophomore catcher/first baseman Colleen Sullivan has been red-hot at the plate over the past 15 games, batting .556 (20-for-36) with three doubles, her first four Texas HR's and 15 RBIs while posting a 1.591 OPS. The Poway, Calif., native recently posted a career-high 16-game reached base streak and rates third on the Longhorns with a .471 overall batting average (24-for-51) in 2021.
- Texas is getting great production out of its pinch hitters this season as the group has combined to hit .355 (11-for-31) in such situations. Leading the charge are freshman Courtney Day (2-for-4) and freshman JJ Smith (2-for-7).
- 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 10-for-20 (.500) at the plate with six extra-base hits and a .900 slugging mark.
- Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes and junior catcher/third baseman Mary Iakopo love extra bases as 24 of their 42 combined hits this season have gone for extra bases (57%). Of Rhodes' 23 total hits, 14 have gone for extra bases (four doubles, one triple, nine HR's), while of Iakopo's 19 hits, 10 have gone for extra bases (10 HR's).
- Watch out for Texas with two outs in an inning. So far through 23 games, the Burnt Orange & White are batting .384 (81-for-211) with 68 two-out RBIs (39% of the team's total RBIs have come with two outs this season). Mary Iakopo currently leads the squad with 11 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 .384 (91-for-237) 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 12-1 when scoring in the first inning this season. Under the guidance of head coach Mike White, the Longhorns are an impressive 38-5 since the start of the 2019 campaign when scoring in the opening frame.
- The Longhorns have out-hit 17 of their first 23 opponents in 2021. Since the arrival of head coach Mike White prior to the 2019 campaign, Texas is an impressive 78-11 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 played 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.
