The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#13/12 LSU
No. 7 Softball preview: at No. 13/12 LSU
03.04.2021 | Softball
The Longhorns head to Baton Rouge, La., for a high-profile three-game series against the Tigers
No. 7 Texas (9-0) visits No. 13/12 LSU (11-5) | March 5-6 | Tiger Park | Baton Rouge, La.
Schedule:
Friday, March 5
7:00pm #7 TEXAS at #13/12 LSU – ESPN2
Saturday, March 6
3:00pm #7 TEXAS at #13/12 LSU – SEC Network+
5:30pm #7 TEXAS at #13/12 LSU – SEC Network+
Location: Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Park)
Ticket Information: A limited number of non-conference single-game tickets may be available for purchase at lsutix.net on a game-by-game basis.
Live Stats: Available here: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Television: Friday's game will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Mark Neely (PXP) and Michele Smith (color) on the call. Saturday's two games are slated for broadcast on SEC Network+.
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 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 second baseman Janae Jefferson has now reached base safely in 26 STRAIGHT GAMES dating back to the 2020 season. That streak ranks fifth all-time in Texas program history, just one from tying former Longhorns standout Taylor Hoagland for fourth (27). The all-time Texas record is 57 straight games by Hoagland from May 18, 2012-May 3, 2013.
- The Longhorns have won their last five games (and six of their last seven) against teams ranked in either the NFCA or USA Softball polls at game time. That's Texas' longest winning streak against rated foes since winning five straight from Feb. 24-March 6, 2013.
- Junior utility Mary Iakopo has now homered six times combined over the last six games, while senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes has homered four times over the last four games.
- Texas has now started at least 9-0 overall for the second consecutive season and for the eighth time in program history dating back to 1997.
- Watch out for Texas with two outs in an inning. So far through nine games, the Burnt Orange & White are batting .422 (35-for-83) with 29 two-out RBIs (43% of the team's total RBIs have come with two outs this season). Shannon Rhodes currently leads the squad with six two-out RBIs.
- The Longhorns have been strong this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .374 (34-for-91) in such instances. Two-time All-American Janae Jefferson leads the team with five hits and is batting .455 (5-for-11) with RISP.
- 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 54-6 over the first three innings, including 24-2 during the second inning.
- Texas' pitching staff has gotten off to a strong start in 2021 as the Longhorns led the Big 12 Conference and rated 20th in NCAA Division I in ERA at 1.37 (as of Feb. 28). UT's staff started the season by going 23.1 innings without allowing an earned run.
- The Longhorns have scored in the first inning and also out-hit seven of their first nine opponents in 2021. Since the arrival of head coach Mike White prior to the 2019 campaign, Texas is an impressive 68-9 when out-hitting an opponent and 33-4 when scoring in the first inning.
- With 192 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 47 more hits to break Brejae Washington's (2011-14) Texas career record of 254 hits.
- With its eighth-inning triumph over Texas State on Feb. 24, Texas has now won its last four extra-inning games dating back to May 18, 2019, against Texas A&M. It's the longest extra-inning victory streak for the Horns since winning four straight from April 10, 2011 to March 30, 2012.
- 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) mark of 48 doubles that has stood for more than 20 years.
- With a win over UConn on Feb. 28, Texas now possesses 495 all-time victories at McCombs Field, needing just five more to reach the 500-win mark at the friendly confines.
- Softball America listed four Longhorns among their 2021 Top 100 National Player Rankings: No. 12 Janae Jefferson, No. 72 Lauren Burke, No. 86 Mary Iakopo & No. 97 Molly Jacobsen.
- Softball America also listed Jefferson (No. 4), Burke (No. 22) & Iakopo (No. 24) among their top 25 returning juniors, while rookie pitcher Ryleigh White was rated No. 19 in the top 25 freshmen listing.
- Texas junior second baseman Janae Jefferson, junior utility player Mary Iakopo and sophomore pitcher Shea O'Leary were included as three of 50 student-athletes named to the prestigious 2021 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. With its three total selections, Texas tied Arizona, Mississippi State and Oklahoma for the fourth-most combined nods in the nation, trailing only UCLA (six selections), Alabama (four) and Washington (four).
