The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
05.11.2021 | Softball
Juniors Janae Jefferson (unanimous) and Mary Iakopo each picked up first-team league honors
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 10/13 Texas softball (38-9) had a program record-tying seven players listed among the various All-Big 12 teams as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson (unanimous pick & third-straight first-team selection) and junior catcher/utility player Mary Iakopo (second career All-Big 12 selection) both received All-Big 12 Conference First Team accolades, while sophomore pitcher Shea O'Leary (second career All-Big 12 selection) and senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes were each tabbed to the All-Big 12 Conference Second Team. The Longhorns also boasted a program single-season record three inclusions on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team: catcher/first baseman JJ Smith, infielder Alyssa Washington and designated player/outfielder Jordyn Whitaker.
The seven selections tied the 2002, 2003 and 2011 Longhorns for the most All-Big 12 nods in a single year in program history, while this also marks the 15th straight season that Texas has boasted at least four selections.
A unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team, Jefferson has continued her All-American-level of play right through the 2021 campaign. The Top 25 finalist for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award currently leads Texas in batting average (.444), hits (60) and on-base percentage (.490), while rating second in runs scored (43) and steals (12) and third in total bases (83). She also recently etched her name in the UT record book by breaking former Longhorns standout Brejae Washington's career mark with her 255th hit. The Humble, Texas, product has reached base safely in 37-of-41 games played, leads Texas with 20 multi-hit efforts, owns four separate hitting streaks of at least seven games this season and blasted two of her career-high five total HR's during a win at Iowa State (April 10.).
One of Texas' current leaders with a career-high 15 HR's on the season, Iakopo has continued to serve as a major offensive weapon for the Longhorns in 2021. The Carson, Calif., native has registered a .373 average (fourth on the squad) with 33 runs scored, 44 hits, including 19 of the extra-base variety, and 43 RBIs (second on the squad) while also leading the team in slugging percentage (.788) and OPS (1.246). She posted a career-long 15-game hitting streak from March 12-April 2 and a career-best 17-game reached base streak from March 6-April 2. Iakopo also owns 12 multi-RBI efforts, including a 2-for-2, two-HR, five-RBI performance in a win at Houston (March 3). She led the way at No. 1 Oklahoma by hitting .600 (3-for-5) during the series with two walks.
O'Leary has helped anchor the pitching staff during her third campaign on the Forty Acres, posting a 12-3 overall record over 18 starts with a 1.77 ERA, 10 complete games, five solo shutouts, three saves and 94 strikeouts in 115.0 innings of work while limiting opponents to a .215 batting average. The Castaic, Calif., product owns high-profile victories this season over Wichita State, No. 25 Mississippi State, No. 15 Louisiana, Texas Tech (two). Iowa State (two) and Baylor (two). Included among those triumphs were a career-high 11 strikeouts against Texas Tech and a complete-game shutout over nationally-ranked Louisiana.
Rhodes has managed quite the "super senior" season for the Longhorns as the Fort Worth, Texas, native and Athletes Unlimited pro draft selection has posted a .368 batting average with 48 runs scored, 53 hits, eight doubles, a triple, a team-high-tying 15 HR's and a squad-best 54 RBIs. Her 15 HR's are currently good for a tie for third in the Texas program single-season record book, while the 54 RBIs are the fifth-most in a campaign in school history. Rhodes currently leads the team with 15 multi-RBI games to go with 17 multi-hit efforts this season. She also tied an 11-year-old school mark back on March 27 by hitting three HR's (as part of a 3-for-3, six-RBI performance) in a single game during a win over UTSA.
Smith has wasted little time making her presence felt as a freshman at Texas by hitting .385 over 27 games with 10 extra-base hits, including seven doubles, and 13 RBIs while posting a 1.157 OPS. The Rosenberg, Texas, native owns three multi-hit and three multi-RBI efforts, including a 3-for-3 game with two doubles and a RBI against Lamar (Feb. 26), a 2-for-3 performance with two doubles and a RBI against Tarleton State and two-RBI efforts in match-ups against No. 15 Louisiana (March 18) and Kansas (April 24). Smith also blasted solo HR's in wins at Houston (March 3) and against Texas State (April 21).
In 29 games (23 starts) during her rookie campaign, Washington has earned playing time at second base, third base, shortstop and designated player while registering 13 total hits, including three HR's, and six RBIs. The Abilene, Texas, native doubled in her first collegiate at-bat against Wichita State (Feb. 21) and later came around to score during an 8-0 (5 inn.) rout. She followed that up with 2-for-2, HR, two-RBI efforts in wins over both Connecticut (Feb. 28) and Tarleton State (March 12). Washington also homered in a high-profile victory at No. 13 LSU (March 5) and went 1-for-3 with a RBI against both No. 25 Mississippi State (Feb. 27) and No. 11/9 Oklahoma State (May 2).
An impressive power hitter, Whitaker owns a .333 batting average over 35 games played (24 starts) with 19 hits, including three HR's, 14 RBIs and a .990 OPS. The Jacksonville, Texas, product began her collegiate career by singling in a run as a pinch hitter during her first career at-bat against North Texas (Feb. 21), eventually hitting safely in her first five games as a Longhorn. She has recorded four multi-hit efforts as a rookie, including two-hit games against Sam Houston State (Feb. 26), Lamar (Feb. 26), Texas A&M-CC (March 10) and Tarleton State (March 13). Perhaps her most memorable moment as a freshman came on April 2 against Texas Tech as Whitaker half-swung in blasting a grand slam out of McCombs Field during a 10-1 (5 inn.) rout of the Red Raiders.
Third-seeded Texas (38-9) opens the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Fri., May 14, with pool play match-ups against second-seeded Oklahoma State (11 a.m. CT/ESPNU) and fifth-seeded Iowa State (2 p.m. CT/Big 12 Now on ESPN+).
2021 ALL-BIG 12 SOFTBALL TEAM & AWARD WINNERS
Coach of the Year: Patty Gasso, Oklahoma
Player of the Year: Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma
Pitcher of the Year: Carrie Eberle, Oklahoma State*
Defensive Player of the Year: Grace Lyons, Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma*
*Denotes unanimous selection
All-Big 12 Team First Team
Sami Williams, Iowa State*
Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma*
Jayda Coleman, Oklahoma
Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma
Grace Lyons, Oklahoma
Shannon Saile, Oklahoma*
Hayley Busby, Oklahoma State
Carrie Eberle, Oklahoma State*
Kelly Maxwell, Oklahoma State*
Kiley Naomi, Oklahoma State
JANAE JEFFERSON, TEXAS*
MARY IAKOPO, TEXAS
*Denotes unanimous first team selection.
All-Big 12 Second Team
Lou Gilbert, Baylor
Emily Hott, Baylor
Mikayla Ramos, Iowa State
Morgyn Wynne, Kansas
Mackenzie Donihoo, Oklahoma
Lynnsie Elam, Oklahoma
Giselle Juarez, Oklahoma
Chelsea Alexander, Oklahoma State
Chyenne Factor, Oklahoma State
Alysen Febrey, Oklahoma State
SHEA O'LEARY, TEXAS
SHANNON RHODES, TEXAS
All-Big 12 Freshman Team
Milaysia Ochoa, Iowa State*
Kasey Hamilton, Kansas
Jayda Coleman, Oklahoma*
Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma*
Nicole May, Oklahoma*
JJ SMITH, TEXAS*
ALYSSA WASHINGTON, TEXAS*
JORDYN WHITAKER, TEXAS
Riley Love, Texas Tech*
Arriana Pecan Villa, Texas Tech
*Denotes unanimous selection
