The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball-Exes Jefferson & Rhodes help U.S. to unbeaten pool play mark
11.17.2022 | Softball
The Texas-Exes have helped power Team USA to a 6-0 record at the Pan American Championship
AUSTIN, Texas – The USA Softball Women's National Team completed Group A play at the Pan American Championship in Guatemala City, Guatamala, with a perfect 6-0 record thanks in part to solid contributions from Texas-Exes Janae Jefferson & Shannon Rhodes.
The former Longhorns duo is part of a 16-player roster that's facing teams from across the Americas looking to qualify the Red, White & Blue for the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup.
Late Wednesday night, the Red, White & Blue wrapped up Group A play at 6-0 after adding dominant wins over Costa Rica (20-0, 3 inn.), El Salvador (16-1, 3 inn.) and Brazil (11-2, 6 inn.). Next up for Team USA is a match-up with Canada to begin the playoff/medal rounds on Thurs., Nov. 17, at 12:45 p.m. CT.
Since moving to the leadoff spot in the line-up prior to the game against Costa Rica, Jefferson has been on fire at the plate, hitting .700 (7-for-10) over the three contests with a walk, eight runs scored, a double, a triple and two RBIs. Included in her efforts were a pair of three-hit performances during the wins over El Salvador & Brazil. Over the six pool play contests, the Humble, Texas, product is batting .529 (9-for-17) with a walk, 10 runs scored, a double, a triple and three RBIs.
Rhodes managed a 4-for-8 (.500) mark at the dish with a walk, four runs scored, a double, two HR's and five RBIs over the final three Group A contests. Included was a perfect 2-for-2 performance as the clean-up hitter with three runs scored, a walk, a double, a HR and two RBIs against Costa Rica and a 2-for-4 effort with a HR and three RBIs out of the No. 8 slot in the line-up versus Brazil. Overall, the Fort Worth, Texas, native is hitting .500 (5-for-10) during the event with a walk, five runs scored, a double, two HR's and five RBIs.
Back during the summer of 2022, Jefferson helped lead Team USA to a world title by earning gold at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Ala. During the second inning of the gold medal tilt against defending Olympic champion and world No. 2-ranked Japan, she delivered the clutch two-out hit by lining a 3-1 pitch past short and to the wall in left center to unload the bases and grant the U.S. a 3-0 lead in an eventual 3-2 victory.
Rhodes had her own eventful 2022 summer run by earning Rookie of the Year honors in the Athletes Unlimited pro league. After taking a year off from softball, she picked up right where she left off from her standout career on the Forty Acres. Rhodes finished sixth overall in the AU league standings with 1,564 total points after hitting .375 overall (18-for-48) with four doubles, eight HR's and 14 RBIs to go with a .958 slugging percentage and a 1.422 OPS. Her HR and slugging marks were good for second in the 60-player league.
