The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#15/14 Clemson
No. 10/8 Softball visits the FGCU Kickoff Classic
02.10.2022 | Softball
The Longhorns prep to open the 2022 campaign with match-ups against No. 15/14 Clemson, FGCU, Boston College and Kent State
No. 10/8 Texas visits the FGCU Kickoff Classic | Feb. 11-13 | FGCU Softball Complex, Fort Myers, Fla.
Schedule:
Friday, February 11
4 p.m. #15/14 Clemson vs. #10/8 TEXAS
6:30 p.m. #10/8 TEXAS at FGCU
Saturday, February 12
4 p.m. #10/8 TEXAS vs. Boston College
6:30 p.m. #10/8 TEXAS at FGCU
Sunday, February 13
10:45 a.m. Kent State vs. #10/8 TEXAS
*home team is listed second
Location: Fort Myers, Fla. (FGCU Softball Complex)
Ticket Information: LINK
Live Stats: Available for all games – links on the softball schedule at TexasSports.com: LINK
Television: The only available broadcasts will be YouTube web streams of Texas' two match-ups against FGCU: LINK
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 105.3 FM as part of the Austin Radio Network supported by the flagship radio station of the Longhorns, 104.9 FM The Horn.
Base Knocks:
- Texas owns an INCREDIBLE season-opening winning streak dating back to the initial varsity season for the program in 1997. The Longhorns have won ALL 25 of their season openers, including high-profile wins over No. 3 UCLA (2007), Florida State (2009), No. 20 DePaul (2010), Louisville (2011) & No. 17 LSU (2014). During that stretch, Texas has registered 16 shutouts & outscored opponents by a combined 169-13. The streak grew during the 2021 season as UT knocked off Wichita State in the Scrap Yard Blizzard Classic, 8-0 (5 inn.).
- The next start for both senior second baseman Janae Jefferson and senior catcher/first baseman Mary Iakopo will be the 200th of their respective careers.
- Texas enters the 2022 campaign riding a nine-game February winning streak that dates back to the 2020 season. The Longhorns registered a perfect 8-0 mark over a weather-affected February slate in 2021.
- In three seasons under head coach Mike White, Texas is 100-7 when scoring three-or-more runs in a game, 99-10 when out-hitting its opponent, 82-8 when scoring first and 49-7 when scoring during the first inning.
- Softball America put three Longhorns on its various preseason All-American Teams. Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson was tabbed to the first team, while junior pitcher Shea O'Leary and senior transfer pitcher Hailey Dolcini were named to the second and third teams, respectively.
- Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson, senior catcher/first baseman Mary Iakopo and junior pitcher Shea O'Leary were three of just 12 total players named to the inaugural Preseason All-Big 12 Conference Team.
- Softball America listed five Longhorns among its 2022 Preseason Top 100 player rankings: No. 6 Janae Jefferson, No. 27 Shea O'Leary, No. 31 Hailey Dolcini, No. 73 Mary Iakopo & No. 94 Lauren Burke.
- Texas will start 2022 ranked No. 8 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, No. 9 in the D1Softball.com rankings, No. 10 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and No. 11 in the Softball America listing.
- D1Softball released a Top 150 national player ranking prior to the start of the 2022 campaign with six Longhorns cited: No. 12 Janae Jefferson, No. 44 Hailey Dolcini, No. 66 Lou Gilbert, No. 71 Mary Iakopo, No. 85 Shea O'Leary & No. 105 McKenzie Parker.
- Texas senior second baseman Janae Jefferson and senior transfer pitcher Hailey Dolcini were included as two of 50 student-athletes named to the 2022 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Both players were top 25 finalists for the prestigious award during the 2021 campaign.
- Texas is certainly challenging itself schedule-wise during the 2022 season as the Longhorns are slated to play 27 total games against 14 teams ranked or receiving votes in the 2022 USA Today/NFCA preseason poll. That includes the entirety of the top 5: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Florida State & No. 5 Oklahoma State, as well as No. 14 LSU, No. 15 Clemson, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 23 Louisiana. Texas will also battle "teams receiving votes" in UCF, Minnesota, Auburn, Notre Dame and Iowa State.
- Coming off a 43-14 record in 2021, a No. 12 final ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball & USA Today/NFCA polls and an appearance at the NCAA Stillwater Super Regional, Texas is returning 10 players that appeared in at least 30 games (six appeared in at least 40 contests and four in at least 50 match-ups) and 13 total letter winners that combined to total 68% of the runs, 66% of the hits, 53% of the doubles, 86% of the triples, 59% of the HR's, 59% of the RBIs, 68% of the walks and 77% of the stolen bases from last season's program-record-setting offense (.342 team avg. - third in NCAA Division I) as well as 47% of the team's pitching victories and 51% of the pitching strikeouts.
