The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Tech
No. 16 Softball preview: Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship
05.11.2022 | Softball
The Longhorns head to Oklahoma City, Okla., for the league's annual showcase event
No. 16 Texas (37-16-1, 12-6 Big 12) at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship | May 12-14 | Oklahoma City, Okla.
Schedule:
Thursday, May 12
6 p.m. Texas Tech vs. #16 TEXAS – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla. (OG&E Energy Field)
Television: The Texas Tech game is scheduled for web stream broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Danielle Lawrie (color).
Live Stats: 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. This weekend's Big 12 contests can also be heard on Sirius XM Radio Channel 375.
Base Knocks:
- Texas enters the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship holding a 28-23 overall record over 18 appearances in the event. UT has won the title on four occasions: 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005.
- The Longhorns are currently tied with Louisiana FOR THE NCAA DIVISION I LEAD IN DOUBLES with a school single-season record 95. Janae Jefferson currently leads Texas and rates ninth in the nation with 18 doubles.
- Janae Jefferson is closing in on TWO MORE SCHOOL RECORDS. The senior second baseman needs 14 more runs to break Taylor Hoagland's (2010-13) career record of 221 runs. With 18 doubles in 2022, Jefferson also needs three more to pass Paige von Sprecken (2018) & Lindsey Stephens (2016) for the UT single-season doubles record.
- Jefferson is currently riding a 20-game reached base streak. Over that stretch, she is batting .492 (32-for-65) overall with 30 runs, 11 extra-base hits & a 1.311 OPS.
- Senior C/1B Mary Iakopo is Texas' biggest threat with runners in scoring position. The Carson, Calif., native is currently hitting at a .448 clip (26-for-58) with RISP in 2022.
- Texas has registered 28 total wins over current Top 100 RPI teams in 2022, including nine over top 50 RPI squads.
- The Longhorns rank No. 15 in the latest Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) that's used as one of the tools to seed postseason play and are No. 19 in strength of schedule.
- UT now holds a 13-1 record against Texas teams this season with the lone loss coming on May 7 against Baylor. The Horns won their first 12 match-ups of the season against 'Lone Star State' squads.
- Sophomore OF Alyssa Popelka has cranked up the offense since starting league play by hitting .417 (15-for-36) in Big 12 games with a .475 OBP & five multi-hit efforts.
- Watch out for Mia Scott with the bases loaded. The freshman third baseman is 4-for-6 (.667) in such situations and unloaded the bags with a key three-run double during the 4-2, streak-busting upset of No. 1 Oklahoma.
- Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson has quietly been climbing her way up the national stat rankings. The Humble, Texas, product now rates eighth in all of NCAA Division I in hits (72) and ninth in doubles (18).
- Texas senior second baseman Janae Jefferson continues to excel from the leadoff spot in the lineup as the three-time NFCA All-American is batting a staggering .494 as the leadoff of any inning in 2022, going 38-for-77 at the plate in those situations.
