The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Marist
No. 11/9 Softball preview: South Florida Showdown
03.16.2023 | Softball
Texas concludes sixth consecutive non-conference weekend with trip to Tampa
TAMPA, FL – Just five weeks ago, The University of Texas softball program opened its 2023 regular season in Clearwater, Fla., as participants in the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic. This weekend, the Longhorns return to the Sunshine State to participate in the South Florida Showdown.
Marist (7-14), Lehigh (16-3) and Iowa (16-9) will join Texas (22-4-1) in the five-team round-robin tournament hosted by USF (16-13).
Of Texas' five games over the weekend, only two will be available to watch as both games against USF will be streamed on ESPN+ with Ryan Urquhart and Allison Kime calling the game. However, all Longhorn games can be heard on 105.3 The Bat in Austin with Andrew Haynes describing the action.
SCHEDULE
Friday
vs. Marist (1 PM CT)
at USF (6 PM CT) – ESPN+
Saturday
vs. Lehigh (1 PM CT)
vs. Iowa (6 PM CT)
Sunday
at USF (11:30 AM CT) – ESPN+
LEADING OFF
- Following her two-run single through the left side during the top of the second inning in Texas' 4-0 win at Sam Houston on Tuesday night, Leighann Goode became the first freshman in Division I softball to surpass the 40-hit mark this season.
- Goode will enter Texas' two games on Friday, March 17 as one of just five Division I softball student-athletes — regardless of classification — to have 40-or-more hits through this part of the season.
- Wichita State's senior Sydney McKinney leads the nation with 50 hits in 25 games.
- Goode is currently the only underclassmen to reach the plateau.
- Wichita State's Sydney McKinney (50) – Senior
- Iowa's Nia Carter (44) – Senior
- Clemson's Cagle Valeria (43) – Junior
- Texas' Leighann Goode (40) – Freshman
- Santa Clara's Ashley Trierweller (40) – Junior
- Goode will enter Texas' two games on Friday, March 17 as one of just five Division I softball student-athletes — regardless of classification — to have 40-or-more hits through this part of the season.
- Leighann Goode also traveled to Florida as the Big 12 Conference's leader in runs per game (1.33) and total bases (70).
- In 27 games played so far this season, Goode has scored a team-high 36 runs, 12 more than Mia Scott, who has the second most on the team.
- Goode's 1.33 runs per game average is 0.24 higher than the next closest Division I softball freshman student-athlete: Southern Illinois' Jackie Lis (1.09).
- When the first pitch for Texas is thrown against Marist, Lehigh, Iowa and USF, it will mark the first time Texas has played the quartet of softball programs under fifth-year head coach Mike White.
- Texas last played …
- Marist on March 15, 2012, when the Longhorns won, 10-2, in six innings.
- USF on Feb. 20, 2000, when the Longhorns won, 7-2, in seven innings.
- Iowa on March 17, 2016, when the Longhorns won, 4-3, in eight innings.
- Saturday's game against Lehigh will mark the first-ever meeting between the Longhorns and the Mountain Hawks.
- Texas last played …
- This weekend will mark the first time since the 2022 season that Texas has played multiple non-conference round-robin tournaments in the state of Florida.
- The 2022 and 2023 seasons marked the first time since 2009-2011 that Texas played multiple non-conference round-robin tournaments in the same state in consecutive seasons.
- Florida: 2022, 2023
- California: 2009, 2010, 2011
- The 2022 and 2023 seasons marked the first time since 2009-2011 that Texas played multiple non-conference round-robin tournaments in the same state in consecutive seasons.
- Of the 124 Division I softball student-athletes entering Friday's action with a batting average of .400-or-higher, Texas is the only softball program in the country with three freshmen student-athletes batting .400-or-higher: Ashton Maloney (.437), Viviana Martinez (.435) and Leighann Goode (.417).
FOLLOW US
- For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoftball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
