The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Wisconsin
No. 9/10 Softball preview: Bevo Classic
03.09.2023 | Softball
A pair of nationally-ranked matchups awaits as Texas hosts final non-conference regular season round-robin tournament
AUSTIN, TX – For the third consecutive weekend, a nationally-ranked softball program will find its way to the Forty Acres to play in a non-conference round-robin tournament hosted by The University of Texas when the Bevo Classic gets underway on Friday, March 10.
The Longhorns (18-2-1) will host Big 10 Conference foe Wisconsin, Sun Belt Conference powerhouse Texas State and No. 13/9 Alabama this weekend. The Crimson Tide will be the third ranked non-conference opponent (Alabama, Louisiana, Virginia Tech) to participate in at least two softball game against Texas at Red & Charline McCombs Field over the last three weeks.
Overall, Alabama will become the sixth different ranked — at the time of its game against Texas — team to play against the Longhorns this season with a matchup against then-No. 13/12 Tennessee having been canceled due to weather on Saturday, Feb. 11.
SCHEDULE
Friday:
Wisconsin vs. Texas State (11 AM CT)
Wisconsin vs. #9/#10 Texas (1:30 PM)
#13/#9 Alabama vs. #9/#10 Texas (4 PM)
Saturday:
Texas State vs. Wisconsin (10 AM CT)
Texas State vs. #13/#9 Alabama (12:30 PM)
Wisconsin vs. #9/#10 Texas (4 PM)
#13/#9 Alabama vs. #9/#10 Texas (6:30 PM)
Sunday:
Wisconsin vs. #13/#9 Alabama (9:30 AM CT)
Texas State vs. #9/#10 Texas (3 PM)
LEADING OFF
- When No. 13/9 Alabama and No. 9/10 Texas square off Friday night, it will mark the second consecutive season the Longhorns have played six different ranked opponents within the first 22 games of a new year.
- In 2022, Texas played Clemson (#15), Florida State (#5), UCLA (#3), UCF (#24), Arizona State (#22) and Alabama (#2) over the course of its first 22 games.
- The six different ranked opponents in the first 22 games of the 2022 and 2023 season are tied for the most different ranked opponents for Texas under fifth-year head coach Mike White.
- In 2022, Texas played Clemson (#15), Florida State (#5), UCLA (#3), UCF (#24), Arizona State (#22) and Alabama (#2) over the course of its first 22 games.
- Following Wednesday night's game at UTA, Viviana Martinez will enter Friday night's action against Wisconsin and Alabama with 34 hits on the season, which is one shy of tying Arkansas' Reagan Johnson (35) for the most by a Division I softball student-athlete through this point of the 2023 season.
- Johnson has been credited with 35 hits in 83 plate appearances through 23 games.
- Martinez has 34 hits in 66 at bats in 21 Longhorn games.
- Texas' trio of Viviana Martinez, Leighann Goode and Mia Scott — the only student-athletes in the Big 12 Conference to have 30-or-more hits entering this weekend's slate of non-conference games — are the only softball student-athletes to have appeared in and started all 21 games for the Longhorns this season.
- Following her three walks over the last two games, junior Courtney Day now has 11 walks on the season, which is four shy of tying her single-season career high of 15 set during the 2022 campaign.
- Viviana Martinez will enter this weekend's Bevo Classic as one of just 16 Division I softball student-athletes to have a .500-or-better batting average through this point of the season.
- Martinez (.515) is joined by Oklahoma's Jocelyn Erickson (.568) and Oklahoma State's Rachel Becker (.568) as the only Big 12 softball student-athletes to have such a batting average.
- Martinez' .515 batting average is the highest by a Big 12 softball student-athlete with 51-or-more plate appearances. Martinez has 66 to Becker's 50.
- Martinez (.515) is joined by Oklahoma's Jocelyn Erickson (.568) and Oklahoma State's Rachel Becker (.568) as the only Big 12 softball student-athletes to have such a batting average.
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.
