No. 1/2 Softball preview: Longhorn Invitational

AUSTIN, Texas – On the heels of a third win against a nationally ranked opponent last weekend, The University of Texas softball program returns to Red & Charline McCombs Field this weekend to host a six-team round-robin tournament that begins at 11 a.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 28, when USF and New Mexico State take the field.

Texas will start its five-game weekend slate at 4 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 28, when the Longhorns take on USF. UT will follow its game with the Bulls with a contest against Abilene Christian slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.

TELEVISION: All five of Texas' games over the weekend can be seen on SEC Network+ with Lincoln Rose and Megan Willis calling the Longhorn action from the television booth.

RADIO: Andrew Haynes can be heard with the radio call of all six games this weekend at https://texas.leanplayer.com/.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:

Friday, Feb. 28

11 AM, USF vs. New Mexico State (No video broadcast available)
1:30 PM, Abilene Christian vs. New Mexico State (No video broadcast available)
4 PM, USF vs. Texas (SEC Network+)
6:30 PM, Abilene Christian vs. Texas (SEC Network+)

Saturday, Mar. 1

11 AM, New Mexico State vs. Abilene Christian (No video broadcast available)
1:30 PM, New Mexico State vs. Texas (SEC Network+)
4:00 PM, USF vs. Abilene Christian (No video broadcast available)
6:30 PM, USF vs. Alabama A&M (No video broadcast available)

Sunday, Mar. 2

10 AM, Alabama A&M vs. New Mexico State (No video broadcast available)
12:30 PM, USF vs. Texas (SEC Network+)
3 PM, Alabama A&M vs. Texas (SEC Network+)
5:30 PM, Abilene Christian vs. UIW (No video broadcast available)

SERIES HISTORY:

Abilene Christian
- Abilene Christian and Texas have met only three times prior to Friday night's game: Feb. 25, 2016; Feb. 26. 2016; Feb. 25, 2023.
  - The Longhorns have won all three of those matchups by a combined 26-3 score, including an 8-0 outcome in five innings during the last meeting.
- Overall, two of the three previous games have ended in five innings: Feb. 25, 2016 (15-1) and Feb. 25, 2023 (8-0).
- The two programs have only played softball games in Austin, Texas.
Alabama A&M
- Sunday's game between Alabama A&M and Texas will mark the first-ever game between the two softball programs.
New Mexico State
- Saturday's contest between the Aggies and Longhorns will mark the first time the two have played a softball game against each other in Las Cruces, N.M. or Austin, Texas.
  - The previous two meetings occurred in Phoenix, Ariz. (Feb. 9, 2001) and Fullerton, Calif. (Mar. 14, 2001).
- Texas won the last matchup, 3-0, while New Mexico State won the first-ever meeting.
USF
- When the Bulls and Longhorns take the diamond at Red & Charline McCombs Field, it'll mark the first time Texas has played USF in Austin since Feb. 20, 2000.
  - UT is 2-0 all time against USF in games played in Austin after taking both a Feb. 18, 2000 matchup, 5-0, and the Feb. 20, 2000 contest, 7-2.
- UT holds an all-time record of 6-1 against USF with the Bulls' lone win happening on Mar. 17, 2023, when Kathy Garcia hit a game-ending, solo home run on the second pitch in the bottom of the seventh in Tampa, Fla.
  - The Longhorns responded from the loss with a seven-inning gem by Estelle Czech two days later in Texas' 6-1 victory.
- In all six of Texas' wins, Longhorn pitching has limited the USF offense to 2-or-fewer runs in each game.

LEADING OFF

By maintaining its No. 1 ranking in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25, Texas has now been ranked as the top team in the poll for a fourth consecutive ranking (Preseason, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25), one shy of tying the program's record of five set during the latter stages of the 2024 stages: (April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7, May 14).
If Texas earns a win in all five of its games over the weekend, it'll mark the first time under seventh-year head coach Mike White that the Longhorns have opened a new season with wins in 20 of their first 21 games.
- 2012 was the last time UT had wins in 20 of their first 21 games to start a season.
  - The 2012 squad went on to open its season with wins in 22 of its first 23 games.
  - The 2006 team holds the program record with a win in 26 of its first 27 games.
With her next run scored, Mia Scott will join Janae Jefferson (222) and Taylor Hoagland (221) as the only student-athletes in program history to score 200-or-more runs throughout their careers on the Forty Acres.
With her next home runs, Reese Atwood will join Taylor Hoagland (58), Lindsey Stephens (47) and Mary Iakopo (42) as the only student-athletes to hit 40-or-more career home runs as a Longhorn.
Mia Scott will move into the top three of the program's career hit leaderboard with three base hits over the weekend.
- Scott enters the weekend just two hits shy of tying Lexy Bennett (2009-12) for third place and 11 hits back of tying Brejae Washington (2011-14) for second place.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Reese Atwood

Estelle Czech

Mia Scott

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics