The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Saturday, March 8
Columbus, OH
9:45 AM CT / 10:45 AM ET
University of Texas
vs
Merrimack
No. 1/2 Softball preview: Ohio State Tournament
03.06.2025 | Softball
Texas looks to match best start to season since 2006 with weekend trip to Columbus, Ohio
AUSTIN, Texas – As the Southeastern Conference (SEC) begins its conference action this weekend, The University of Texas' softball program will have to wait another week to play its first-ever SEC series as the Longhorns will instead participate in the Ohio State Tournament after being dealt its bye week on the first weekend of SEC action.
TELEVISION: Only Texas' game against Ohio State on Monday afternoon will be available to stream as Kylen Mills and Jennie Ritter will call the game's action on BIG+.
RADIO: Andrew Haynes can be heard with the radio call of all five games this weekend at https://texas.leanplayer.com/.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:
Saturday, Mar. 8
- 8 AM CT / 9 AM ET, vs. Saint Francis (7-12) (No video stream available)
- 10:30 AM CT / 11:30 AM ET, vs. Oakland (4-7) (No video stream available)
Sunday, Mar. 9
- 4:30 PM CT / 5:30 PM ET, vs. Merrimack College (0-5) (No video stream available)
Monday, Mar. 10
- 11:30 AM CT / 12:30 PM ET, vs. Dayton (8-6) (No video stream available)
- 3 PM CT / 4 PM ET, vs. RV/RV Ohio State (13-4-1) (B1G+)
SERIES HISTORY:
- Saint Francis
- Saint Francis and Texas have met on a softball diamond just once throughout the Longhorns' near 30-year history: May 21, 2021.
- The matchup came in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Austin Regional, where Texas knocked off the Red Flash, 12-0, in five innings.
- No active Longhorn softball student-athletes participated in that game.
- The matchup came in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Austin Regional, where Texas knocked off the Red Flash, 12-0, in five innings.
- Saint Francis and Texas have met on a softball diamond just once throughout the Longhorns' near 30-year history: May 21, 2021.
- Oakland
- Saturday morning's game between Texas and Oakland will mark the first-ever meeting between the two softball programs.
- Merrimack
- When Texas and Merrimack take the diamond at Buckeye Field on Sunday afternoon, it will be the first time the two softball programs have ever played a game against each other.
- Dayton
- The Flyers will mark the third first-ever opponent for the Texas Longhorn softball program this weekend as Monday morning's contest between Dayton and UT will be the first meeting of the two softball programs.
- Ohio State
- Texas and Ohio State have the most history on the softball diamond of the Longhorns' five opponents this weekend as the two programs have met five times with the most recent occurring on Feb. 24, 2018.
- Monday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Texas and Ohio State in Columbus as the previous five games have been spread across three states:
- Arizona (1997, 2004)
- California (1997, 2007)
- Texas (2018)
- Texas will be looking for its first win over Ohio State since Feb. 24, 2007, when the Longhorns earned a 6-5 victory in Cathedral City, Calif.
- Across all three Texas wins, the Longhorns have never shutout the Buckeyes as the fewest runs allowed to Ohio State is one on two different occasions:
- Mar. 22, 1997 – Texas 10, Ohio State 1 in five innings
- Feb. 14, 2004 – Texas 3, Ohio State 1
LEADING OFF
- If Joley Mitchell successfully reaches base in her first game on the weekend, the second-year Longhorn will move her current on-base streak to 20 consecutive games played.
- It'll mark the first time a Texas softball student-athlete has successfully reached base in 20-or-more consecutive games played since Mia Scott had a 21-game streak from Feb. 23 to Mar. 29, 2024.
- Mitchell's current 19-game on-base streak is the longest by a Texas softball student-athlete since Scott's streak last season.
- It'll mark the first time a Texas softball student-athlete has successfully reached base in 20-or-more consecutive games played since Mia Scott had a 21-game streak from Feb. 23 to Mar. 29, 2024.
- A sweep of its five-game schedule in Columbus would result in Texas matching its program record for a best start to a season through 27 games, tying the 2006 squad that went 26-1 over the course of its first 27 contests.
- Earning wins over Saint Francis and Oakland on Saturday morning would move Texas' record to 23-1, surpassing the 2012 squad for the most recent best start to a season after the 2012 squad won 22 of its first 23 games.
- A win over Saint Francis to begin the weekend would be Texas' 10th consecutive win, marking the second 10-game winning streak for the Longhorns this season.
- It would mark just the third season under seventh-year head coach Mike White that Texas has recorded multiple 10-game winning streaks during the same season: 2021, 2024, 2025.
- In total, the Longhorns have had seven seasons with multiple 10-game winning streaks: 2003, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2024.
- It would mark just the third season under seventh-year head coach Mike White that Texas has recorded multiple 10-game winning streaks during the same season: 2021, 2024, 2025.
- Texas senior right-handed pitcher Mac Morgan will enter the weekend's action as the active leader in career winning percentage among Division I pitchers with 100-or-more pitching appearances.
- Morgan, in 105 career appearances, has posted an 87.5-win percentage throughout her collegiate career.
- Only Nebraska's Jordyn Bahl has a higher outright win percentage with a 89.7 mark, but Bahl has only appeared in 83 games compared to Morgan's 105.
- Morgan has a 56-8 career record, while Bahl has a 52-6 career mark.
- Only Nebraska's Jordyn Bahl has a higher outright win percentage with a 89.7 mark, but Bahl has only appeared in 83 games compared to Morgan's 105.
- Morgan, in 105 career appearances, has posted an 87.5-win percentage throughout her collegiate career.
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.
