Memphis Falls as North Texas Rally's Late; Drops second game to Oklahoma
North Texas staged a four-run seventh inning rally to defeat the University of Memphis softball team in a heartbreaking 5-4 loss on Sunday at the Residence Inn Invitational at the OU Softball Complex. The Tigers then lost 10-0 in five innings to #9/10 Oklahoma.
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Memphis softball team opens its 2013 season at the Texas Classic hosted by #7/9 Texas beginning Friday.
The Tigers face North Texas in the season opener on Friday at 12:30 p.m. followed by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 3. On Saturday, Memphis will play Texas at 1 p.m. in a game televised on the Longhorn Network. The U of M will also face one of the three other teams in the tournament later in the day on Saturday and on Sunday.
Live stats are available for all of the games through GameTracker. Streaming audio is also available for the games against Texas. For links to the live events, check GoTigersGo.com.
Opening Weekend
Memphis is 16-14 all-time in the opening week of play.
The Tigers have come away with a winning record after the first week in three of the seven seasons.
Last year Memphis went 2-2 at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Mobile, Ala., and opened the season with an 8-0 loss to eventual NCAA College World Series Champion Alabama.
The Tigers have outscored their opponents 152-118 in the opening week.
Memphis is 4-3 in the first game of the season.
Carly Hummel threw a no-hitter to open the 2011 season against North Florida in a 3-0 victory at the FIU Combat Classic in Miami, Fla.
The Tigers have opened the season twice in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida and once in Memphis. This season marks the first season opener for the U of M in Texas.
Year
Tournament
Record
2006
Lafayette, La. (Louisiana-Lafayette)
3-1
2007
Baton Rouge, La. (LSU)
4-2
2008
Tampa, Fla. (USF)
2-3
2009
Mobile, Ala. (South Alabama)
1-3
2010
Memphis, Tenn. (Memphis)
1-1
2011
Miami, Fla. (FIU)
3-2
2012
Mobile, Ala. (South Alabama)
2-2
Tigers on TV
The Tigers game against Texas on Saturday at 1 pm will be televised by the Longhorn Network. Additionally, if Memphis plays Texas in either of the TBD games on Saturday or Sunday, those games will also be televised by LHN.
The Longhorn Network is available on AT&T u-Verse, Verizon FiOS TV, Grande Communications, Consolidated Communications, En-Touch Systems, E-Tex Communications, Bay City Cablevision, Mid-Coast Cablevision and Texas Mid-Gulf Cablevision.
This will mark the second time Memphis has appeared on television.
The Tigers made their national TV debut last year at home on the Fox Sports Network against Marshall in the first game of a doubleheader on March 17, 2012.
The Thundering Herd won the game, 1-0.
Tigers in Tournament Play
The Tigers have participated in 23 different tournaments in seven seasons and carry a 54-56 record into the Texas Classic
Last year, Memphis finished 4-14 in four regular season tournaments.
The Texas Classic marks the first regular-season tournament for the U of M in the state of Texas.
The Tigers played conference tournaments in Texas at Houston in 2008 and 2010 and at UTEP in 2009.
Year
Tournament
Record
2006
Louisiana Classic (Lafayette, La.)
3-1
2006
FIU Tournament (Miami, Fla.)
2-2
2006
UNC Tournament (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
1-4
2007
Easton Tiger Classic (Baton Rouge, La.)
4-2
2007
Sunshine State Tourn. (Tallahassee, Fla.)
1-3
2007
Blues City Classic (Memphis, Tenn.)
3-1
2007
San Diego Tourn. (San Diego, Calif.)
4-1
2008
USF Wilson Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)
2-3
2008
Kajikawa Classic (Tempe, Ariz.)
3-1
2008
Blues City Classic (Memphis, Tenn.)
4-1
2008
Residence Inn Invit. (Norman, Okla.)
1-3
2008
Winthrop/Adidas Invit. (Rock Hill, S.C.)
3-1
2009
South Alabama Invit. (Mobile, Ala.)
1-3
2009
K-Club Classic (Kennesaw, Ga.)
1-4
2009
Blues City Classic (Memphis, Tenn.)
0-1
2009
Spring Fling Tourn. (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2-3
2010
Blues City Classic (Memphis, Tenn.)
2-2
2010
UcSB Gaucho Classic (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
1-1
2010
USF Under Armour Inv. (Clearwater, Fla.)
3-2
2011
FIU Combat Classic (Miami, Fla.)
3-2
2011
Panther Invitational (Atlanta, Ga.)
4-0
2011
Stanford Nike Invit. (Palo Alto, Calif.)
3-1
2011
Bulldog Classic (Starkville, Miss.)
1-1
2012
Mardi Gras Invitational (Mobile, Ala.)
2-2
2012
Desert Classic (Las Vegas, Nev.)
0-6
2012
Blues City Classic (Memphis, Tenn.)
2-3
2012
Tennessee Classic (Knoxville, Tenn.)
0-3
Nice to Meet You
Memphis will play two opponents in the Texas Classic for the first time in No. 7/9 Texas and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
The Tigers are scheduled to play eight opponents in 2013 for the first time: Campbell, Detroit, Jackson State, Nicholls State, Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Virginia and Western Kentucky.
Memphis is 50-58 all-time in first meetings.
Memphis vs North Texas
The series between Memphis and North Texas is even at one win apiece. The two teams met in 2008 at the Residence Inn Invitational in Norman, Okla., hosted by Oklahoma.
The Tigers have outscored the Mean Green 8-5 in the two-game series history.
Natalie Poole will face North Texas for the first time.
Memphis vs North Texas (1-1)
Date
Location
Result
Score
3-1-2008
Norman, Okla.
W
4-0
3-2-2008
Norman, Okla.
L
4-5
Scouting North Texas
North Texas finished 28-26-1 in 2012 and fourth in the Sun Belt with a 13-10-1 record.
The Mean Green return three of eight position starters and all four pitchers.
Eleven of 18 letterwinners return and are joined by eight newcomers. North Texas was picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll.
T.J. Hubbard enters his sixth season as head coach and holds a 132-137-1 record.
The Mean Green hit .265 in 2012 with 48 home runs, 221 RBI and 253 runs scored.
North Texas pitchers combined for a 3.07 ERA with 292 strikeouts and 193 walks in 378.2 innings.
North Texas finished the 2012 season with a RPI ranked 84th. North Texas will join Conference USA next season.
Memphis vs the Sun Belt
Memphis is 12-4 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
Coach Natalie Poole holds a 12-14 all-time record against the conference.
The Tigers have three games scheduled in 2013 against teams from the Sun Belt Conference: North Texas (2/8), Western Kentucky (3/2) and Louisiana-Monroe (4/10).
Memphis vs Sun Belt (12-4)
Opponent
Record
FIU
1-1
Louisiana-Lafayette
0-1
Louisiana-Monroe
1-0
Middle Tennessee
7-1
North Texas
1-1
South Alabama
2-0
Scouting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi finished 18-23 in 2012 and fourth in the Southland Conference with an 11-9 record.
The Islanders return 11 of 20 letterwinners from last year.
A&M-Corpus Christi was picked to finish fourth in the Southland Conference preseason poll.
Sophomore outfielder Mickayla Cochran was named to the preseason all-conference team. Stephanie Hughes is in her second year as head coach.
The Islanders hit .243 in 2012 with seven home runs, 82 RBI and 99 runs scored.
TAMUCC pitchers combined for a 3.33 ERA with 230 strikeouts and 109 walks in 275.2 innings. Texas-A&M Corpus Christi finished the 2012 season with a RPI ranked 146th.
Pitching coach Sarah Pauly has played the last six years in the NPF with the Stratford Brakettes, Washington Glory and the USSSA Pride. Pauly was an All-American pitcher with the Islanders.
Memphis vs the Southland Conference
Memphis is 5-1 all-time against current members of the Southland Conference.
Coach Natalie Poole holds a 49-31 all-time record against the conference.
Poole competed in the SLC for three seasons as the head coach at McNeese State.
Poole is 5-9 all-time against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
The Tigers have three games scheduled in 2013 against teams from the Southland Conference: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/8), Nicholls State (2/16) and Central Arkansas (4/16).
Memphis vs SLC (5-1)
Opponent
Record
Central Arkansas
4-0
McNeese State
1-0
Northwestern State
0-1
Scouting #7/9 Texas
Texas finished 47-13 in 2012 and tied for third in the Big 12 with a 16-8 record.
The Longhorns return seven of 10 starters and three of four pitchers.
Ten of 15 letterwinners return and are joined by six newcomers.
Texas was picked to finish second in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll. Connie Clark enters her 18th season as head coach and holds a 643-283-3 record in 16 years as a varsity sport.
The Longhorns hit .330 in 2012 with 69 home runs, 339 RBI and 372 runs scored.
Texas pitchers combined for a 2.40 ERA with 452 strikeouts and 168 walks in 399.2 innings.
Texas finished the 2012 season with a RPI ranked eighth.
Senior OF/INF Taylor Hoagland and senior pitcher Blaire Luna were among 50 named to the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award preseason watch list.
Hoagland owns the Texas home run record with 44 and ranks ninth in Big 12 history.
Luna is a three-time All-American.
Texas fell one-game short of reaching the College World Series, falling in a decisive game three to Oregon in the NCAA Austin Super Regional.
Memphis vs the Big 12
Memphis is 1-3 all-time against current members of the Big 12.
Coach Natalie Poole holds an 0-4 all-time record against the conference.
Both Memphis and Coach Poole will match-up against Texas for the first time.
The game against Texas marks the only contest for the Tigers in 2013 against the Big 12.
Memphis vs Big 12 (1-3)
Opponent
Record
Kansas
0-1
Oklahoma
0-2
Texas Tech
1-0
Against the Nationally Ranked
Memphis is 2-22 all-time against teams ranked in the top 25 nationally.
The Tigers two wins against ranked teams came in 2011 with victories against No. 22 Ohio State in the season opening weekend and at #16 Stanford.
The U of M is 0-14 against teams ranked in the top 10 heading into its match-up at No. 7/9 Texas.
Memphis has had one near miss against a top 10 opponent.
The Tigers fell 7-2 at #7 LSU in 2007 after the U of M gave up five runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Rank
Team (Date)
Result
#18
at La.-Lafayette (2-11-06)
L, 1-12
#7
at LSU (2-11-07)
L, 1-3
#7
at LSU (2-11-07)
L, 2-7 (9)
#22
at Florida State (2-17-07)
L, 0-8
#1
at Tennessee (4-10-07)
L, 1-4
#13
vs Florida (2-9-08)
L, 0-9
#4
at Arizona State (2-16-08)
L, 1-12
#9
at Oklahoma (3-1-08)
L, 0-17
#9
at Oklahoma (3-2-08)
L, 0-10
#11
at Houston (3-29-08)
L, 0-8
#11
at Houston (3-29-08)
L, 1-7
#11
at Houston (3-30-08)
L, 0-3
#9
at Houston (5-8-08)
L, 1-9
#2
vs Alabama (2-7-09)
L, 2-7
#9
vs California (3-11-09)
L, 0-1
#22
vs Ohio State (2-12-11)
W, 7-3 (8)
#16
at Stanford (2-25-11)
W, 2-1
#22
vs Texas A&M (3-6-11)
L, 0-1 (9)
#3
at Alabama (5-21-11)
L, 1-7
#2
vs Alabama (2-10-12)
L, 0-8
#8
at Tennessee (3-3-12)
L, 0-7
#17
vs Louisville (3-3-12)
L, 0-11
#8
at Tennessee (4-17-12)
L, 0-5
#8
at Tennessee (4-17-12)
L, 2-3
History Against Teams from Texas
All three opponents the Tigers will face in the Texas Classic are Texas schools.
Memphis is 23-23 all-time against schools from the state of Texas.
The Tigers are 6-16 against Texas schools in their home states and 8-18 overall in the state.
Memphis has played in three Conference USA Championships in the state of Texas and is 2-2 against neutral opponents in the state.
