No. 13 Longhorns Softball vs. No. 4 Tennessee: Knoxville Super Regional Preview
The Texas Longhorns' series against the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers in the NCAA Knoxville Super Regional will not be an easy battle. Texas head coach Mike White and his roster know this.
Between losing their home field advantage and having to face senior outfielder and All-SEC first-teamer Kiki Milloy, the Longhorns (45-13-1) will need to make some adjustments.
“Well, they have a student-athlete who has hit 25 home runs and that’s big right there," White said. "I don’t think I’ve ever had a 20-home run hitter. (Kiki Milloy) is special. (Tennessee) is tough and athletic. Their top four hitters are very tough. And then they have really good pitching. ... They’re a good team."
So far this season for the Volunteers (47-8), Milloy has recorded a .427 batting percentage, 55 RBI and a 1.007 slugging percentage. Longhorn pitchers will need to keep her contained to be successful in the Super Regional. If not, Texas will need to keep her out of the batter's box for as long as possible.
“Well, she’s not batting 1.000," White said. "She’s batting under .500, so she’s making an out half the time. We just have to make sure we get the half. That’s the important thing. But we have to make sure we are pitching carefully and pick certain situations to go at her. Hopefully, we can get some runs and be able to challenge her a little bit, otherwise we’ll have to pitch around her a little bit.”
Above all, not playing at Red & Charline McCombs Field will be a battle of itself, not having the constant support rallying around the Longhorns.
“I’ll miss the fans more than anything," redshirt freshman outfielder Ashton Maloney said. "It’s just nice having a home crowd, home fans behind us. Obviously, playing away is a challenge within itself, but not being able to have our home crowd can be difficult.”
The Longhorns will take on Tennessee for the NCAA Knoxville Super Regional on Friday at 3 p.m.
You can follow Tori Garcia on Twitter @ToriCGarcia
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