Last season, pitcher Miranda Elish was off to a hot start for the Texas softball team. The only thing that could apparently stop her and the rest of team was COVID-19. The Longhorns were 24-3 before the season was shut down due to the pandemic. The team blanked New Mexico 7-0, while Elish threw her second career perfect game.
Elish led the team in strikeouts with 96. She finished the year with a 11-3 record and an earned run average of 1.25. Her efforts earned National Player of the Year honors for the former Oregon transfer. Big things are expected from Elish in her return to the circle in the 2021 season.
According to Softball America’s Top 100 rankings, Elish comes in ranked No. 2 in the country. Her ranking gives the Big 12 Conference its only player in top five in the country. In her second season in Austin, there’s certainly unfinished business. Oklahoma was viewed as the preseason favorite but given how last season went, Texas should be the top dog as the season approaches in 2021.
JUST…DEALING! Nine K's through five…
UNM 0 – TEXAS 5 – Mid 5th pic.twitter.com/5bEo8TRrsi
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) March 8, 2020
The Longhorns softball team finished ranked No. 3 in the country according to USA TODAY/Coaches poll at the end of the shortened season, despite the fact that Texas defeated the No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 Washington teams on back-to-back nights. With Elish leading the way, the sky is the limit for this team in 2021.
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