Staring intently from the circle, the Longhorn pitcher nods her head after receiving a signal from catcher Amy Hooks and then starts her wind up with a ferocious look.
The general feeling in the Texas dugout these days is the opponent does not matter. Tonight will be a case study of that mentality as the Longhorns face Texas State in San Marcos.
Seven of the nine Big 12 opponents that Texas will face this season are ranked in the top 25 of the USA Today national softball ranking. Texas is currently ranked second in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech, which only has one loss in the season. Though they were ranked behind Tech in the pre-conference season rankings, the Longhorns are now ranked the highest in the Big 12 in several of the national polls.
During spring break, sophomore all-American hurler Blaire Luna was invited to the tryouts for 2011 USA Softball National Team. Luna is one of 12 players who has already accepted the invitation to the tryout camp in June, where about 17 individuals will ultimately be chosen to represent USA softball this season. This past weekend, she proved her worth as the Longhorns traveled to California to face six teams, including fourth-ranked Washington.
It wasn’t that great of a start for the Longhorns and All-American pitcher Blaire Luna, as the Houston Cougars quickly moved ahead in the game on a leadoff home run from Holly Anderson.