Great views from the broadcast

New York Times

2 days ago

Follow our coverage of the WCWS from Oklahoma City as the five remaining teams chase the softball national title Imagn Images
All these close-up camera angles, allowing us to see dirt flying to spit flying, are part of why softball is such a fun product is the number of cameras that give us a front-row seat, even from our coaches. Did you know when ESPN first started broadcasting the WCWS in 1982 it did so with just four cameras? Now, there are more than 40 cameras. Imagn Images
Seeing Gerry Glasco get so hyped for his team after escaping that jam (and almost getting ejected) is so great to see. This program is reaching new heights with every game it remains in OKC, and that kind of energy is necessary if you're trying to make history by advancing to a first-ever WCWS semifinal.
T3 - Texas Tech 0, UCLA 0
The Texas Tech bullpen is getting warm, as a very, very rare occurrence is taking place in OKC: NiJa Canady is struggling. That's her second walk today, and the ace does not take those lightly. But the changeup she just pulled the string on against Taylor Stephens may have just gotten her back in the groove, as she strikes her out on three pitches.
Now THAT is grace under pressure. Canady just stranded the bases loaded to erase the Bruins' threat.
B2 - Texas Tech 0, UCLA 0
The Bruins are making Nijaree Canady and the Red Raiders' defense work, as Rylee Slimp just beat out Canady's throw for a bunt base hit to give UCLA two runners on with one out. That, on top of some frustration with the strike zone, can send things southward for a defense really quickly, but we'll see if Canady can calm things down here for her team.
Things are getting spicy as Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco appears to have just received a warning from the umpire crew after mouthing off about the iffy strike zone so far.
T2 - Texas Tech 0, UCLA 0
And while Nijaree Canady is known for her signature 70-mph rise ball, she's already leaning on her changeup early against these Bruins batters. She's leaned on that pitch slightly more this year than she has in the past, and it's making its presence known at the WCWS.
Joley Mitchell on her three home runs in the past two games.
That was quite the easy inning for UCLA's Taylor Tinsley in the circle, tossing just nine pitches to sit the Red Raiders in order.
And a mind-blowing stat on Texas Tech ace Nijaree Canady (let's be honest, which numbers of hers aren't, at this point?): Fifty percent of the outs she has recorded in her collegiate pitching career have come via strikeout. Absolutely dominant.
Kayden Henry on her Texas team's win over Oklahoma today.
It's time for UCLA vs. Texas Tech. The winner advances to the national semifinals.
Here we go. Imagn Images
We're closing in on our second winners' bracket game of the night, where NiJaree Canady and Texas Tech will take on Jordan Woolery and UCLA. While the Red Raiders enter this matchup on a nine-game winning streak, the Bruins may still have some momentum after taking down former Pac-12 and current Big Ten rival Oregon with a walk-off homer on Thursday night.
In previous matchups between Texas Tech and UCLA, UCLA has dominated with a 5-0 record. The most recent contest between the two teams was in an early-season tournament in February 2022, when the Bruins won a tight 2-1 game.
I have a really hard time picking against Canady, so I'm going with the Red Raiders to finally flip the script on the Bruins and win this one. I will say, though, UCLA has really brought the fight in its past couple of games, with that walk-off against Oregon and another against South Carolina before winning the rubber match against the Gamecocks as well to advance to OKC. I think the biggest question is if the Texas Tech offense can get more than one run to give Canady some room to work with. Imagn Images
Something to look for in this game: UCLA's Megan Grant is batting .333 against NiJaree Canady in her career, with three extra-base hits.
These Bruins hitters are familiar with Canady as she played at Stanford last season when the Cardinal and Bruins were still in the same conference in the Pac-12 before it dissipated ... and before Canady transferred. Imagn Images
We have played seven games in Oklahoma City in the Women's College World Series. One of those games was a blowout (Tennessee's 11-3 run-rule win over Florida). But the other six games have been decided by 10 total runs. Wow. Imagn Images
Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan went the distance today against Oklahoma. She allowed seven hits and two runs, one earned. She walked two and struck out eight.
What a performance in such a big spot. Imagn Images
Our second game today will pit UCLA vs. Texas Tech. That game is slated for a 7 p.m. ET start. It will be broadcast by ESPN. Imagn Images
The Sooners drop into the losers' bracket, and they will face Oregon at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday. That game will be broadcast by ESPN. The winner will face either Texas Tech or UCLA on Monday. Imagn Images
The Longhorns move into the national semifinals, and they will play Monday. They will face either Tennessee, Texas Tech or UCLA. That Monday game will be played at Noon ET and will be broadcast by ESPN.
Oh wow, Teagan Kavan is emotional talking to Holly Rowe after her stellar performance in the circle today, as she shares on the broadcast that her grandma has very recently passed away. Kavan mentioned that her grandmother's favorite part of the day was watching softball, and now, with the "best seat in the house," Texas finally took down its biggest rival. What a great story.
Teagan Kavan just took it to another level!!! She hits 71 mph on the radar to strike out Hannah Coor to end the game! That's Texas' first-ever win over Oklahoma in the WCWS, finally slaying the demon that had been hanging over its head for quite some time and all season since last year's championship series. The Texas defense really came to play today, and Kavan threw a sparkler of a game today.