Latest news with #Kavan
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texas Tech evens WCWS, sets up winner-take-all showdown vs Texas Longhorns softball Friday
Texas softball coach Mike White tried to win Game 2 of the Women's College World Series without having to use Longhorns ace pitcher Teagan Kavan. Or at least save her for a possible late save. Instead, Longhorns pitchers made key mistakes resulting in a Red Raiders win to even the final best-of-three series at 1-1. The bad omens may have started early for Texas. The game was delayed almost an hour by inclement weather. Advertisement Once the game started, UT pitchers Mac Morgan and Cambria Salmon managed to work out of several jams in the first four innings. But in the fifth, Tech loaded the bases against Salmon, who then hit Alana Johnson and then threw a wild pitch to give the Red Raiders a 2-0 lead. The Horns got one back in the top of the sixth on a Mia Scott home run to lead off the inning. UT pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez put two on in the bottom of the inning thanks to some sloppy fielding behind her. A Joley Mitchell throwing error put runners at second and third with one out. Smith turned to Kavan to hopefully stop the bleeding. Instead, a sacrifice fly to center and Mitchell's second error of the inning ballooned the Tech lead to 4-1. The Longhorns put together the beginnings of a rally in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs on a Leighann Goode double and a Katie Cimusz sac fly. But it was too little too late. Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady struck out Kayden Henry to end the game. Advertisement Canady pitched her second complete game of the Championship series. In fact, Canady has thrown every pitch for the Red Raiders from the beginning of the Super Regionals on. Now there is just one decisive game for the national championship. Game 3 is a winner-take-all duel between aces Canady for Texas Tech and Kavan for Texas. First pitch will be Friday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Tech evens WCWS, sets up winner-take-all showdown with Texas Friday
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas Tech evens WCWS, sets up winner-take-all showdown vs Texas Longhorns softball Friday
Texas Tech evens WCWS, sets up winner-take-all showdown vs Texas Longhorns softball Friday Texas softball coach Mike White tried to win Game 2 of the Women's College World Series without having to use Longhorns ace pitcher Teagan Kavan. Or at least save her for a possible late save. Instead, Longhorns pitchers made key mistakes resulting in a Red Raiders win to even the final best-of-three series at 1-1. The bad omens may have started early for Texas. The game was delayed almost an hour by inclement weather. Once the game started, UT pitchers Mac Morgan and Cambria Salmon managed to work out of several jams in the first four innings. But in the fifth, Tech loaded the bases against Salmon, who then hit Alana Johnson and then threw a wild pitch to give the Red Raiders a 2-0 lead. The Horns got one back in the top of the sixth on a Mia Scott home run to lead off the inning. UT pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez put two on in the bottom of the inning thanks to some sloppy fielding behind her. A Joley Mitchell throwing error put runners at second and third with one out. Smith turned to Kavan to hopefully stop the bleeding. Instead, a sacrifice fly to center and Mitchell's second error of the inning ballooned the Tech lead to 4-1. The Longhorns put together the beginnings of a rally in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs on a Leighann Goode double and a Katie Cimusz sac fly. But it was too little too late. Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady struck out Kayden Henry to end the game. Canady pitched her second complete game of the Championship series. In fact, Canady has thrown every pitch for the Red Raiders from the beginning of the Super Regionals on. Now there is just one decisive game for the national championship. Game 3 is a winner-take-all duel between aces Canady for Texas Tech and Kavan for Texas. First pitch will be Friday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas vs Texas Tech softball lookback: How WCWS finalists fared in regular season
Texas vs Texas Tech softball lookback: How WCWS finalists fared in regular season Show Caption Hide Caption Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS It's a Lone Star State Women's College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS. When Texas and Texas Tech likely deploy ace pitchers Teagan Kavan and NiJaree Canady on June 4 for Game 1 of the national championship series, it won't be the first time either arm has faced off this season. Kavan and Canady, who have led the Longhorns and Red Raiders, respectively, to undefeated showings at the Women's College World Series this season, met early in the regular season. Texas got the best of Texas Tech in both of their meetings, coming away with a 2-1 win and an 11-0 run-rule two days later. Kavan and Canady have been paramount to their teams' success in the postseason: Kavan has allowed two runs in 17 innings at the WCWS, whereas Canady has surrendered three in 21 innings. Both programs are looking for their first national championship in program history in 2025, and their early season-matchup proved to be a preview of the title series nearly four months later. Here's a look back at Texas and Texas Tech's regular season matchups in February: Texas vs Texas Tech regular season matchups Texas and Texas Tech's first of two matchups during the regular season was quite the pitchers' duel, as the Longhorns needed nine innings to come away with a 2-1 win. Kavan and Canady both pitched complete games in the extra-innings duel on Feb. 14, with Kavan edging out Canady behind perhaps the best performance of her college career so far. Kavan tossed nine innings with a whopping 18 strikeouts, allowing one run on four hits against the Red Raiders lineup. Nine of her 18 strikeouts came against Texas Tech's 1-2-3 hitters of Mihyia Davis, Alana Johnson and Lauren Allred, who have all been huge contributors during the Red Raiders' postseason run. Canady, meanwhile, pitched eight innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits with 11 strikeouts. Texas walked off Canady and Texas Tech in the ninth inning after Joley Mitchell and Leighann Goode led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Mitchell scored the game-winning run on a fielder's choice and a throwing error later in the frame. Texas Tech took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a single by Anya German, before Texas tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning on a double from Mia Scott. Two days later on Feb. 16, Texas defeated Texas Tech 11-0 in five innings, although Canady didn't pitch in the game. Canady has pitched nearly every inning in the postseason, including every pitch from the super regionals onward. It doesn't seem like the former National Player of the Year is going to let anyone else pitch in the national championship series.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Why does Teagan Kavan wear No. 17? Texas softball ace honoring late grandmother
Why does Teagan Kavan wear No. 17? Texas softball ace honoring late grandmother Show Caption Hide Caption Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS It's a Lone Star State Women's College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS. As the Women's College World Series championship series begins June 4 in Oklahoma City, Teagan Kavan has Texas two wins away from reaching the college softball mountaintop for the first time in program history. The sophomore right-hander has once again dazzled at the WCWS, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.41 ERA in 17 innings of work while recording her fourth career save in Texas' semifinal win vs. Tennessee. That clinched the Longhorns' first back-to-back appearance in the championship series in program history. Kavan's dominance this season in Oklahoma City has also come with a heavy heart, as she has had to deal with the loss of her grandmother, who was a passionate and dedicated Longhorns fan over the last two seasons. REQUIRED READING: Teagan Kavan-Caitlin Clark connection: What to know of Texas ace, basketball star The West Des Moines, Iowa native is expected to have the start for the Longhorns in Game 1 of the WCWS championship series on June 4 at 8 p.m. ET against No. 12 Texas Tech and NiJaree Canady in Oklahoma City at Devon Park. Here's what you need to know on the meaning behind Kavan's jersey number: Why does Teagan Kavan wear No. 17 for Texas softball? Kavan wears the No. 17 on her jersey because of her late grandmother, Anna, who died before the Longhorns' WCWS game on May 31 vs. Oklahoma. Her grandmother was 97 years old. "I wear 17 for my grandma, who was born on Nov. 17, 1928. She is 97 years old, and softball is her favorite part of most days. Her love and support for me knows no bounds," Kavan said in a statement released on Texas' official X (formerly Twitter) account. "Though many miles separate us, she is with me every pitch. She doesn't miss a game, and while she sometimes gets too nervous to watch live, she will replay the recordings of my games over and over. Through the No. 17, I honor her, her love for the game, and her love for life itself." Pitching with a heavy heart on May 31 vs. the Longhorns' longtime rival, Kavan delivered perhaps one of her best outings of the season, pitching her 16th complete game of the year while striking out eight OU hitters. She only gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks. Following Texas' 4-2 win against Oklahoma — its first win against the Sooners in the WCWS — Kavan told reporters at Devon Park in Oklahoma City that there was no thought of her skipping her start. "No," Kavan said. "They told me it was my ball if I wanted it. I said, 'Yeah.' That was it." Added Kavan on ESPN to Holly Rowe after the game: "My grandma has the best seat in the house. This is where she wants me. She's rooting for us all the way, and this is where she wants us." In that same interview with Rowe, Kavan credited her teammates for being there for her and "having her back" as a way she was able to get through the start pitch by pitch. The ability to come through for her team stood out to her coach, Mike White, and several teammates. "When Teagan told us this morning, it was honestly my worst nightmare. I was scared that's what it was when she texted us this morning," said Longhorns infielder Joley Mitchell. "But she told us, the first thing she said she's good and she's ready to go today. So Teagan Kavan is my hero today."
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Teagan Kavan-Caitlin Clark connection: What to know of Texas ace, basketball star
Teagan Kavan-Caitlin Clark connection: What to know of Texas ace, basketball star Show Caption Hide Caption Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS It's a Lone Star State Women's College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS. In just two years' time, Teagan Kavan has quickly written herself into being one of the top pitchers to take the circle at the Women's College World Series. The sophomore right-hander, who has been playing with a heavy heart, has helped pitch Texas softball to back-to-back WCWS championship series while posting a 2-0 record with a 0.41 ERA in three WCWS games this season. Indeed, it is the first time in program history the Longhorns have made consecutive appearances in the best-of-three championship series. REQUIRED READING: Who's in WCWS championship series? Updated bracket, scores, schedule for NCAA softball A series win against Texas Tech would put Kavan and Texas over the hump to win their first WCWS championship trophy in program history. The last team to win its first national championship in the WCWS was Florida State, in 2018. Her successes also follow a similar path to another notable athlete with whom she has ties, someone who's from the same city in Iowa, no less: former Iowa basketball star and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Here's what you need to know about the relationship between Kavan and Clark: What is the connection between Teagan Kavan and Caitlin Clark? The Longhorns ace and 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year both hail from West Des Moines, Iowa. In an April 2 interview with D1Softball, Kavan mentioned she and Clark lived a few blocks away from each other and had some overlap in high school at Dowling Catholic. "It's very cool," Kavan told D1Softball. "We grew up really close to each other. "She took me to basketball practice my freshman year summer, and it's really cool we have that connection." Kavan, who didn't play softball at Dowling Catholic, said that she hasn't stayed in touch with Clark much since she went to Iowa. However, Kavan was appreciative of their connection, especially considering Clark's role in expanding the popularity of women's sports. "It's really cool to see ... everything she has done for women's sport," Kavan said. "I think it's fun we have this Iowa tie because there's a lot of Iowa pride and a lot of Midwest pride that comes out of both of us. I like representing our home state and we can show girls from Iowa and the Midwest that they can dream whatever dream they have and they can make it wherever they want to do." For her part, Clark has said she keeps tabs on Kavan. During the WCWS last season, Clark gave a shoutout to Kavan in a postgame interview following one of the Fever's games in the WNBA. "I had the women's college softball World Series on instead," Clark said after Indiana's win over the Washington Mystics in 2024. "There's a girl that pitches for Texas who's a freshman that actually lived a couple streets over from me growing up." Teagan Kavan high school Kavan played at Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, where she was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school playing for Iowa Premier Fastpitch. Extra Innings Softball had Kavan tied for the No. 11 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, while Perfect Game had her as the No. 5 overall prospect in its Top 50 list of 2023 recruits. Kavan committed to Texas in 2021, choosing the Longhorns over 50 other Division I programs. Teagan Kavan stats at Texas Kavan brings a 26-5 overall record and a 2.33 ERA in 192 2/3 innings of work into the WCWS championship series against Texas Tech. The 6-foot right-hander has struck out a career-high 224 batters this season, which ranks 15th in among all Division I pitchers. In Texas' WCWS semifinal win against Tennessee on Monday, Kavan scored her fourth save of the season with three scoreless innings of relief. Kavan is 2-0 in the WCWS this season, while 4-1 in six career WCWS games. Here's a game-by-game breakdown of Kavan's stats at the WCWS this year: vs. No. 3 Florida: 7 innings, 1 strikeout, 2 hits, 2 walks 7 innings, 1 strikeout, 2 hits, 2 walks vs. No. 2 Oklahoma: 7 innings, 8 strikeouts, 7 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs 7 innings, 8 strikeouts, 7 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs vs. No. 7 Tennessee: 3 innings, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
