Texas Tech, Texas Softball to Meet for World Series Title

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — An improbable clash for the World Series title between two Lone Star State softball teams begins Wednesday night.

No. 6-ranked Texas (54-11) and No. 12 Texas Tech (53-12) will square off at 7 p.m. in the opening game of a best-of-three series that will be broadcast on ESPN.

One team will walk away with its first national title.

Here’s a look at the exciting matchup:

The Longhorns have a superpower reputation in softball tournaments past. After the 2020 cancellation, Texas has not failed to reach the Super Regionals. Three World Series appearances have come in that span, with two backbreaking losses in the final to rival Oklahoma.

Attending the tournament 25 times of the 28-year club existence gives you an annual expectation that never changes, and this season was nothing short of the goal. The only real stumbles came in a series loss to Tennessee and an Oklahoma sweep during the season. Both of those losses were avenged at the World Series. 

The dominant season play set a commanding tone for them to host regionals in Austin. The powerhouse trio of Reese Atwood, Katie Stewart and Joley Mitchell hit with tournament averages of .345, .481 and .310, respectively, with four home runs each. Atwood hauling the star role with a team-leading 15 RBIs helps the offense roll. Defensively, Teagan Kavan holds an ERA of 2.33 on the season with a scorching overall record of 26-5. Texas has only shown weakness during the Super Regional series with Clemson, essentially playing with their backs against the wall all three games. Texas deadlocked in run scoring with the Tigers in that series, 17 a piece. Hiccups aside, Texas has historical momentum and the hottest offense in softball on their side.

On the other side of the diamond sits a squad hungry for respect. Very few had Texas Tech going as far as the final series, even as the Raiders were only one game from mirroring the Longhorns’ record. 

It’s hard to believe that the softball program in Lubbock is much older than the Horns’, 16 years older to be exact. In that history, however, there’s been tough love, only appearing in the regional tournament seven times and never reaching the Super Regionals. 

With demons freshly exercised, Texas Tech is looking for the fairytale ending, looking for a dragon to slay. The Longhorns will be quite the challenge with a white-hot offense, but with a perfectly balanced team the Raiders look like they may hold the line. 

Hailey Toney is hitting .381, and adding a team-leading three postseason HRs. Lauren Allred leads the way in the RBI department with nine. Alana Johnson is mastering putting the ball in play with an even .400 average. The Raiders are more than prepared to crest the summit. 

The real cornerstone of the team is NiJaree Canady, an investment worth over $1 million transferring from Stanford, where she pitched in two World Series. Canady has put batting rotations on ice with a stone cold ERA of 0.90 this season. Her impact doesn’t stop there, supplying the team with a Shohei Ohtani-like offensive supplement, matching Toney’s three home runs across tournament play. It’s safe to say that the Raiders’ historically large gamble has paid out in spades. Texas Tech has all the tools ready for a magical series. Only time will tell if the South Plains Power lives up to the name.

While a perfect neutral ground to play this series would be San Angelo, with a roughly three-hour drive in either direction, Oklahoma City will suffice. The Concho Valley may be the most divided city on this fascinating series, with a strong mix of alumni from each university. It will be hard to find a more entertaining set of softball games for the foreseeable future.