Texas softball keeps Big 12 title hopes alive with win over Iowa State, but it wasn't easy.
Thomas Jones
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte watched most of Friday’s softball game against Iowa State from the home bullpen, looking cool and comfortable in one of his trademark tailored suits despite the sticky spring night.
And why wouldn’t he be relaxed watching Texas softball? The Longhorns are ranked atop every national poll even if they’re a game back of mighty Oklahoma in the Big 12 standings, and they have a good chance of winning the 12th Big 12 title this school year for Texas athletics.
And even though Del Conte wouldn’t mention such championship aspirations to any of Texas’ coaches, softball skipper Mike White knows that the boss would love nothing more than bid farewell to the Big 12 before joining the SEC with as many conference trophies as possible.
“He hasn't personally mentioned it, but I know he's a winner and he likes to win,” White said. “So, I'm sure it's on his mind. And, really, it's the elephant in the room. I mean, it's there, right? It's an opportunity for us to kind of leave the conference with a title. But right now, we've just got to keep playing through the process.”
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Big 12 regular-season title up for grabs
The process worked again in a hard-fought 5-2 win over the scrappy Cyclones. Texas (40-6, 18-4 Big 12) has now won 11 consecutive games and a program-record 18 conference contests. This year’s team had been tied with the 2002 squad for the most conference wins in a single season at 17.
But Texas will need a few more wins if it hopes to catch Oklahoma, which has won 11 consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles as well as three consecutive national championships. The Longhorns entered this weekend trailing OU by one game in the Big 12 standings, and they’re one game ahead of Oklahoma State. If Texas sweeps Iowa State this weekend and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State take care of business against Central Florida and Kansas, respectively, the regular season will come down to the final series next weekend.
Texas visits struggling Texas Tech next week while the Sooners and Oklahoma State engage in one final round of their Bedlam series before OU and the Longhorns leave the Big 12 for the SEC. If Texas shares the regular-season title with OU, the Longhorns will enter the Big 12 Tournament May 8-11 in Oklahoma City as the top seed since the Longhorns beat Oklahoma in their season series.
However, if Oklahoma State ties Texas in the standings, the Cowgirls will get the tiebreaker because they won the season series with Texas. If all three teams finished tied atop the Big 12 standings and share the conference title, then the league will use run differentials in conference games to determine the seedings.
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Freshmen Katie Stewart, Teagan Kavan key win
But such big-picture consequences won’t matter if the Longhorns don’t take care of business in their remaining five conference games. Even the team’s youngest players understand that coaching mantra.
“Coach White always just kind of mentions that we need to play for us and be who we are and not really be worrying about everyone else is doing,” freshman Katie Stewart said. “So, he kind of is talking about one game at a time and working from there. And if it (a conference title) comes, well, great.”
Stewart did her part against Iowa State, driving in three runs while going 3-for-3 at the plate with a line-drive of a homer that roared over the left-field wall. Mia Scott added a solo home and Vivi Martinez drive in another run.
That production helped freshman pitcher Teagan Kavan earn her 14th win over the season, although it didn’t come easy. Iowa State loaded the bases and brought the leading run to the plate with two outs in the top of the sixth, but Kavan fired her eighth strikeout of the game past a swinging Camille Marin to escape the jam.
“It's scary to be one swing away with the wind blowing out from them taking the lead,” White said.
Did White think about taking Kavan out of the game before her final strikeout?
“She's got to work through that stuff,” he said. “She was pretty dominant early on and doing a great job, but she can’t push the help button all the time. I liked the way she got that last out.”
Mac Morgan came on to close the game in the seventh and pick up her third save in the past month.
Texas and Iowa State are scheduled to play the second game of their series Saturday before closing it out Sunday. However, Sunday’s dodgy weather forecast may lead to a doubleheader on Saturday, although Texas officials did not confirm the schedule shift immediately after the game.