Texas softball coach Mike White shares his Longhorns' starting pitcher thoughts for Game 1
OKLAHOMA CITY — Mike White can’t wait for tonight’s first pitch.
And Longhorn Nation can’t wait to see who actually throws that first pitch to begin this best-of-three Women’s College World Series championship series against Oklahoma at 7 p.m. at Devon Park.
Does Texas go with true freshman Teagan Kavan, White's ace for most of the season who's pitching lights out and has thrown back-to-back one-hit shutouts here?
Or does he roll with junior veteran Mac Morgan, a workhorse who also threw a one-hitter in a 10-0 win over Florida as well as a near perfect regional game against Siena?
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Or could he roll the dice and use sophomore Citlaly Gutierrez, who served as Texas' No. 2 pitcher all year and started in one win and one loss against OU in the regular season?
White even joked Tuesday that he might resort to “rock, paper or scissors” to pick a starter.
Late Wednesday morning, White texted me that he will go with “Mac or Teagan” in the opener.
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You think Texas has a tough choice to make? Look at OU.
Oklahoma’s Patty Gasso has an even tougher decision. She has to decide whether to rest her ace Kelly Maxwell (22-2) after her 148-pitch, complete-game victory over the Gators on Tuesday to clinch a spot in these finals for the fourth straight year.
Gasso might give Maxwell a day off to recover since neither team can lose the Series on Wednesday, but the OU coach also might be reluctant to throw her top pitcher four consecutive days. She went with No. 2 pitcher Nicole May in a gamble in Monday's semifinal, a choice she admitted “backfired” when May lasted only two innings in a 9-3 loss to Florida.
Oklahoma enjoys the benefits of playing near home
White recognizes OU has a mega-advantage in the stands and expects the sellout crowd to boost the Sooners, who are seeking their unprecedented fourth straight crown but have been more vulnerable this season with seven losses.
“I like that we will be the home team for the first game and the if-necessary (third) game, meaning we will have the last at-bat,” White told the Statesman. “Obviously OU fans will outnumber us 10-1, but we have played in plenty of tough environments.”
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The familiarity with each other limits the surprise element since Texas and Oklahoma have met four times this season and split those games.
“We both know each other very well, so there are no secrets,” White said. “They have the older, more experienced team, but it really comes down to performing at your best when your best is needed.”
White and the Longhorns spent the morning doing interviews with ESPN and then headed off to batting practice for an hour. Then, they planned to return to their team hotel to rest and relax before heading to the park, where they have dominated with three straight shutout wins.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas softball coach Mike White reveals his Game 1 WCWS pitching plan
