The Longhorns pitcher achieved something no player has ever done as Texas won its second straight national championship.
It was like the climax of a superhero story. The Texas Longhorns had retaken the lead, and out from the shadows of the bullpen arose their ace, looking to nail the opposition, seal victory for her team, and cement herself with glory only bestowed in true displays of greatness.
Texas Tech let out a collective gulp as Teagan Kavan stepped onto the field in the bottom of the sixth inning, needing just six outs to make the Longhorns national champions over the Red Raiders for the second year in a row.
Kavan held a slim lead in what's been an offense-heavy season, but it was plenty enough. She struck out five of the six batters she faced en route to a 4-1 win in Game 2 of the Women's College World Series finals.
The Longhorns ace became the first player ever to win multiple Most Outstanding Player awards at the WCWS. Even more, she claimed her status as an icon in the sport.
Kavan, the second-team All-American from Iowa, pitched 33.1 innings in Oklahoma City this season. She struck out 30 batters and allowed just seven earned runs. She rose to the occasion, unlike any player in the tournament, just like she did a year ago.
The records are plentiful, but the true sign of her impact was reflected from the respective sides in the postgame press conference.
Texas coach Mike White was asked if Kavan, by now, can be considered one of the best pitchers collegiate softball has ever seen.
"You’d have to say yes on that, and she does it in a different way," he said. "Sometimes you go — you could be so much better. Sometimes, she rises to the level of competition, that’s what she does."
With Texas in position after taking the lead 2-1 on a tough play in the infield by Texas Tech and a throwing error, Kavan jogged out to the bullpen as starter Citlaly Gutierrez held it down in the circle. Kavan was less than 24 hours removed from throwing 115 pitches in a three-hit complete game.
"It’s kind of crazy to say that, but today when she came in and she smelled the win, she was not giving that up. She was a killer," White said about Thursday's outing.
"She was an assassin out there on the mound today and just really didn’t give them an opportunity to come in, and shut the door so hard. You’ve got to take your hat off to a kid like that who can do that in this situation in those moments, with that many fans watching you and all that pressure, she felt no pressure. She just wanted to do it for her team."
White was joined by Kavan and a quartet of Longhorns at the podium. Each player was eager to share stories of Kavan's brilliance and character.
"She’s unbeatable when she is here at the World Series," senior catcher Reese Atwood said. "She goes out there, and she throws her absolute best games in the hardest moments to do so. I’m just incredibly proud of her and what she’s been able to accomplish. She’s just been so outstanding for our team."
Throughout the season, Kavan fell short of generating the same national attention as her peers, like Nebraska's Jordy Frahm, Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens or Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady. She went through each of them to win a national title.
Tech coach Glasco also offered a tip of the cap. Like White said, there's nothing more you can do.
"Teagan Kavan was outstanding," Glasco said. "I thought the way White used her tonight, it was such a great coaching job by Coach White to do what he did. And once he got the lead, he brought her in, and she was lights out. She threw all rise balls to everybody except for the last two hitters; she switched on Mia [Williams] and Mihyia [Davis]. She came in and threw riseballs, and nobody could get above her ball. It was moving so well.
"One of the elite talented pitchers, and every once in a while, I felt like, especially early in the middle of the year, maybe, she wasn’t getting the respect she probably deserved. In the postseason, she steps up so big every year. Again, if you know softball, you know how rare and special a talent she is."
And the twist? This is just the sequel in what could be a trilogy of championship-winning appearances in OKC. While Frahm, Pickens and Canady will all take their talents to the AUSL pro league, Kavan will back back with the Longhorns in the fall for her senior season in Austin.
She'll try to reach her fourth straight WCWS and end her career as one of the greatest players of all time.
If she isn't already.
