Good article in American Statesman today about Teagan:
Osterman’s pupil Kavan saved UT softball
COMMENTARY
If the Texas Longhorns make it to Oklahoma City, they will recall the night Teagan Kavan saved their season.
One night after Clemson gave her major problems and pushed the Longhorns to the brink of NCAA elimination, Kavan turned the page and shut down a highly confident Clemson offense in a win-or-stay-home classic Friday night in their Game 2 super regional at McCombs Field.
Friday’s 7-5 win took 10 innings, but it was well worth the wait after Texas stared down the barrel of elimination one weekend short of the Women’s College World Series.
Texas was about to be forced to stay home for that in the bottom of the eighth inning after Clemson’s Marian Collins and Taylor Pipkins greeted Kavan with singles and a wild pitch moved them to second and third. The reality set in among the1,546 fans at McCombs that a base hit or even a deep enough fly ball would end the home team’s season.
Unfazed, the Longhorns’ sophomore lefty struck out Kylee Johnson, retied Jamison Brockenbrough on a lineout and then ended the threat by getting Alex Brown — Clemson’s best player — on a comebacker. Kavan has pitched in the WCWS before, but this was her finest moment as a Longhorn. She pitched 5 2/ 3 innings of shutout ball and struck out seven, one night after she fanned only two.
Kavan’s drop ball was falling off the table and the Tigers couldn’t touch it.
“Gutsy,” UT coach Mike White said to describe her performance. “That’s Texas fight right there. She was able to corral the energy, especially after (Game 1). That tells me a lot right there about this kid and the growth that’s she’s experiencing, just even from yesterday to today.”
Kavan got a hearty hug from Longhorns icon Cat Osterman outside the locker room. Osterman’s encouragement and guidance over the years has helped many a young Texas pitcher and she wore the look of a proud aunt while visiting with Kavan and Leighann Goode, an all-around hero who hit a two-run homer in the second andhelped quell what could have been a massive fourth inning for Clemson with a diving stab of a Pipkins line drive at shortstop. Reese Atwood hit a solo homer. And don’t forget nine-hole hitter Kaydee Bennett’s sacrifice fly that brought home the eventual winning run.
“You’ve got to get us back to Oklahoma City,” Osterman told Teagan. She’s been mentoring UT pitchers for the 19 years since she pitched her last college game. She says that aside from Kavan’s family, she’s Teagan’s biggest fan.
“It’s huge obviously with what she’s done for Texas,”Kavan said. “Having her on our side, we’ve got the best on our side. She’s always there for us to talk. She’s been through it all and it’s been a big benefit for all of us.”
The Horns (50-12) just won 50 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history and are still breathing because they got contributions from all over, from Goode’s early two-run homer to her big defensive play to left fielder Katie Stewart, who played Julia Knowler’s drive off the wall in the seventh and delivered a perfect throw to second base to prevent a leadoff double.
With that said, their All-America pitcher got top billing because she returned to form when the team needed it most.
Kavan became the first freshman to throw a complete game shutout at the WCWS when she one-hit Stanford last year, but given the stakes at play Friday, that amazing debut will have to move over and make room for Friday, May 23, 2025 on her personal highlights list.
“This is probably her best,” said Osterman, arguably the most decorated pitcher in the sport’s history. “She’s had big performances before, but this may be the most clutch performance she’s had. This was a moment when you look inside and say, “I’ve got to get this done someway, somehow.”
It says something about Kavan’s resilience that it came one day after she didn’t have her best stuff, particularly against Brown, who had three hits against her in the opener but was held hitless in two at-bats Friday. Kavan showed her mettle. She reached within and delivered the goods when anything less could have ended her team’s season.
“It’s a new day,” she said. “Brown had my number yesterday, but inside my head I was thinking, ‘Not today.’”