AUSTIN, Texas – No. 3 Texas Softball (47-11) punched its ticket to the 2026 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) with a 5-0 win vs. No. 19 Arizona State (45-18) Sunday afternoon at McCombs Field.
The Longhorns will have a chance to defend the program’s 2025 WCWS Championship – the program’s first national title. Texas has earned the program’s ninth WCWS berth, including its third-consecutive berth. Texas has made the WCWS in four of the last five seasons, advancing to the Championship Series in 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Junior RHP Teagan Kavan (25-5) went the distance and twirled a five-strikeout gem to earn the victory. Across 7.0 innings of work, Kavan allowed just five hits en route to blanking a hot Sun Devil offense. Kavan worked around two walks and manufactured two 1-2-3 innings in the third and fifth. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native stranded runners in scoring position in the second, fourth and seventh innings. Kavan helped Texas escape a bases-loaded jam in the second after inducing a ground out to junior first baseman Katie Stewart. It was Kavan’s 17th complete game and six complete game shutout of the year.
Texas went up 2-0 in the third when Stewart bashed a two out, two-run single to center field to score senior right fielder Ashton Maloney and freshman third baseman Jaycie Nichols.
The Longhorns added a third run in fifth after junior shortstop Viviana Martinez ended a 17-pitch at bat with an RBI triple down the right field line to score junior center fielder Kayden Henry for a 3-0 advantage.
Texas added insurance in the bottom of the sixth off the bat of Stewart. With two outs and the bases juiced, Stewart hammered a two-run single to right field to increase the lead to 5-0.
Kavan and the defense worked around runners at first and second with two away in the seventh. A pop-up to Nichols at third base sealed ended the ballgame.
Stewart was a spark in the Texas lineup Sunday, driving in a team-high four runs on her 2-for-4 day at the plate. Henry and Martinez joined Stewart with multi-hit performances of their own. Henry finished 2-for-3 with a run and also reached base via HBP. Martinez went 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and drew a walk. Maloney, Nichols and senior left fielder Kaiah Altemeyer added to UT’s hits tally with a base hit apiece.
Up Next
- Texas is now 17-12 (.586) all-time in NCAA Super Regional games.
- The Horns advanced to the program’s ninth WCWS, including its third-straight appearance. Texas’ streak of three-straight WCWS ties with UCLA for longest active streak.
- Texas has earned a WCWS berth four times under head coach Mike White.
- Texas is 3-2 in NCAA Super Regional Game 3’s under head coach Mike White.
- Teagan Kavan tossed her sixth complete game shutout of the season. It was Kavan’s 17th complete game.
- Kavan twirled her seventh career shutout in an NCAA Tournament game, which ties with Texas Tech’s Nijaree Canady for the most amongst active players.
- Kayden Henry extended her reached base streak to 11-consecutive games.
- Ashton Maloney has reached base in eight-straight games and has recorded a hit in five-consecutive contests.
- The Longhorns improved to 24-0 when leading after six innings.
- Texas finishes 24-7 at home this season.
Up Next
Texas opens the WCWS vs. Tennessee at 1:30 p.m. CT Thursday, May 28, at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. The game will broadcast on ESPN.
