2025 WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 5, 2025

Gerry Glasco

NiJaree Canady

Mihyia Davis

Victoria Valdez

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Postgame Press Conference

Texas Tech - 4, Texas - 3

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco and players NiJaree Canady, Mihyia Davis, and Victoria Valdez.

We'll start with an opening statement from Coach Glasco.

GERRY GLASCO: First off, I've heard there was a really bad storm near campus in Lubbock. I want to be sure people back in Lubbock know we're thinking about them, we're praying for them, and keep them in our thoughts here until we learn more tonight.

As far as the game, man, this place is electric. I love this atmosphere, the crowd. It looked to me like a packed house. When everybody turned the lights on, that was really good. Then of course Military Night, I thought it was a really special night to play softball in Oklahoma City.

As far as the game, we did what we wanted to do. I thought controlling the emotion and controlling the momentum in the first two to three innings was critical. I thought we had to really be careful in that early innings and not let any momentum get in their dugout because they took plenty from last night at the end. I thought Vic throwing out the runner in the first inning was absolutely huge. That was a huge momentum breaker for them and put a little bit of momentum in our dugout.

I thought NiJa was huge. She went out there and just pitched her tail off and kept us in the position that, when we finally could make a move, we could really get that momentum in our dugout.

The early innings, it was quiet, 0-for-0 for four. I'm sitting there in the fourth, and I'm getting kind of frustrated because we left the bases loaded again. That's just you've got to tip your hat to Texas and their pitchers and then Coach White. He's a master pitch caller. And it's not an accident they're getting out of those bases-loaded dilemmas because they know where to pitch and how to pitch and how to play defense. So tip your hat to Texas.

I thought it was really good for our kids. We didn't get down about it. We didn't lose our fight. We kept fighting. We were a hard-nosed ball club. And we take great pride in that. It's something we worked really hard to become a really hard, mentally tough team.

Unless you've been through practices these girls have been through and taken the coaching that they've taken, you can't really fully appreciate it, but the girls here beside me know what I'm talking about.

So then we get all the way, I think it was the fifth inning, and we finally broke through. I believe that's the inning Raegan Jennings led off with a pinch-hit. If I'm right, she's now 10 for 20, something absolutely ridiculous. To have an All-American-type pinch hitter, or the best pinch hitter in America, either way you want to say it, that's what she is, and she's took that role for us and just relished it. Not one time has she come, Coach, I'm leading the team in hitting, I want to start. Never said a word. Does what I ask and does it with just amazing skill.

I think that was our first run, and got it us going tonight. So super proud we got the lead. They come back, tip your hat to them, Mia Scott, All-American, great player, comes right back and gets that home run and gives them a little bit of momentum.

Then we come back and score and get the lead extended back to 4-1, and those runs were huge because of what happened in the seventh. Then NiJa, to pitch the way she pitched after 14 innings and now over 200 pitches in two days -- or you could say it this way, over 200 pitches in less than 26, 27 hours. Just amazing to have the mental strength to get through that bottom of the seventh.

That was really good for us because we need those tests. Last night was a test for us, and we're growing from everything that happens to us. I told them after the game last night we learn ten times more when we lose than when we win. We learned so much last night, and I think the bottom of seventh, our fortitude and our determination and the way we reacted there at the end was a testament to the toughness they're acquiring by playing these tough battles.

Anyway, all that said, 4-3 win. Great pitching by NiJa Canady. Great clutch play by my team the last three innings. And I'm just elated for my girls. I'm just grateful, thankful to be their coach. I'm so proud to be here with them and see them doing the things they're doing.

I think I've got to mention Vic from second to home, that was some hustle for a kid that's caught 200-and-some pitches in 26 hours. She was all out. It was good.

Q. NiJa, what's going through your mind with that last batter, tying run on third, you have a chance to win the game?

NiJAREE CANADY: Yeah, just go right at her. I feel like my team, we did a really good job of scoring and getting a good lead. So just having to go right at that hitter.

Q. Mihyia, can you kind of take us through that fifth inning from the leadoff hit to then you coming home on that? Vic, can you talk a little bit about maybe blowing past Gerry's stop sign there?

MIHYIA DAVIS: The fifth inning was when she got hit with the ball? That was a big inning. You go.

GERRY GLASCO: She's upset that was a hit because the first baseman can't go to second base and field it. Even if she fields it clean, she beats it out. She was upset about that because they changed it from a hit to an error. Go ahead. Now you can relax and have fun here.

MIHYIA DAVIS: Yeah, it was a big inning. Just glad we could score off of that, yeah.

VICTORIA VALDEZ: I might have missed a sign at second, and I might have gotten in trouble for that. And then as soon as Mihyia hits and I see a ball, I have to go because I was already supposed to be at third, and I would have scored anyway, so I had to score from second. I had to turn the burners on.

GERRY GLASCO: That's what I told the coaches. I said, there's no way she's stopping at third when I told her to stop.

VICTORIA VALDEZ: I'm sorry, I've got to go.

Q. NiJa, how were you able to bear down there in that last inning when they were so close to tying it or even winning it?

NiJAREE CANADY: Again, I was just excited for my team. Like I said, last night was on me, so I have to just leave it out on the field just for them.

Q. NiJa, early on they were getting a lot of weaker contact. Was there an attempt to pitch more for contact tonight, or that just happened?

NiJAREE CANADY: No, it just happened. I'm always going to pitch my game.

Q. NiJa, what did you do last night and today to kind of reset for Game 2?

NiJAREE CANADY: Honestly, just a lot of recovery. I knew obviously last night wasn't my best game. I feel like this game wasn't my best game either. Starting off the leadoff inning obviously with a hit, and then obviously a hit batter, can't have that.

I'm still just trying to learn and get better each game.

Q. Mihyia or Victoria, what are the challenges of seeing multiple pitchers in a game like they were using, and were you guys surprised you didn't see Teagan Kavan more?

MIHYIA DAVIS: I wasn't surprised that we didn't see Teagan Kavan. I think seeing multiple pitchers in different innings is hard, but it's just something you have to adjust to.

VICTORIA VALDEZ: I think we're very well prepared to hit off different pitchers too because of the way that we practice with all our machines and stuff set up on every pitch you could imagine.

Q. NiJa, you're up to 495 pitches here in Oklahoma City. Are you ready to go tomorrow after throwing back-to-back this week?

NiJAREE CANADY: Yeah, I mean, tomorrow's the last game no matter what. Ready to leave it on the field.

Q. NiJa, did you pitch any differently because you have thrown so many pitches? I know you didn't have that many clean innings, 1, 2, 3. So could you kind of take us through the way you pitched, and did you pitch any different?

NiJAREE CANADY: No, not really. Like I said, I'm always going to play -- like throw my game, throw what I'm confident in. It's gotten me through three years. So I'm just going to keep doing that.

Q. Mihyia and Vic, a year ago, you guys were still at Louisiana with Gerry, but now you're here in a winner-take-all championship game. Can you just kind of, whatever you can, reflect on the journey to get to this point of everything that's kind of gone into the season?

MIHYIA DAVIS: Just a lot of hard work, honestly. Practicing almost every day. Even on the off days, just going in and putting the work in. Just a lot of emotions finally getting to be here.

VICTORIA VALDEZ: It's a team effort. We all want to be there for NiJa. We want to be there for each other. On an off day, you see more than one person going in, and it's not just one person getting us through everything.

Q. Gerry, how impressive was Alana's at-bat, especially knowing how effective Salmon's change-up was and continuing that before she got hit by the pitch?

GERRY GLASCO: I thought it was huge. She's had a lot of pitches there. And they'd been pitching her inside the whole game. I think she thought they would go in.

She's hard-nosed. She's a tough kid. There wasn't any way that she was going to step out of the way of that pitch. I think she earned that just by the number of pitches she got in that at-bat.

Q. I think it was in that last inning you went out and talked to NiJa after a couple runners got on. What was the message? Maybe she didn't have her best stuff tonight, but she made the pitches when she had to for you guys.

GERRY GLASCO: I went out early in the year, and I said something to her. I think I told her to throw a drop ball, they won't hit it. Throw a drop ball, guarantee they won't hit it, and they ripped a hit out to the outfield.

She's hilarious when you're one-on-one. About a week later I said something to her, I said, you know, I don't really know a whole lot about pitching, NiJa. She said, well, you come out to the circle and act like you know a whole lot about pitching right before they got that real good hit. I said, I'm not coming back out there anymore.

So I've not been going out there. There's been a couple situations here in the World Series, seventh inning, I think they need to hear my voice. Did I say anything? Not really. I think I just said we're going to win. Just reassured them we're going to win this game. We're fine. They've got runners. We're in a situation here where they would think we're at jeopardy, but we're going to finish this. We're going to win the game right here. Relax. Let's go.

I just think they need to hear me reassure them that this is going to turn out okay. It wasn't anything about pitch calls or strategy or anything.

Q. Gerry, you didn't want to use four pitchers like Mike did? What are the challenges of facing four pitchers for coaches, and were you surprised that Kavan didn't throw more against you all?

GERRY GLASCO: No. I totally thought Whitey would save her for tomorrow night. He's got that luxury with where he's at in his -- he's been at Texas now for eight or nine years. You've got a stockpile of -- and he's a top-notch pitching coach. So he gets a lot of top-notch pitchers who want to go learn from him. He's got that luxury to have pitchers that can go out there and -- Mac Morgan has been in World Series after World Series, and Gutierrez now has been in, I think, three.

It made total sense. And he's got a fresher Kavan for tomorrow night because of that.

Q. Coach, how frustrated is NiJa with her batting right now? Is there anything you guys are working on specifically?

GERRY GLASCO: I don't really know, but I did ask her, like the seventh inning, I go, hey, do you want to bat, or do you want to rest here and get ready to pitch, throw at the bottom of the seventh? She wanted to bat. I don't think she's too frustrated. She's a competitor.

The World Series, if you look, they were talking last night that was the first hit Reese had the whole World Series. It's not unusual. This isn't an easy place to hit. She's not striking out. She's putting the bat on the ball. She's hitting a hard ground ball. I'd like to see it in the air. She would too.

She's a warrior. Every time she goes up -- same thing I said about Reese. I don't care if she's 0-for-8 or 0-for-12, Reese Atwood is a dangerous hitter. If she's 0-for-10 instead of 0-for-8, she's just one more at-bat closer to getting a really good hit. The kid can play. And NiJa can play. She's one at-bat closer to getting a really good hit right now, in my opinion.

Q. You seem to be pushing the right buttons with pinch-hitters this postseason. In the fifth inning you decide to go with Raegan. I guess your thoughts on -- I know Vic's been struggling with the bat, but Raegan certainly came through to start that spark.

GERRY GLASCO: Coaches make good coaching decisions when they've got great players. I think you've just got to -- like I said, I'm pretty sure she's 10 for 20. She might be 10 for 19 or 11 for 20. The kid is an amazing pinch hitter, absolutely amazing. So it's really not a hard call on my part. My wife could tell you to do that, and my mom could tell you to do that.

What is important is Raegan goes up there and delivers, and that was a huge moment. It was just a huge moment. Alana taking a hit by pitch, that's not necessarily a big deal unless it's 0-0 in the fifth inning of the World Series with bases loaded, it's a big deal.

So everything is magnified right now. I just give all the credit to Raegan. It wasn't very hard coaching. It was pretty easy coaching.

Q. Just the opportunity in front of you tomorrow, Game 3, winner take all. How do you best describe that opportunity and maybe what it takes in a moment like what tomorrow's going to mean?

GERRY GLASCO: It's going to be good. It's going to be really fun. It's going to be a great game. The atmosphere, I think, will be electric. Both schools have great fan bases here.

Then the Oklahoma crowd's turned out. The hometown people, they haven't quit watching. They're still out here. Whitey could win his first World Series, and I could win mine. It's going to be fun for me if I get to watch him. It will be more fun if he gets to watch me, right? I'm going to enjoy it either way. I'm going to be proud of my kids either way. And he's going to be proud of his too.

I think that it's going to be a real, real good game. I think that you can expect it to be a battle. They're hard-nosed. They're tough. They're talented, extremely talented. They play the game fast, and they've got power.

I think we're going to play really hard-nosed ball tomorrow. I think my kids got some confidence tonight, and I expect the momentum to really be in our dugout at the beginning of the game tomorrow, kind of like theirs was today.

It won't matter. Somebody's got to take it, and they're going to do something during the game, whichever team wins.

Q. They made six errors in the two games against you and obviously giving up runs on a based-loaded hit by batter, and a walk and an error. Has it surprised you some of the mistakes they've made this series?

GERRY GLASCO: I think it's a World Series atmosphere. It's loud, it's intense, and a couple of them balls have been hit pretty hard. I think the dirt here is unique. I don't think it necessarily plays how it probably does at Austin.

So I think there's a reason for it. It's not because of lack of talent or lack of preparation. Texas' team is talented, and they're extremely well coached. Their defense is extremely well coached. I just think you've got to credit the environment here and the field. The playing surface is a little trickier.

Also, you've got World Series athletes, you're seeing a lot of hard-hit balls. Yeah, it doesn't -- nothing surprises me at this point. I just think we've just got to respect our opponent and play as hard as we can play and hope it comes out our way.