2025 WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 2, 2025

Gerry Glasco

Demi Elder

Mihyia Davis

Lauren Allred

NiJaree Canady

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Postgame Press Conference

Texas Tech - 3, Oklahoma - 2

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Texas Tech.

GERRY GLASCO: I guess first thing, tip of the hat to Oklahoma. As everybody in this room knows, what they've done is historic, legendary. When I was a kid, we grew up talking about John Wooden and UCLA basketball. And I still think of John Wooden and UCLA basketball when I think of college basketball.

That's what Patty Gasso has done and what Oklahoma has done. Great champions. I just want to be sure that I compliment them. And what an honor to get to play them in the last game of the winners' bracket to get to the finals. Just a privilege and opportunity for my kids to play against a team that well coached, that talented and just what Oklahoma is.

What a great opportunity, great privilege to be on the field with them on, with a coaching staff like that, is an honor. I want to be sure that I give them every bit of credit I can, and I still can't give them enough. They deserve more than I can.

As far as the game, I thought it was a great game. I thought NiJa threw a gem of a game. It haunts me we left a runner twice at third with one out. As an offensive coach, I thought, man, this game, we're not winning this game 2-0 because you can't make -- when that happens, you know the game will pay you back at some point.

So I really thought in my head, I kept thinking, they're going to tie it 2-2 at some point. I just felt that way. And I wish we could have put one or two more runs up there and give NiJa just a little more leeway. You go to the top of the seventh, get to the 9-hole, one ball, two strike count, and she hit it out and tied it up 2-2.

It didn't surprise me at all. Like in my gut you feel that kind of thing happening when it happens. And so I was already mentally prepared. We come in, I think I said to the kids: We didn't want it to be easy. We don't want it to be easy. It's Oklahoma. You knew it wasn't going to be easy. Let's go to work right here, win this right here in the bottom of the seventh.

I think it's very similar to me, the game felt like Oklahoma last year when I was at Louisiana, we had them 4-2, I believe. They tied it 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh. We were the visiting team. We were able to come back, I think, and win it in the eighth inning, immediately respond.

I think that's the thing I was most proud of my kids tonight, I told the girls walking over here, we're lucky they tied it 2-2. Made us better. Gave us the opportunity to win a game in a different way than we've won the game in the whole tournament. It forced us to grow up a little more, mature a little more, learn more about ourselves and learn that we can come through like that under pressure in that bottom of the seventh.

As far as coaching standpoint, I was proud they tied it 2-2. Although I'd be lying if I didn't want to win 2-0. But it didn't surprise me.

I thought NiJa was phenomenal. Our defense has been another night with no errors. When you've got freshmen on the infield at third and short, that's phenomenal we kept putting up errorless games. And Hunter Veatch, he's amazing. Absolutely an amazing your coach. I had him last year at Louisiana.

What he's done with the defense this year, if you go back to our fielding percentage, after 20 games it's probably like .952, .953, and you get into Big 12 Conference play and he goes to .985 the rest of the year.

He did the exact same thing last year at Louisiana. Not an accident. Took us last year to the first 15 games, .950, .955, then we just became a really good defensive club down the stretch the same way.

I want to give credit to Tara on a pitch call with NiJa. The way they've worked together not just today but all year, amazing, and in a situation where there's a lot of pressure when you've got a talented, well-known National Player of the Year-type player.

And she's got to go through changes with the coaching staff halfway through her college career. She's been amazing to work with. She's accepted everything. I want to give both those coaches, defense and pitching, a lot of credit in our success this week and this year.

My offense, really good. Demi, that was huge, to get us going and get that hit. And I think we've been playing for Demi and Alexa. I think that's what I've been using to motivate the team is play for the two seniors, extend their career, particularly get Demi and Alexa to the World Series.

The younger kids, the juniors, sophomore, freshmen, they've got a chance to do it again next year. But the seniors, this is our chance. It's been our motto all year our chance forever. We can leave a legacy at Texas Tech that would be remembered forever in the minds of the people that are able to watch this ballclub.

And I think that we've done that. I think our team, they've left a legacy that will be remembered forever among sports fans that have been able to watch us this year.

Q. Lauren, walk us through that at-bat and obviously the moment facing a former teammate in Sam, just walk us through the at-bat and that moment and then Mihyia sliding into home to win it?

LAUREN ALLRED: Sam is a great pitcher. Going against her, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, especially with the history we have playing with each other.

And going up to my bat, Coach Hunter always says doing something really hard really well is really fun. It reminded me to have fun and just go up there with confidence and trust in all the preparation and training that I had. And I knew Mihyia Davis was probably one of the fastest players in the country, would make something happen as long as I got the ball in play.

Q. Demi, you're one of the few returners on the Texas Tech squad and a team that was in the first four out in last tournament. And you played a big piece tonight. What have the last 13 months been leading up to tonight?

DEMI ELDER: I think at first I really didn't know what to think of it. I didn't really know how I would fit in or do anything. But when I was talking to Coach Glasco when he first got hired, he said let's do it. And I said okay. And I decided to hop on his wagon, and we've been truckin' it ever since.

Q. NiJaree and Lauren, there have been a lot of great teams and players that haven't been able to beat that team in this setting. What is it about you guys that gave you the ability mentally to come back and beat them at the end of the game?

NIJAREE CANADY: Part is we just play for each other. Honestly, I think people doubted us didn't think we'd get to this point. I think we just didn't have any pressure on us. Just wanted to go out, play softball and play our game.

LAUREN ALLRED: I agree with that. We did something in the beginning of the season, in the fall, we chose a word that we wanted to play by. One of the big words that was chosen was selfless.

So I think we've been playing selfless and playing for each other, and that's helped us get through all the tough games.

Q. NiJaree, I know you throw really hard, but your change-up was incredible. Was that really the pitch for you that got you through that and everything?

NIJAREE CANADY: I feel like it was decent. Obviously the last one wasn't as planned. But I felt like just being able to keep hitters off balance, throw something low in the zone really helps.

Q. Mihyia and Lauren, could you reflect on the decision to follow Glasco and how this has all panned out for you all?

MIHYIA DAVIS: I knew when Coach Glasco was leaving that I was going with him. Just simply the fact I trust him. I knew he was going to do something big.

LAUREN ALLRED: I have to agree with that because getting recruited out of high school, there wasn't as much interest as some other players would have. But Coach Glasco always had faith in me, and I knew that he helped me get to the position I was going to be in, and I wanted to stay by him no matter what.

Q. Demi, you've been with this team through the ups and downs the last four years. You've stuck through it, what does this moment, this journey, mean to you with the group you have knowing all well, hey, you stuck it out and you're reaping your reward of not leaving and staying with this group?

DEMI ELDER: I wouldn't have it any other way. I seriously, like, wouldn't change anything. Obviously there's been a lot of ups and downs in my career, but this feeling, the feeling tonight when we walked it off, it was everything. Wouldn't change it for the world.

Q. Demi, I'm hoping you can answer this, and also Lauren, those final moments, put us in the arena. We obviously watched you guys in it, but what did it sound like? What did it feel like? You were in the dugout, Demi; you were on the field, Lauren. Put us in that moment for you two.

DEMI ELDER: Honestly, I couldn't even, like, hear the arena. We had just put all our faith in Lauren or any other teammate who went up to that plate. I knew one of our teammates was going to get it done we were going to win that game.

I think a lot of people were against us in that arena, but there was a lot of people with us, and we wanted to win that game. So I think that just is what helped us.

LAUREN ALLRED: I truthfully didn't hear anything at all. Whenever it happened, I was so worried and caught up in the moment and just focusing on Mihyia tagging up and seeing if she was going to slide in safe. I didn't hear any of the crowd or anything else happening.

Q. When you put this team together at the beginning of the year and then you get Canady to come in, at that point did you feel you had this kind of team?

GERRY GLASCO: I did. I thought when she came to campus, when NiJaree came to campus, I thought I had a team that could go to the World Series. I had to believe that. Maybe I psyched myself into believing it. I felt it was imperative that I believed in the product that I was trying to sell her.

But I also -- I think one of the reasons that -- I think one of the reasons I was able to end up with NiJa, I kept telling her, you know, things like how good a coach Coach Allister was. When you get here, you'll find out Coach Allister is a lot smarter coach than I am. She's a brilliant coach.

And even on the visit, if you go back to Stanford, I don't have any problem losing this recruiting battle. If you choose to go back to Stanford, that would be a good decision, a really smart decision.

But I didn't want to lose her to anybody else. And I think that I gained her trust to some degree because the lineup, I told her, I said, we've got a lot of work to do. We won't be ready to go to the World Series when the season starts, but this team will score 360 runs. We will give you the run production, and by the end of the year we'll be tough enough to go to the World Series. We're good enough on paper, but we're not going to be mentally tough enough until the end of the season. But if you'll lead and you buy in and your leadership, we will be good enough by the end of the season.

And I did believe that. But it took a lot of work. We weren't real good at the beginning of the season if you go back, watch our games, we just lost. We were 0-0 to Mississippi State, and we lost. 1-1 against Texas and lost late in the game. That's the difference between then and now. We now know how to finish a game, and we're mentally tough enough to finish a game.

So I believe this team could have the potential to get where we're at.

Q. You are now 34-1 when you score first. Is that a mentality you guys try to attack early and then let NiJa do her thing, hopefully tack on a run or two? What's your thought process to get to an early lead and go from there?

GERRY GLASCO: One of the things we talk about is being the best come-from-behind team in America. We get behind, let's get excited about it because it's an opportunity to practice being behind and coming from behind. And I take great pride in that.

But I think it's a product of when we do score first, NiJa is a warrior. If you look at that record, probably a lot of those games is when she's pitching. If you give her a lead, she's hard to overcome.

If we can get that lead, especially if we can get the lead in the first inning, it's a ridiculous record. I think anytime you get a lead, it relaxes our ball team.

One of the problems we had earlier in the year, I think we tried too hard for NiJa. We tried too hard. Every player was going to home plate trying for themself.

Once I figured that out and I started relentlessly preaching about play for Demi, Alexa, a senior, be motivated to play for another person, not for yourself. Doesn't matter if you're 3-3. We don't care if we go 0-for-3 as long as our teammates bat .450 or .500.

And once they got that concept, bought into it, felt it working, that's when we became a lot more dangerous team. But definitely having the lead makes everyone relax.

Q. Knowing Mihyia's speed, were you're going to send her on anything up in the air?

GERRY GLASCO: Mihyia's fast. She thought it was too shallow to tag. If you watch that, she started to go down the line. She thought it was too shallow. I go, no, no, tag.

I stand -- because we're thinking ground ball-go, fly ball-tag. I tell the player think ground ball, think ground ball; I'll be waiting for you at the front of the circle, and I'll remind you if it's a fly ball.

I was at the line a few steps. I can't believe she doesn't tag, she's so quick. When I said no, no, tag, I think she left, I think, a little bit late, if you watch the film. I'm guessing she left a little bit late. She's so quick I knew she'd make it.

A lot of times the outfielders think it's that shallow, they don't expect her to go. We did it earlier. I think it was at Florida State. I think the left fielder never dreamed she was going to go on that ball. And she's gone.

It's a very special player, very special talent. And I think she was 0-for-8, the last at-bat. And it was a matter of I tried to make her mad earlier, I pinch-hit for her. I was trying to make her mad. She didn't say a word. She just didn't say one word, but I know it bothered her.

I was trying to like make her mad to get that -- better to be mad than feel sorry for yourself. And at the last inning, when she come up, that was a perfect situation for her because she just wanted to win for her team. It wasn't about whether she was 0-for-8 or 0-for-80 or 7-for-8, she had to get on base for our team. And that's when she's her very best and her most dangerous.

Q. Take me through Sam Landry at the end of the game. You're embracing with her. What was exactly said in that moment to her?

GERRY GLASCO: At the end? I love you. Like, I'm sorry. I wish her career -- I hated that we had to play today. I just hated it. I would have rather her finished her career against anybody besides me. And I would have rather played anybody than her to go to the championship. But we don't control that.

And I love you. You were fantastic tonight. You were great. I've enjoyed watching her all year. Mainly I love you.

Q. I know this literally just happened ten minutes ago, but I'm wondering as you think about what you just witnessed your team do, the moments you experience, do you think there will be a few things that will stand out in your mind's eye in another year, 10 years when you think about tonight?

GERRY GLASCO: Absolutely. I think it will take us until summer to digest everything about this, and I think it's a type of experience that a year from now you'll become aware of something that you didn't realize.

It's just been a really magical season the way everything has unfolded and the way we've improved down the stretch.

And there's no doubt that as you reflect on it and go in future months, maybe a year from now, things will occur to you that never occurred to you before.

The night of the drawing, Tara said, if we get to the 12th seed you know we'll go to the World Series. I bet we get the 12th seed. Sure enough it comes up on TV. She said, I told you. We're going to the World Series. We got the 12 seed, which was Geri Ann's number. And we go to Arizona and we check in the room, and I go to my room and I realize I'm in Room 112. And it's a huge hotel.

Things like that happened after she's been with us on this journey. And you know, tonight I thought to myself, like, if Sam goes and I don't go, it's still good.

And Geri Ann would have been thrilled with Sam going, and I'm sure she's thrilled with me going.

Same way now, when I play Coach White, if Geri Ann could talk to you, she'd be just as happy if Coach White wins the national championship as her dad. She loved Coach White. It's just things that happen like that, and it's going to take me a while to digest to know what I really think, probably.

Q. You were talking about Oklahoma's UCLA basketball and Patty is John Wooden. What does it say about NiJa and your team that you were the ones to finally take out Oklahoma here in Oklahoma City?

GERRY GLASCO: I think it just speaks volumes, not only about what kind of a great pitcher NiJa Canady is, she's obviously a great pitcher, but her leadership. Her leadership here has been unbelievable.

And I can remember one of the things I kept telling her. Hey, if you come to Texas Tech and you take us to the World Series, your market value as advertisements and your shelf life will be seven, eight times more than if you went to a blue blood like a UCLA, Alabama, Tennessee or Oklahoma. But if you come here you take this team to the World Series, your market value, if you're interested in NIL and market value, there's no comparison.

Her agent totally bought in with that. He kept saying, You're right, Coach. You're right. NiJa, Coach is right about that. She embraced that.

That was one of the things I think she was really attracted to, like not just taking the easy road. And it shows every day, the way she practices and the way she competes in practice, especially in batting practice and hitting, it's infectious to the other players on the team and the roster.