2025 WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 3, 2025

Mike White

Teagan Kavan

Joley Mitchell

Texas Longhorns

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Texas head coach Mike White and players Teagan Kavan and Joley Mitchell.

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

MIKE WHITE: I'd like to thank the organizing committee, the NCAA, and all the people that put on the tournament. Obviously the Regionals, Super Regionals. There's been a lot of exciting games played throughout the country, and the level of softball has been outstanding.

Congratulations to all the teams that made the College World Series, and we're just super proud to be one of the last two teams standing and looking forward to a great Championship Series.

Q. Can you, I guess, go in depth with your relationship with Coach Glasco and what it means to have both of you playing for a National Championship? He mentioned last night his daughter would probably be happy with whoever won a championship this week.

MIKE WHITE: Absolutely. It's been a good relationship with Gerry. He's been a softball stalwart, so to speak. He's been a big proponent of the game and loves it, loves the energy from it. I can't imagine him doing anything else but softball.

I was blessed to be able to coach his daughter Geri Ann Glasco at Oregon for a couple of years. And what a special person she was, not only as a player but as a person. She was a proponent of softball and just promoted it everywhere she went.

Kids loved her. She had that great smile and demeanor about her. And we always had a fun time in the bullpen with her as well, joking to her about the trenches she used to leave with the drag foot.

Some great times, and she was also a special hitter as well. I just loved coaching her. It was certainly a very sad day when that tragic thing happened.

Q. Teagan, what do you remember about the game when you played Tech earlier in the year that you guys won 2-1? What was working for you against the Tech lineup? What do you recall from that game? Joley, what do you recall going against NiJa in that game in last year's World Series?

TEAGAN KAVAN: It was a tough game, long. I think it was nine innings. It was fun to play it on our field under the lights. It was a good way to start the year. I think we're both different teams now.

So I'll look back on it, but I'm sure scouts have changed a little bit. It was definitely fun to look back on, and it was a good performance by us and good to get the win out of that one.

It's fun. I mixed pitches well. I think that's what was working the most, just mixing everything.

JOLEY MITCHELL: I would just say we need to be a little bit more disciplined. I think sometimes we get ahead of ourselves. Personally myself, I wasn't very disciplined that game. Just going back and watching a little bit of film, it was a dogfight, so it's going to be a dogfight this week too.

Just sticking within ourselves, just being disciplined, being on time.

Q. Joley, does it give you an advantage that you all beat NiJa here last year and also in the regular season this year?

JOLEY MITCHELL: I'm not going to say yes or no. I just think that games can change, things can be different, especially last year coming into this year. I'm sure NiJa is just a different pitcher. We just have to focus on what's in front of us, take it one pitch at a time.

Q. For both players, where did you guys watch the OU game? What was your reaction to it? And also, how exciting is it to be part of an all-Texas matchup for the championship?

JOLEY MITCHELL: I was watching the game last night with my parents, and so it was pretty exciting. It was just kind of like what's happening? Yeah, it was really exciting, and it was a really great game to watch. I said it was probably the most entertaining game I'd watched all week.

What was your second question?

Q. How exciting is it to be part of an all-Texas matchup?

JOLEY MITCHELL: I think it's really awesome. I'm glad to be a part of it just in general, but I do think it's pretty awesome we're going to bring back a National Championship to the state of Texas no matter who it is. It's exciting for the sport as well, and I'm happy for both teams to be in it.

TEAGAN KAVAN: I was also with my family and a few teammates and their families at a restaurant in Bricktown. It was really fun, fun game. Definitely was a lot of shocked people in the restaurant, including myself, in that last inning.

It was fun. Like she said, it was a really entertaining game.

I think it's super cool to be a part of the trophy coming back to Texas no matter what. I think what's even cooler about it is it's going to be someone's first. I think that's the most special part.

Q. Mike, you've worked with a lot of great pitchers, and I think sometimes we forget that Teagan is only a sophomore. How has she grown from this time last year till now?

MIKE WHITE: I think that she reflects back on how she can get better, the experiences that she's had, and some of the struggles, to tell you the truth. She's always wanting to get better, and that's what pushes the great ones.

She's proven that she's got the mental toughness. She came in in some super tough -- Super Regional, super tough situations, especially against Clemson on second and third and none out and be able to work out of that with some great pitching, determination.

Especially after some struggles she went through, but sometimes that can make you tougher, and it's made her tougher. Just being in this situation now, she's pitching at her best. I think she's looking forward to leading this team to hopefully a Championship Series.

Q. You guys both joined this program before last season, and there's been a lot of talk with this group about the desire this year and wanting to get over that hump, and Oklahoma was one of those humps. You're back in this Championship Series. The growth of this program and the group of players in that time, from when you showed up to campus till now, where do you think this group has grown to be in this spot now?

TEAGAN KAVAN: I think we just keep getting better day after day. I think Coach White always said bend but never break, and I think that's been us all season. We've just gotten better through adversity.

Just leaning into each other. From when I got here, the team was really close, but to now, I think the team is even closer. I think we just keep getting tighter, closer with each other. These are my best friends out here. I wouldn't want to be out there with anybody else. We just keep getting tighter, and we just keep getting better day after day, and I think that's what's made the difference.

JOLEY MITCHELL: I think the biggest change, from last year to this year, it is very different. But I even think within the last month, it's just been insane to see how we've changed.

We love each other a lot, and I think just naturally we're all strong competitors. We were talking about it earlier that I think we enjoy going out there and competing and dominating other people together. It's kind of like our little bonding thing. Outside of this, we love each other too.

Yeah, I do think that OU was kind of like the moment where we said, hey, if we're going to win this thing, we have to turn it around. Everybody this postseason has played a huge part. You look back, and Leighann had a great postseason. KB got us the run in against Clemson. Everybody is contributing the best that they can. I think we've had a really great attitude going into this week as well.

Q. Question for Teagan and then for Mike. Coach, you guys have been knocking on the door in recent years. How much have those experiences helped and prepared you for this moment? Then, Teagan, you've had some battles with NiJa over the last couple of years. What's it like when you're pitching -- or facing off against an opposing pitcher like that?

TEAGAN KAVAN: You can't ignore that obviously she's going to hold offenses off quite a bit. So it's always in the back of your mind. I think I just try to take it, and it's obviously fun. I think it's a challenge when it's a pitchers duel. It's fun to compete in those atmospheres against the best.

I don't know, it's just fun. It's fun to play against the best and be a part of it. I'm excited for us, and I'm excited for our offense. I think last year it was different. This year it's different.

I think it's in the back of your mind obviously that you're facing her and you're going to have to -- it's going to be a challenge for our offense, but it goes both ways, I think.

MIKE WHITE: Obviously we have 16 players that are back from last year and a few from the previous time before that. We're hoping we can use that experience. We talk about the fact that, if you had an opportunity to tell yourself what it would mean to be in that position right now, what would you say? They have that opportunity right now.

I think it's just to be together, work really hard, and play the best softball we can. The game's not going to know we've been here before. It's going to roll with the team that plays the best, takes the most of the opportunities, and that's what we have to do.

Q. Coach White, what has impressed you the most, outside of NiJa, about this Texas Tech team to get to this point in the season?

MIKE WHITE: Gerry Glasco's cunningness. He's savvy as a fox. He's been in the game a long time, coached a lot of different places. His enthusiasm and joy for the game is great.

But also they have a lot of talent on their program too. He's brought over a lot of players who have experience from Louisiana as well.

They have the blend of speed and power. Maybe not as much power as some teams, but you don't have to when you're throwing a 0.84 E.R.A. out the door to the other team. They've got a good blend of determination and spirit, which comes from Gerry.

Q. Joley, you've seen NiJa a lot, and we live in a data-central world with analytics and stuff. What are the conversations like with Steve preparing for her and maybe trusting instincts from previous at-bats?

JOLEY MITCHELL: I think his biggest focus is just getting the job done. That's kind of his mantra. He does trust us, and he trusts that we're going to communicate well with each other, especially the way we've been communicating the last month or so. I think the biggest thing is he's going to ask us to be disciplined, us to be on time. He always says just play pepper.

She's going to produce some of the speed for us. So if we just get out there and play a little game, we're going to be just fine.

Q. You said you both watched Oklahoma lose and it was very entertaining. Are you relieved you're not playing Oklahoma in the championship round?

JOLEY MITCHELL: Personally, I wanted it to be OU. I mean, if you want to be the man, you've got to beat the man. I'm happy either way regardless, and I want to win this thing, and I'm ready to go.

I'm happy we have a challenge right in front of us with NiJa. Regardless, it was going to be a tough series. I wish it would have been OU, but it's not. We've just got to focus on what's in front of us.

TEAGAN KAVAN: I personally didn't care. I don't think any championship will be easy. It's going to be a tough road either way.

Q. Mike, you've obviously squared up with Texas Tech plenty in the past, but is there kind of a situation where none of that really matters because of how different the setting is, how different they are, and everything?

MIKE WHITE: I think we're going to find out. It's something you don't know until it happens. Like I've always told the team, the game doesn't know. It's 60 feet, turn left, 43 feet pitching distance, and a 12-inch ball. It's going to reward the team that plays the best in the moment.

Whatever has happened before has happened. All we can do is take our experiences, which we've had plenty the last few years, both good and bad, and use those to our advantage to be able to play against one of the best pitchers in the game right now.

Q. For the players, how did playing in last year's Championship Series, what did you learn from that experience that you hope to apply this time around?

TEAGAN KAVAN: I think me personally kind of just more focusing on myself, not getting caught up in anything external or who we're playing or the name on their chest. Just focusing on my strengths and what I can do and not getting caught up in the other things around me.

We've been talking about what matters is us and how we perform. But just relying on each other and not external things.

JOLEY MITCHELL: I would agree with Teagan, just making sure that we stick within ourselves. Last year was tough, but I think it's just because we wanted to make it tough. This year I feel confident that our team is going to do what we need to do.

We love each other. We can fall back on one another, and I think that we're confident in trusting each other.

Q. Coach, can you talk about how competitive you think your program's NIL budget is and what the benefits or complications of having one are in this new sports landscape?

MIKE WHITE: That's a really hard question to answer because you don't really know what other teams have for a budget or how much they're spending. Obviously we know that NiJa has made over 1.1 million, which is great for the game and great for the sport.

I saw on TV that it's helped promote the game in Lubbock, Texas, in that part of Texas. So that's a good thing. We hope that there continues to be opportunities for young women to be able to participate in NIL and make a living out of it hopefully. Then we need the next step of that to be the professional league, which needs to keep doing what it's doing and getting bigger.

The push from Major League Baseball into that should help as well. But we try to be as competitive as we can. All of our players are getting some sort of NIL money. So that's the growth for us and just a start. We're going to continue to push and make more opportunities available for our players.

Q. Do you feel like your players might be more relaxed having been in this setting, somebody like Mia, several times? And who do you think OU fans will root for?

MIKE WHITE: Probably not us. I think, as a fan before, you've got to just hope for good softball. That's what you want to have. You want to have the games that are promoting the game itself, and obviously having two great pitchers out there and a lot of really good ballplayers makes for a really good setting on the biggest stage this game provides right now.

That's really what we want to focus on.

Q. In the vein of the question I asked to the players earlier, I'm curious if over the last year there was something you recognized after losing the finals last year, what this group needed to get over that hump and if you've seen it at any point this spring?

MIKE WHITE: I think pulling together closer, having each other's backs, being on the same page, pushing each other when no one's watching, just really having that. They came up with the acumen fuel the fire. So that's really pushed them, and that came from the team, from Joley and the leaders on the team. And they've lived that. You've got to live it on and off the field.

We've got to do more than just the 20 hours every week if you want to have it. You've got to change your mentality about winning and playing this game. They've really been focused on that. They've been focused on getting better each and every day we go out there, and they're pushing each other. That's what you need.

We've got a lot of players that could play but don't, but we still have a lot of spirit behind the team. That's what makes the difference. Especially the pitching staff. The group, I know Teagan spearheads it, but they all have each other's backs, and it's been tremendous to see.

Q. We talk a lot about Reese's bat, but with a very aggressive Texas Tech team, how can she really be a game changer behind the plate controlling the running game?

MIKE WHITE: I think that speaks for itself as far as the number of people she's thrown out and people just not stealing on her. She's ready to gun them down. She loves that opportunity to do that. She continues to work on her receiving game to try and -- she gets frustrated when we don't get calls we think we should get, and she's continued to try to work on doing that as well.

She probably should have got Gold Glove catcher this year, but unfortunately missed by one inning, if you can believe it. She had 74 percent of the innings instead of 75. But she did get an award for being the best catcher. That was definitely due for her, and it was great to see her get that.

Q. Coach and Joley, Texas Tech, I think it's 24 straight games that they've scored first in their contests. Does that put extra pressure on you when you're at bat to try to get something done early because you know, once NiJa has that lead, it's difficult to kind of come back against them?

JOLEY MITCHELL: No. I trust our team. If they score first, okay, it's a game of scoring. Like Coach says, the game doesn't know. So we have to go out there and play our best game regardless. If you hit a little bit of a wall, some adversity, it doesn't mean you have to back down.

Just trusting ourselves. We've beaten NiJa a few times the last two years, so we know we can do it. We just have to go out there and do it.

MIKE WHITE: The game is seven innings, seven battles to win the war. Whether it comes in the first or the last, you saw that yesterday with OU down to the last strike and hits a home run. It can happen at any time.

I think just keeping your head about you and understanding that it's going to be kind of really battling together and working together, like keeping the pitch count up, making her work hard in those situations, not giving her those easy 1, 2, 3 innings. Just continuing to put the pressure on not only NiJa but their defense as well. That's what's going to pay the toll.

That's what we've done well this season. We've scored against just about everybody. I don't know the total numbers, I don't know if we've been shut out by anybody. But we're always in the game. That's what we continue to do. We always want to try to bring up the either winning or tying run in the last inning.

Q. When you look at Gerry Glasco and this offense, how are they different now than they were when you played them in February?

MIKE WHITE: They steal home.

(Laughter.)

Which is incredible. Someone said he's done it three times, but that's definitely bringing a new one into my playbook.

He's crafty. He's going to use what he has at his disposal. He's going to make you play well. He's going to put pressure on. That's what he does. And he always believes. He has NiJa there, and he believes, if he can get a run, he's going to win a game.

We also have a very talented team as well. It's a great matchup. Gerry, he knows the game. He's crafty, which I'm looking forward to that matchup.