Texas Tech 8, Mississippi State 0
THE MODERATOR: Joined by Texas Tech. Coach, if you have an opening statement, feel free.
GERRY GLASCO: First of all, I want to congratulate Mississippi State. I think Coach Ricketts has done an amazing job to get her team here and to fight through. Everybody knows what Oklahoma is. To come out of a series on the road against Oklahoma, to be commended.
We had a couple days to get ready for them. I think it worked out a little bit to our advantage. I would imagine they stayed on the road. That's not easy to go on the road, stay on the road, have that kind of series behind you. Almost a trap series.
Congratulations to Mississippi State and their outstanding run to get here, and I'm excited for Coach Ricketts and her team to get to continue on in the tournament.
The venue was unbelievable, the crowd. This is college softball. I know the year where there's no Oklahoma, no Oklahoma State, and it's packed on the 11 a.m. game on Thursday morning. Excitement walking in. I'm 67 years old, going on 68. That was exciting for me, the young kids, screaming and hollering, high-fiving us and our team. It's why everybody dreams of playing here your whole life, if you're a softball player, or a coach, it never gets old.
Compliment to everyone that got this place ready to hold the World Series. It was everything that you would expect it to be and then some.
As far as our team, I thought NiJa came out, the very first inning, I think she had two strikeouts. She set the tone. Gave us four innings with two hits. I just thought she was fantastic, as she always is in Oklahoma City.
I was proud of KT when we brought her in. It was a smooth turnover and transition. I thought she did great.
I thought Lagi did great behind the plate with NiJaree. I thought Jasy Burns did great job with KT.
Mia Williams get on base, wearing it. She's a magnet right now. I'm glad she found a way to get on base for Jackie Lis. And then for Jackie to step up in her very first World Series at-bat, so calm always, deliver a two-run home run. That was a huge moment for me. Probably a huge moment for this small-town girl.
Mihyia, the catches in centerfield. We always want to talk about offense. That one inning, America softball fans got to see what I've been saying about Mihyia Davis for four years. She's talented like the great centerfielders of all time, like a Caitlin Lowe. She makes it look easy. She made those catches look routine. Those were really hard catches. Then she got an RBI there at the end.
She's just a money player. I've been so lucky to be with her for four years (tearing up).
I don't know what I'll do next year when I have to write that lineup without Mihyia Davis in it. She means so much to me. To see her get to show out onstage today, what an amazing deal.
And then for Jackie, I'm just happy. Jackie wanted to come. And her deal last summer was "I want to play with NiJa. I want to go to the World Series." She took advantage of it today.
That's enough for me.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for players.
Q. Jackie, you've talked about how the staff has prepared you and you felt more prepared. What were you looking and sitting back on in the 0-2 count, getting ready of the first-game nerves?
JACKIE LIS: We practiced a lot of sitting on her off-speed, preparing for whatever else she might throw at us. I was making sure to see the ball up. Change-ups are going to drop. So just making sure that if she throws something hard at me, I get a flat barrel on it; and if she throws me a change-up, just make sure stay back and drive it.
Q. For Mihyia and NiJa, you topped out at four runs in a game in Oklahoma City last year. You had that after two innings today, run rule. How does that change the perspective of the team with this much offensive versatility?
NIJAREE CANADY: Being a pitcher, I feel like it allows me to attack batters, especially when we got to four runs right off the bat. The first thing Coach Tara said was just attack batters. One home run isn't going to hurt us right now. It gives me confidence because I know I can go right at hitters.
I feel it sets the tone for the whole World Series, like having a run rule the first game.
MIHYIA DAVIS: I think, like, as an offensive perspective, it's more relaxing. Like you don't have to be the one to do it. Somebody's going to pick you up and score the runs.
Q. Jackie, yesterday you talked about how you never imagined being here, playing in the World Series. Hitting a home run in your first at-bat at the World Series, you haven't stopped smiling. What was the emotion that you felt in that moment rounding the bases? I'm sure you knew it was gone off the bat, right?
JACKIE LIS: I mean, not really. Sometimes the ball likes to die on me. I try not to celebrate too early.
I mean, I really wasn't even thinking about it. It was my first at-bat at the World Series. I was more excited we scored first because I knew that was going to be huge for us. I was more focused on getting around the bases and celebrating with my team. Because that's a big momentum builder for us.
Q. NiJa, because you've been here a lot, and Jackie, because you haven't, what Coach was saying about this atmosphere this morning right off the bat. Talk me through what that was like to drive up to the stadium, walk in? What stands out in your mind?
NIJAREE CANADY: I think it was incredible. Honestly, I didn't know what really to expect. This is the earliest I've ever played. I've never had the 11 a.m. slot. I wasn't sure how the crowd was going to turn out. I think it was really good.
JACKIE LIS: Yeah, I mean, we were doing our stretching line. Coach Glasco came up to me, he pulled me around. Just look around, enjoy it. That's what I was trying to do the entire time, feed off the energy from our crowd, the rest of the crowd, really just embrace the moment while I'm in it.
Q. Mihyia, what have your emotions been like this season with Coach Glasco, Chloe and Lauren, knowing the history you have, and especially today?
MIHYIA DAVIS: It's definitely sad that this is coming to an end. I'm trying to just enjoy the season, enjoy the moments, because this is it, so...
Q. Jackie, what was working for you today? Did Peanut have anything to do with it? Is Peanut a Retriever or a Lab?
JACKIE LIS: Peanut is a Golden Retriever.
She was a deal I made with my family that I if I got to 10 home runs, I would get a dog a little bit earlier than I thought. I was at 3 at the time, and the goal was 10. Ever since we made that deal, I've been an a tear. I like to credit a lot of it to Peanut, yes.
Q. Jackie and Coach, both perspectives if possible, what did you say in that timeout that you called right before her home run? What did he say to you?
JACKIE LIS: Yeah, no, he just told me like they've got to go right at you right here, because, you know, hitting me a first pitch, that is hard for a pitcher. You put somebody on first pitch. He was trying to fire me up and tell me she's going to leave one for you, just make sure you don't miss it.
GERRY GLASCO: I don't even remember (smiling). I knew at that moment, like, that could happen. I knew she wouldn't want to hit somebody else. You just don't miss it if it comes down the middle I think is what the main conversation was.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, players.
We'll continue with questions for Coach Glasco.
Q. You probably debated starting KT and NiJa. Why is it important for NiJa to set the energetic tone, where you want to go?
GERRY GLASCO: Yeah, I just thought NiJa, you want to put her out there. I wanted to let her hit. It goes back to when I recruited her. I told her I'd let her play. This is the World Series. I worry all the time about her getting hurt. It's time to let her play.
I think she got comfortable in the end of the Florida game. When I looked at the scoreboard, it's a good opportunity to get KT in. So lucky to have those two pitchers. I want them both to know they work together really well. There's no jealousy. They're both such confident athletes. Personalities are totally different, but they're both such confident athletes that they really respect each other and appreciate each other.
I know NiJa has been here alone. She knows how important KT is going to be this year. So I just thought it was a good moment to let them both work and get them both to share the circle out there today.
Q. What was the adjustment after the first two strikeouts?
GERRY GLASCO: You have to look up in the zone. We were swinging low pitches. If you're swinging low pitches, you're vulnerable to the change-up. We're going to set belt up. If you set belt up, then you shouldn't swing at that drop ball, change-up, at the knees. That was what was getting us out.
Q. I hate to keep asking crowd questions, but there was a lot of Red Raider red in the stands today. Do you sense a growth in what you're seeing out there?
GERRY GLASCO: If you come to Lubbock, the softball community, it's just rabid right now. When I first got there, you couldn't buy a softball shirt. You could go to all the clothing stores, couldn't find anything with a yellow softball, softball logos, Texas Tech Softball. Now it's everywhere.
The minute we got in the World Series, people were sending me pictures of the sweatshirts and blankets with World Series.
The town of Lubbock has embraced our program, and it's crazy the support we're getting. I was laughing yesterday, like we're the villains of America. I'm telling you, we're the Cinderella of Lubbock, Texas. They love us in Lubbock, Texas. We're right there with Buddy Holly right now.
Q. Can you talk about how important this win is, not to have to play in an elimination game tomorrow, now you play Saturday, maybe more fans get out here?
GERRY GLASCO: You want to stay in that winner's bracket. As long as you can win, it gets a day of rest. It makes the pace of the tournament where the kids can really enjoy it. We want to just keep trying to play every other day, every other day. It gives you a lot of time to prepare.
We'll have a hit around tonight, one early in the morning, tomorrow night. We'll have pregame hitting off-site. We'll have four practices before our next game. As a hitting coach, that's unbelievable to get that opportunity. We'll take advantage of all that.
It's really important that we keep winning. It eliminates playing as many innings when you're in the winner's bracket, obviously.
Q. I know you've had 70 different batting orders this year, but Mihyia was usually the number one spot most of the time. You dropped her down. What was your methodology to doing that? How has she responded?
GERRY GLASCO: Mihyia will do good no matter where I put her. I played with her her whole career, she'd be lead-off 55 out of 58 games. She's tired of being lead-off. When I was mad at her when she was a freshman, I would put her in the nine hole. She wouldn't last but one game there.
As she got older, I just played with it. This year there were times when I felt she was stressing. It's so important to be the lead-off, get on base. I felt with this group of talented athletes, she didn't have to be under that strain every day. Let her enjoy.
I've had her in the four hole. Florida I had her in the two hole Sunday. Today I just thought, I'm going to go back into five -- or six hole, I'm sorry. I thought she may very well lead off the second inning if we do that right.
I always keep either Lauren or somebody right behind her. If she's in the bottom, I'm going to keep Lauren behind her. Since they were freshmen, Mihyia is one and Lauren is three. They just work together so well. I like that combination down there. It makes us very powerful at the bottom of our order.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
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