Texas 7, Texas Tech 3
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Texas head coach Mike White and players Katie Stewart, Ashton Maloney, and Teagan Kavan.
MIKE WHITE: Obviously the game started with a bang literally. Started off with a home run, and then we came back out and scored five, which gave us an advantage. Then of course Teagan Kavan worked her tail off for us. We played good defense behind her, continued to score a couple more runs, and Texas Tech never gave in. They made us work for it, and that's a sign of a good team.
We're looking forward to tomorrow's game as well.
Q. Katie, you've homered in four straight games now. What's working so well for you at the plate?
KATIE STEWART: Just keeping my approach simple, really not overthinking anything in the box. And just not missing my pitch when I get it. That was really the whole approach I took to that at-bat.
Q. Teagan, after that home run in the first inning, how do you keep your head in the game and go out and pitch lights out?
TEAGAN KAVAN: I think it was kind of similar to our game against Nebraska when I had that home run early too. I know it's not going to be a scoreless game and they're probably going to get a run, good teams, good offenses, at some point. Just tell myself, oh, well, this is probably going to happen at some point. Just put my head down, do my work for the team, and try to keep us in the game as long as possible.
Q. Teagan, you talked a lot about kind of mixing pitches and whatnot, but how much goes into just seeing what works against certain teams and kind of what feels good that night as well?
TEAGAN KAVAN: I think it's different. I think the scout is only -- only does so much. It depends once you get in the game and what's working that night.
I was able to change speeds enough tonight and then kind of live in different areas at different times. Yeah, I think I'll go back and look and adjust for tomorrow and probably not do the same things again.
Yeah, it's huge against the offenses that we're going to face -- or that we are facing. 1 through 9, they have a lot of power, so it's super vital to mix it up and use everything.
Q. Katie, Ashton, or Teagan, anyone can answer. Last year you won Game 1 too. They came back and won Game 2. Did you learn anything from last year that might help you tomorrow to avoid a loss?
KATIE STEWART: Yeah, just keeping the foot on the gas. It's not going to come easy. They're going to come back fighting harder than ever. So just making sure we're on the attack first inning through the seventh inning, and making sure we stay focused, stay centered, and head in the game.
ASHTON MALONEY: I think the keys to winning are to score more runs than your opponent.
(Laughter.)
Q. For both Katie and Ashton, on that note, the runs that you score tonight chased their two best pitchers before the third inning was out. A, were you surprised that Canady just was pulled and didn't come back in the game? Also, what does that say about your hitting and what you all were doing on offense tonight that was the outcome for them?
KATIE STEWART: I think we were able to attack early, and so we were able to chase Terry out of the game quickly. So obviously NiJa came in. NiJa had her stuff. Yeah, I was surprised she came out early, but she'll be fresh for tomorrow. We need to make sure we stay on the attack.
Q. Teagan, I noticed when you guys came into the stadium before the game, you stopped to sign autographs for the kids, which I know is important to you guys. Why is it important to do that, even as you're about to go out and start and try to play a game for the National Championship, to still think of the young kids and the fans?
TEAGAN KAVAN: Yeah, we had time before I needed to warm up. A lot of people take a lot of time away and spend a lot of money to bring their kids here. I was that little girl too that wanted to meet everybody and see everybody.
Yeah, just kind of remembering that I was in their shoes at one point and just remind them and hope that they can see that they can dream big and be on this stage too.
Q. Ashton, fifth-year senior. You're in your, what, third? Fourth? What's it like for you? No one else has been in that many on your team.
ASHTON MALONEY: That's right.
Q. What's this experience like for you?
ASHTON MALONEY: It's really cool to see. The first National Championship, I was unfortunately hurt. I had a torn ACL. I think I gained a little bit of knowledge that year of just how much it means to be in these games. Obviously I've lost two National Championships, won one. So I'm really hoping to end 50-50.
I don't know. I think the experience has been good and it's been helpful just knowing and helping my teammates. I think this team of all teams is one of my favorites, if not the favorite. So I really hope that we can just come out on top this year.
Q. Ashton, as a follow-up to that, what makes this your favorite team? How is this team maybe different than the one that won the championship last year?
ASHTON MALONEY: I think the difference between this team and last year's team is that we have a lot more confidence this year. I'd say that's been one of the driving factors for this year is that we know we can, so now let's go do it again.
Q. Last year, I don't believe you threw Teagan in Game 2.
MIKE WHITE: Yeah.
Q. Is there anything different that she's doing different this year? Is she stronger in any way that would -- you'd consider her for Game 2 tomorrow?
MIKE WHITE: That's a good question. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. So I've got to keep it under my hat too.
She looked like -- she threw 115 pitches, which is quite a bit. We have the luxury of deciding whether to go with another pitcher or not. Citlaly did pitch very well the last couple of times out. So there's an option there. It's something we'll kind of sleep over.
Q. What are you preparing your game plan for going into this game, going against Texas Tech, who's been known this season switching out pitchers constantly? How do you develop a game plan around that?
MIKE WHITE: Our game plan was to make them switch a lot of pitchers because, if we're doing that, that means we're hitting them. So we were able to do that, and they made four changes. So I feel like we kind of did that. It is part of the game. It is what it is. We can't control what they're going to do. We can just control how we respond.
We kind of know their game plan. We know what they're going to do each pitch type they bring in, and we've just got to go out and attack, as the lady said.
Q. Hannah and Jaycie just keep finding hits. What kind of speaks to their character to keep doing this as freshmen on this stage?
MIKE WHITE: Yeah, you've just got to put it behind you and just go out and learn from your last at-bat and continue to battle because that speed is dangerous. We saw a couple of infield hits tonight, so it's nice to have this good luxury.
You can't steal first base. You've still got to put the ball in play, but they were able to do that and get on for us and created the bunt that Kayden put down and Sneed with the last run, that was really big for us.
Q. You mentioned the game started off with a bang, and Katie's on quite a tear right now. What does it do for the team's confidence and mood for the game to get an early big swing like that?
MIKE WHITE: Yeah, we also have got to answer innings. When we get down, we've got to answer back. And whenever we score runs, we've got to shut them down and keep that momentum. Momentum is everything in this game. You can tell that they had a chance to swing things. They got the two-run home run and they could have got a couple more on, and you never know what could happen.
So we've just got to continue to play hard against a good team like that, and you can't let down at all.
Q. Teagan had so much success from them last year. Just how does it go into developing new plan after new plan after new plan, and what you can kind of do before that?
MIKE WHITE: It's trusting in her and her development. She wants to become a better pitcher, and she's always asking how she can become better. Sometimes the location lets her down a little bit, she makes some mistakes, but she bounces right back and owns up to it.
She said that with the home run to the second hitter and just owned up and said, hey, I missed that spot. She came back out, settled down, and said I've got this for my team.
Q. Ashton hasn't had her best season this year, but what has she brought to the team specifically being the only fifth-year senior?
MIKE WHITE: Well, as you could tell, she's kind of a funny kind of kid, so she kind of brings some dry humor every now and then and keeps us loose. She is probably, other than myself, probably the strongest competitor on the team. So she hates to lose at anything. She is really driven to win.
When she doesn't do what she wants to do, she gets a little upset, but you kind of like that part of her. And what kind of defense is she playing for us? The last several years we've been lucky enough to have her in right field, and she makes some great plays, strong arm.
It hasn't been her best season, but she's still fighting for this club.
Q. While you guys have been here competing, we're seeing headlines every day that this World Series game was the most watched in history. Then the next day, this one is one of the most watched games in history. Why do you think your sport is kind of having this moment right now?
MIKE WHITE: A lot of people in Texas, so there's a lot of interest in the sport itself as well. I think that whenever you talk to people, they just love it. They love that it has all the elements -- speed, power, defense, pitching, strategy. It has everything to keep people occupied watching the TV set.
I get texts from all over the world, not only just in this country. So it's amazing. Like I tell the ladies, we want to be ambassadors for the sport and continue to drive and make sure that we're showing people the quality of game that's really out there right now. It's just incredible.
I think back 30 years to how the game was played, and this is nothing like it is now. It's just incredible.
Q. Just following up on what Ashton said about this team playing with confidence all year long, how have you kind of seen that manifest itself with this group in terms of getting you here?
MIKE WHITE: We talked about the number one thing is confidence. It's something that what comes first, confidence or success, and I think the confidence has to come first, and that comes from hard work and preparation and facing live pitching, facing pitching machines or throw just like NiJa and Terry. Those things will prepare you for those battles that you've got to have. I think that gives you that confidence.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports