Longhorns Hit Louisiana for Women’s College World Series Regional

By Chris O'Connell in Blog, Sports on May 15, 2014 at 11:51 am | No Comments

Pitcher Tiarra Davis and catcher Mandy Ogle celebrate a win over Texas Tech in April.

Texas softball is set to hit the road for the first matchup in their regional on Friday, on the road to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. Led by 19-year-old ace and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Tiarra Davis, the Longhorn ladies—who finished the regular season 33-21—will travel to Lafayette, La., for a matchup against Mississippi State at 3 p.m.

Davis (18-12, 2.35 ERA) has elicited comparisons to Longhorn greats, some obvious—she’s the first southpaw in the circle for UT since Cat Osterman—and some more esoteric, like her Blaire Luna–like demeanor. In an interview with the Statesman, senior catcher Mandy Ogle, who crouched behind the dish while Luna pitched for years, made the connection.

“She’s just a calm person naturally, kind of like Blaire was, and doesn’t get too emotional,” Ogle said.

Though Davis is leaned upon for innings much more than the rest of the Texas pitching staff—freshman Lauren Slatten and junior Gabby Smith—they will all be used during the double-elimination tournament, with other games coming against Texas Southern and hosts Louisiana-Lafayette.

The good news? The Longhorns have already played in Lafayette this season, so they know the surfaces well. Texas swept the two-game series on February 7-8, and Davis earned her first collegiate win. If she can grab a few more in Lafayette, Texas will be on its way to the next round.

You can view the entire 2014 WCWS bracket here.

 Image courtesy of UT Athletics

Tags: blaire luna, Longhorn softball, tiarra davis, women's college world series