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Texas to battle Arizona State with a spot in the WCWS on the line

by: Josh Florey05/22/26

Texas dominated the Austin Regional, only allowing a single run in three games: a 9-1 run-rule win over Wagner, a 9-0 run-rule victory over Wisconsin, and a regional-clinching 7-0 triumph over Baylor. Now, the Longhorns host Arizona State in the Austin Super Regional. 

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First pitch this evening is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN2 at McCombs Field in Austin.

The Sun Devils were one of three non-hosts to advance, knocking off Texas A&M in the College Station Regional. 

ASU has been on a tear lately, winning the Big 12 Tournament and going 3-0 in regional play. But, the Sun Devils struggled throughout conference play, losing series to Utah, Arizona, Kansas, UCF, and Texas Tech, with an 11-13 Big 12 record. 

The Sun Devils have strong hitters throughout their lineup, including players like Katie Chester, Samantha Swan, Kaylee Pond, and Emily Schepp. Chester and Pond lead the team in homers, with 20 and 15, respectively. Swan is batting .382 with 11 HR and nine stolen bases, while Schepp is batting .360 with 12 HR. Brooklyn Ulrich has been hot recently, including her walk-off home run to beat A&M. Tanya Windle, who was injured earlier in the season, has also been great for ASU, batting .398 on the season. 

The real strength of this team has been first-team All-Big 12 pitcher Kenzie Brown. Her ERA is 2.23 over more than 150 IP, and she has been extremely clutch. In a 9-1 victory over A&M, Brown came into the game in the 3rd inning with runners on first and second and no outs. She retired the next three batters without allowing a run, and continued to shut out the Aggies until the Sun Devil offense ended the game.

Brown will be a tough matchup for Texas, meaning the Longhorns need to continue scoring at the level they have recently.

Teagan Kavan’s performance will be extremely important in this series, and beyond, as the depth behind her has been good, but inconsistent at times. 

If Brown and the other Arizona State pitchers can slow down the Texas offense, and the power of the Sun Devils’ bats can force Kavan out of the game, ASU has a shot.

But, if Kavan can play at a similar level to her tournament run last season, and Texas can continue to put runs on the board, they are extremely dangerous. 

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