Under the Sunday spotlight in Austin, the Texas Longhorns did exactly what defending national champions are supposed to do. Texas punched its ticket to the 2026 Women’s College World Series with a clinical 5-0 win over Arizona State in the deciding game of the Austin Super Regional, riding a shutout from junior ace Teagan Kavan and a clutch RBI triple from Viviana Martinez. The victory sends the reigning champs back to Oklahoma City to begin WCWS play next week.
Texas blanked Arizona State 5-0 at Red & Charline McCombs Field to lock up the program’s ninth WCWS berth, according to Texas Athletics. The win wrapped up a three-game set and pushed the Longhorns to 47-11 on the season. With the result, Texas officially earns a chance to defend its 2025 WCWS championship.
Kavan Shuts Down Sun Devils
Kavan took the ball in the winner-take-all showdown and never gave it back. The junior went the distance, striking out five and scattering five hits in a composed complete-game shutout, according to the Houston Chronicle. “Every day is a new day, and each performance is its own,” Kavan said afterward, treating a season-defining gem like just another day at the office.
Head coach Mike White admitted he thought hard about who should start the decisive game but ultimately leaned on Kavan’s experience in the pressure-packed spot, the Chronicle reported. The choice paid off with seven shutout innings and a stress-free finish for Texas.
Martinez's Marathon At-Bat
While Kavan silenced the Sun Devils, Martinez supplied one of the most memorable moments of the Longhorns’ postseason run so far. She capped a marathon 17-pitch at-bat with an RBI triple down the right-field line that stretched the lead to 3-0 and lit up the McCombs Field crowd, according to Sports Illustrated. “I would say that’s the longest at-bat I’ve ever taken,” Martinez told SI, laughing about the exhausting battle that ended with her standing on third base.
Katie Stewart took care of the rest of the heavy lifting on the scoreboard. She drove in four runs on a 2-for-4 afternoon, giving the Longhorns all the cushion they needed and then some as the offense backed Kavan’s dominance.
What's Next: Devon Park and the Bracket
Next stop is Oklahoma City. The Longhorns will open the WCWS against Tennessee at 1:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 28, at Devon Park, according to Texas Athletics. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, giving Texas fans a national stage to see whether the defending champs can start another deep run.
White kept things grounded even as his team celebrated a return trip to the sport’s biggest stage. “Every team is the team to beat” in Oklahoma City, he said, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. From there, the Longhorns and the rest of the field will settle into the double-elimination bracket at Devon Park as the chase for the 2026 national title officially begins.
