Texas falls to Texas Tech in Game 2 of WCWS, Thunder collapse, and Gene Watson

Craig and Cameron break down OKC's collapse against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Andrew Haynes joins to break down Texas Softball's loss to Texas Tech in Game 2 of the WCWS and looks ahead to Game 3. Gene Watson joins to break down the latest news and storylines in MLB.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, Friday afternoon, Welcome to your weekend here on thirteen
under the Zone.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
My name is Craig Way. Glad to have you with us.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
And as I always say on Friday, if Friday is
truly your Friday, good on you, good for you, Glad
you the weekend is descending upon you, and.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
That you can enjoy that.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
If that's not the case, maybe it's the midweek for you.
And if that's the case, hopefully the next couple of
days gets you to that weekend. And if it's the
starting week, hope that what just finished for you, your
days off worked out okay.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
For you, and that things go well for you over
these next couple of days. Glad to have you with us.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
It is a hot sunny afternoon here in the Greater
Austin and Central Texas area, and we are pleased to
have you with us. Once again, We of course include
the producer of this program, Cameron D.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Parker.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
The D on the birth certificate stands for Dallas, as
in the Cowboys, the team for whom his father is
uh favorite pro football team named Cam for his middle name.
There anyway for Dallas, although Cameron has kind of turned
his back on the Cowboys right now, at least until
they show him something better. The D, however, might stand

(01:16):
for doubly disappointed for you last night. Would that be
an accurate way to describe the letter D for the
middle name today?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Are you there, Cam?

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Are you with us?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, they're play this clip for you here. But oh okay, okay,
all right, nothing's operating. Oh okay, you were You were
going to hit me with some audio.

Speaker 5 (01:44):
To describe it. It's not something Facebook doesn't let me
play this. But I'm not happy.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Oh there you go.

Speaker 6 (01:51):
To put it mildly.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
I am having a very bad day.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Okay. I thought about you last night because within the
span of literally I think it was five life minutes,
just five minutes total on the clock, not scoreboard minutes,
clock man five minutes the end of Game two of
the Women's College World Series. Game was followed up by

(02:17):
the end of Game one of the NBA Finals, and
both results were not to your liking.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
There, let me tell folks.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Coming up in about ten minutes, we're going to visit
Andrew Haynes, Texas Softball play by play voice to join
us to give us a preview of tonight's final game
of the softball season, As Texas and Texas Tech will
play for a national Championship winner take all tonight, since
Texas Tech won last night four to three, and a

(02:50):
game that had all kinds of craziness to it, not
quite as crazy as Game one, but it had some
unexpected turns in it. So we'll have Andrew Haynes on
in a few minutes. But let me start with the
NBA because I did ask you yesterday about your confidence
levelm You felt pretty good about it going into Game

(03:11):
one of the NBA Finals, and I would imagine early
in the fourth quarter you felt pretty good. They were
up by fifteen points, and then the Indiana Pacers did
what they've been doing throughout the postseason, coming from behind
to win games.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
And you said, well, how did they do it? How
did they continue to do it?

Speaker 1 (03:27):
And A making shots, B not turning the ball over
like they did. They wound up with what twenty turnovers
in the game and found a way to overcome that
and got some stops and all that sort of thing.
What about your take on what you saw as it
kind of shriveled up and away from the thunder down
the stretch of Game one, You're really going to maybe
do this.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yes, yeah, you had in good and dad.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
You know it's important to get the recap as closely
as you follow it.

Speaker 5 (03:55):
So the maker miss league, the mak or miss league.
Halliburton made the shot. Okay see, missed a handful of
shots down the stretch, and that's basketball for you. It's
only one game, seven game series, but it's definitely a
dagger into Oka see because you know, they had that
game pretty wrapped up. I think a pat of the
first team in NBA Finals history to win a game

(04:17):
after trilling by nine points or more in the final
three minutes. And yeah, Indiana's done what they did, what
they've done all playoffs, and that's final way to win
and come back.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
And so here we are once again.

Speaker 5 (04:28):
Okay see that the first time they've lost in a
last second shot at home. In Game one, they lost
to Denver Nuggets in Game one, Aaron Gordon hit that
three pointer and okay see won that series. So hopefully
it'll be a repeat of that, but very disappointing loss,
especially on your home court. Leading by double digits for
most of the game, Indiana played pretty bad, a lot

(04:50):
of turnovers. Haliburton wasn't effective. And then but the fourth
quarter they played very well. Okay, see didn't And that's
that's basketball. It's a make or miss league. And here
we are, okay, see down one nothing And what did
Roy McRoy say this week?

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Some days you don't feel like talking. Oh, today is
one of those days for me. Unfortunately, you do have
to do some talking today.

Speaker 3 (05:11):
See.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
Today is also the day we bring back the return
of the Music Survey.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
That's fine, you're good for that.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
See, that's easy, okay, because that's going to happen in
the three o'clock hour. And for those who don't know
what the Music Survey is, we'll explain it in due time.
Of something we used to do across town. At the
other side is it's something I got for my friends
Donovan Miller at the Ticket in Dallas and it turned
out to be a pretty popular feature. And it's been
three years since we've done it, so might as well

(05:41):
do it. Do it again here and get things updated
on the music Survey. We'll explain all that coming up later.
Also in the four o'clock hour, Geene Watson from the
Chicago White Sox front office will join us.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
We'll talk some Major League Baseball as we do.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
Every week with Gina, We're going to keep you updated
also on the baseball going on, both at the high
school and the collegiate level. The first of the NCAAA
Super Regional best of three series Game ones are in
the books and it was all North Carolina. The number
five National Sea blew out Arizona, and I do mean
blew them out eighteen to two. Carolina surrendered a run

(06:21):
in the top of the first, scored five in the
bottom of the first, got out of a bass loaded
one out jam in the top of the second when
it was still a ballgame at five to one, and
then turned around and then after that just took command,
scored three more runs and did not look back from there.
Miami and Louisville getting ready to start their Super Regional

(06:43):
matchup there. High school baseball disappointment for the Wimberley Texans
this morning, had a one nothing lead, fell behind five
to one to spring Hill High.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
The Long Viewery came back, got.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
Two runs across the plate in their final bat in
the top of the seventh that had the hying runs
and scoring position when the final out was made. So
their season is a great first season as the head
coach of the Texans for Jeremy Locke and the Texans
wind up twenty six eight and one their final record,

(07:18):
and they fall to spring Hill, which was an outstanding program,
which was a four A program, I mean in the
four A ranks last year when you only had one
division of it. They lost in the semifinals to cal Allen.
And cal Allen right now is playing in the four
A Division one state championship against Pleasant Grove of Texas.

(07:39):
Ken and cal Allen's up three to two in the
bottom of the fifth, So that it gets caught up
on that the five A games or later, we'll talk
more about those coming up as well. So we've got
a lot of things to get to on the program
before we get to the break. How about your thoughts
on Game two of the Women's College World Series last night?

Speaker 2 (07:58):
What a game?

Speaker 5 (08:00):
It hats off to Nisa Kennedy right the first inning,
Texas with two hits off of her had one hit
and then uh runner goes thrown out, second hit comes up,
the bases empty. But it felt like if your Texas, okay,
she doesn't have her stuff tonight, We're gonna be able
to find a way to attack her. And I thought,
I don't know it was the Texas batter trying to

(08:22):
be too aggressive or if she just calmed down, but
she had a fantastic job of getting Texas batters in
a lot of O two counts. It felt like every
at bat was O two O two, O two O
two and for Texas. And I'm sure you'll ask Andrew
about this. You know, went with mac morgan like he
did in Game one against Tennessee, and then he went
with a freshman who was fantastic but maybe was left

(08:44):
in two batters too long.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Yeah, Cambria Salmon, who was great the first two innings
and then that third inning out there is one of
the got but to be fair, also the defense let
Texas down again and there was a wild pitch, So
there were there were a couple of things that factored
in the Tech getting those runs and building that four
to one lead that they took into the seventh.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
And Texas almost almost came back.

Speaker 5 (09:09):
But I think going into tonight's game, obviously Kennedy's pitching
and I mentioned yesterday, you know there's some sports for
fans who don't watch the record of season and all
of a sudden, you know, they become hot take terry.

Speaker 2 (09:24):
Like that.

Speaker 1 (09:25):
There was Texas fans. If they don't start Cavan tomorrow,
we riot like who are you and where have you been?
And how much do you know about?

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Get off Twitter, get at the message boards.

Speaker 5 (09:36):
Obviously, Cavan did not start last night, did not come
in after mac morgan because coach White wanted to savor
in case a Texas was either winning or it was
a tie game. I think when when it was four
to one, right, you know, that kind of changed things.
She's gonna start tonight. It's going to be Cavan first, Kennedy.
Cavan will be more fresher than Kennedy, and I feel
like Texas will find a way to get tour. But

(09:58):
you mentioned the defense, you know, the Texas two errors
in game one, which was a little you know, worrisome,
some bad defense last night.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
You needed a goal in game one forour in game
one and overcame it. So last night one of them, yeah,
one of them. One of those errors was the overturn
because of the interference the obstruction call, so Lean got
charged with an error. So it's kind of yes, but
it was but but but officially that is scored as

(10:26):
an error. So anyway, So yeah, I'm sure that's you know,
some of the decisions made on throwers who made the
collision at first base and a flip over, there were
there were different things. Yeah, that was a tough, tough play.

Speaker 5 (10:40):
Absolutely, it was the right call, I thought, because you
got to be able to decide if I'm gonna put
this ball quicker or I'm gonna decide to beat the
batter out. And it felt like she was kind of
stuck in between can I meet her out? Can I
flip it? And then the throw was obviously more towards
the collarbone than it was the glove. So but hey,
game for the night. You know, it's you know, well,
they say the best words in sports are Game seven.

(11:00):
Technically it's not a game seven, it's a Game three.
But we do know the season ends tonight. And okay, see,
so make sure y'all tune in to Retro Austin the
Free iHeart right of app because we got Andrew Haynes on
the call is doing a fantastic job all season long.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
And Andrew joins us next here on this Friday afternoon
on thirteen under the Zone.

Speaker 7 (11:21):
It's The Craig Way Show with the voice of the
Texas Longhorns and Hall of Fame broadcaster Craig Way.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
Here on this Friday afternoon, and a lot of things
to update home.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
Will continue to do that throughout the course of the afternoon.

Speaker 1 (11:39):
But of course we know tonight is the final game
of the collegiate softball season and the Texas Longhorns have
one more shot to win a national title. Texas Tech
evening the best of three series of the game apiece
with the four to three win last night at Devon
Park in Oklahoma City. And so the final game of
the Women's College World Series is tonight, which you can
hear on the iHeart Ready app and just search Retro Austin.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
You'll find it there. Now.

Speaker 1 (12:04):
Uh, we're pleased to have Andrew Hayes, the voice of
Long Horn S Softball, join us again. Andrew, I promise
we'll stop bugging you after after all of this ends here.
But I was I'm curious to get your your review,
your thoughts on the the sequencing of events, both the
good and the app normal a little bit that led

(12:24):
to last night's outcome before we preview tonight's final game,
But how about your thoughts on how the game unfolded
last night.

Speaker 8 (12:34):
Yeah, you know, it was probably again pretty much as
expected early on with the scoreless draw. Nigerie Kennedy, as expected,
was throwing in the circle for Texas Tech and was
you know, a little more hitable this time, but the
Longhorn still couldn't quite get that big hit.

Speaker 9 (12:51):
Mac Morgan did very well.

Speaker 8 (12:52):
Cam Salmon did very well for the first couple innings
and then once she started to face batters for a
second time, she she definitely was getting hit a little more.
They were they were figuring her out a little bit.
So I think the Longhorns they had shots and uh,
you know, they had chances.

Speaker 9 (13:08):
Of course in the seventh inning.

Speaker 8 (13:09):
It's a bit to make a big comeback against the
best pitcher in the country and had the potential tying
run on third.

Speaker 9 (13:14):
I just couldn't get it done.

Speaker 8 (13:16):
And it seemed like every uh, every card that Jerry
Glasgow pulled worked out for Texas Tech and the Mike
White choices, uh, mainly pitching changes. They worked a little
bit but didn't quite pan out in the long run.

Speaker 1 (13:32):
How about your thoughts on this that this is and
you've you've called every game this year, so you know,
but this is a.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
It has been.

Speaker 1 (13:41):
I'm talking about Texas a good fielding team throughout the
course of the of the season, uh, in these past
couple of days, and and I think ESPN did this
thing where they.

Speaker 2 (13:50):
Are extrap lighting out over last year.

Speaker 1 (13:52):
And I don't think he's stocking that because last year
was last year. Different team, some of the same players obviously,
but still a different team. How about your thoughts on
the challenges this particular team has had with a couple
of the defensive things that have happened in the first
couple of games.

Speaker 8 (14:09):
Yeah, you know, all the players who are making mistakes
have made very good plays, have been mostly pretty consistent defensively,
and it just kind of felt like the pressure is
getting to Texas. You know, in the first game of
the series, it was the two errors on balls in
play were committed by players who did not play at

(14:29):
this level last year. Leanne Good did not get into
any of the games in the championship series and Katie
Bennett was playing at Aabline Christian And then yesterday, you know,
Jolie Mitchell has been very good for the most part defensively.

Speaker 9 (14:40):
She just has her lapses from time to time. Made
that short throwing.

Speaker 8 (14:43):
Error, and you know, had a ball off for Glove
and then threw wide of the plate, and I think
things just kind of spiraled then. Obviously not the right
time to have that happen, but it's something that happens,
and they need to really flush it quickly and get
back to where they were previously.

Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, and the other thing that they pointed out again
on the telecast last night, and I was flipping back
forward listening your call and listening to some of them,
and the other thing they pointed out, I guess it
was the shot in the center and Cayden Henry's throwing
his offline, and they pointed out that that she normally
makes a good throw. I don't think she's getting the
runner at the plate anyway. It looked like the runner
was going to score anyway for Tech coming in on

(15:22):
that throw. But we are talking about someone who normally
is really pretty solid there in the outfield, right.

Speaker 8 (15:30):
Yes, absolutely, Cayden has a very good arm, very accurate
for the most part.

Speaker 9 (15:34):
I mean, Matt, she did everything right leading up to it.

Speaker 8 (15:37):
She got a huge running start on that flab ball
to center, and you know, honestly, you think back maybe
had she walked up to where she actually caught it
and might have given the runner on third base just
a slight pause, But then you give up that momentum
going forward. I think because she started so far back,
the runner was like, yeah, I'm tagging, I'm doing.

Speaker 9 (15:56):
This, and see that throw. I mean it was offline.

Speaker 8 (16:00):
Robbibly would have been just slightly late, but who knows
right exactly?

Speaker 1 (16:04):
Talk at Tax of Softball here with Andrew Haynes here
on thirteen hundreds. All right, let's shift forward now to
tonight's game. First and foremost, you're around the team, how
would you describe what the attitude was like and what
their emotional build up was like, you know, both after
the game last night and how it is at the
hotel today as they start to prepare to go over

(16:26):
to Devin Park one final time.

Speaker 8 (16:29):
Yeah, you know, getting back to the hotel last night,
it didn't seem like it was a bunch of you know,
depressed players or anything. They were all standing around talking
with their families, talk with friends, and it looked like
they were able to get over that quickly and you know,
at least realize that, hey, we still have a job
to do this morning. At breakfast, lots of laughs. So

(16:49):
I think they feel like they're it feels like they're
very relaxed and lighthearted, and I don't think it's weighing
too heavily on them.

Speaker 1 (16:56):
Okay, now to the obvious questions, And Cameron made it
a great point there. You know, some of the some
of the uh, the people on social media who don't
follow us off all that well and or or dumbfound
and didn't understand this, didn't understand that, and it's all
and boy, and I hope he and Cavana hope he
goes back clearly that he was planning, uh to save

(17:18):
Teagan for tonight if he could have gotten a couple
of innings from her last night to end it.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
And she did end up coming in.

Speaker 1 (17:24):
Late after taking built the lead, but she's pretty fresh
and ready to go.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
It's every expectation that she'll be in the circle tonight, correct.

Speaker 9 (17:34):
There is no doubt.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah, and she might.

Speaker 8 (17:37):
Mike might have her just the whole the whole game,
even if she gives up a couple of runs. I mean,
she's she's clear the best on the team and she's
who you got to go with in this situation.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
What's the biggest difference you notice in Teagan from when
she was lights out incredible at the start of the
year to when she went through the bumpiness down the
stretch of the regular season and end of the postseason
to picking that back up again. What she has done now,
especially in Oklahoma City, not having allowed and earned run

(18:06):
at this point, if you noticed anything and she talked
about anything, that she's doing differently to get back to
where she was at the start of the year when
she was so dominant, Yeah, it feels.

Speaker 8 (18:17):
Like she's I think more relaxed and more confident. I
think the when the Longhorns went into their slump in
the toward the end of SEC, played the Tennessee LSU
Oklahoma stretch, she started to lose some games, you know,
pretty close, some defensive issues the Longhorns made some you know,
they had the players running to each other and you know,

(18:39):
didn't catch a pop up and all that against Tennessee,
and so I think that might have mentally affected her
for a little bit. But I think once they got
through everything, they got through the SEC tournament and into
the regionals, I think she maybe kind of hit a
reset and she was also it sounds like she was
dealing with some movement issues, like with how she spun
the ball, and she was able to figure something else

(19:01):
out and get back to close to where she was
early on. Of course, early on she struck out a
ton about hers and she hasn't had as many this
this go around, but I think she's still pitching pretty
well like she was early on.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
Now the million dollar question, and that seems to be
the operative figure these days with Nigerie Kennedy, and I
just saw where she signed another seven figure deal for
next year for Texas Tech. It's also going to be
the popular opinion of many who followed baseball a lot

(19:34):
more closely than saftball. Well, she can't obviously be as effective,
she said, this is our third straight game, and as
we pointed out, on many occasions, softball pitching quite a
bit different than baseball pitching. That said, the fact that
the Long Words got a few more hits offen her,
do you see it as a sign maybe of maybe

(19:55):
tiring a little bit. And I also know that she's
had a series this season and where she pitched all
three games of a series. What's your take on what
you saw from Kennedy from Game one to Game two
and where she would be positioned for tonight's final game.

Speaker 8 (20:09):
Yeah, I think Texas did get some better looks against
you yesterday.

Speaker 9 (20:13):
They were certainly able to get more hits.

Speaker 8 (20:16):
And you know, you have to imagine even though softball
pitchers they can go and go, she has to be
a little tired. You know, she has pitched every pitch
for them since the start of the Super Regional. You know,
I really feel like I was, you know, listening to
a podcast to some people reviewing the game last night,
and they were saying that it looked like she she

(20:37):
dug deep down to get that strikeout to end the game,
and so she maybe has a little left in the tank.
But I think, also, you know that that's something that's
not going to happen every time, where she's going to
be exactly on point one hundred percent with every pitch
and the Longhorns are going to get their shots.

Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah, And which brings us back to Reese Atwood, who
had the tremendous hit with the smarts and the wherewithal
in that three to zero pitch to reach out and
drive it in for the game winners in Game one.
It remains the only hit that she's had to this point.
Do you see anything different from her that normally This

(21:16):
is a young woman who says she takes a great
deal of pride in living in the moment and not
trying to do too much. And what was the thing
they were saying that, you know, you know, swing through
the pitch, not at the pitch, that sort of thing.
I know she's expecting more of herself, But how about

(21:37):
your thoughts on you know, the best power hitter in
the history of the University of Texas trying to make
sure that she's a factor into night's game.

Speaker 8 (21:46):
Yeah, I think it's going to be a case of
the best players step up in the biggest moments.

Speaker 9 (21:51):
She has been very close, was it?

Speaker 8 (21:54):
I think last night of the night before one of
the two days, she hit a screaming liner that was
caught in center field. She hit a soaring flyball that
just missed being a fair ball home run down the
left field line. I really feel like she's gonna come
up with something big. She's definitely due, and you know,
hopefully it's not a case where the pressure gets too

(22:15):
much of her. Hopefully the other offense, the other batters
can get on base and score some runs without her
and she'll relax and then maybe she'll have a big
swing late and put it away.

Speaker 1 (22:24):
Hey, what was the press box like last night when
you had that delay for a bit, never wandering around
a lot of nervous energy by those who are covering
the event.

Speaker 8 (22:32):
Yeah, you know, I mean it was just kind of relaxed,
I think, just waiting and waiting to see when we'd
be able to play. You know, people in the Westwood
One radio booth next to me were just kind of
doing their thing and planning out their game. I did
not see Patrick Mahomes at all, as ESPN broadcast showed
him a lot. He was in one of the radio
booths on the other side of the press spotch from

(22:55):
where I was, and you know, there's a lot of
people sitting around because there was lightning.

Speaker 9 (23:00):
So it was just kind of relaxed and just waiting
waiting it out.

Speaker 1 (23:03):
Yeah, he and Brittany had their own suite, so to speak,
being one of those radio boots. Okay, the final question
is kind of silly, but you know a lot of
people in the softball world. First of all, did you
ever see or watch because some folks watched it religiously
others watched it casually and other folks didn't really.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
Watch it all. Were you were you ever into watching
the series the Office?

Speaker 3 (23:25):
I was not?

Speaker 1 (23:26):
Okay, all right, I was going to ask you who
the guys? It sounds just like Toby Flinderson. I think
he's is it Softball World? That the magazine or that
what is it?

Speaker 2 (23:35):
Cam?

Speaker 1 (23:35):
I think it's Softball America? Sawt Paull America. Okay, all right,
So anyway, there's report. He sounds exactly like Toby Flinderson,
the guy for the character.

Speaker 5 (23:44):
That's why if we used the audio from the press
conference from last night, we'll we'll find out what outlet
he is we can.

Speaker 1 (23:52):
Okay, all right, hey Andrew, I appreciate you taking the
time enjoy this. I know as a broadcaster, when you
get to what you know was going to be the
final game, and a lot of times we don't know
that unless it is the ultimate of alt it's either
one end or the other. The end of the season
when there's not going to be a postseason, you know
it's the last game. That's the one you don't want

(24:13):
to have. And then there is the other end where
you know it's the last game because it's the final
game of the season and somebody's going to be crowned
the national champion. So I know you're looking forward to that,
and I appreciate you taking the time to join us today. Right, Thanks, great?
All right, you bet that's Andrew Haynes and you can
hear him call it tonight on the iHeartRadio app and
just search Retro Austin. You'll see it and hear his

(24:34):
outstanding work as Texas tries to claim that national championship.
All right, coming up, it's Friday Cam. And not only
are we going to hear from you in the next
hour with the music survey, what else does Friday meeting?

Speaker 2 (24:49):
As we rolling in conceivable?

Speaker 5 (24:51):
Usually we travel to the more flaccid of the lower
forty eight states and consinal continental North America, America, what
is it in.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
The United States? Yeah, for that second time and reach
for that Lohagen fruit.

Speaker 1 (25:06):
Uh yeah, yeah, that would be Florida man and Florida woman.
We have both this time, so hang on. That'll be
coming up. By the way, just a couple of updates
for you. Four A Division one state championship going on
right now. It is the top of the sixth inning
of Dell Diamond, cal Allen and Pleasant Grove High the Texas,

(25:26):
Canada area tied three to three. Earlier today, Wimberley lost
to heartbreaker. They fell in the four A Division two
final to spring Hill High the Longview area. They lost
five to three. And then tonight there'll be the five
A games, and then tomorrow well there'll be one that

(25:47):
follows this one at four o'clock, and then the second one,
and then tomorrow morning is the one A state championship,
followed by the two six A state finals. Louisville and
Miami getting ready to start their Super Regional Game one.
North Carolina one it's Super Regional Game one, blasting Arizona
eighteen to two. All right up next inconceivable here on

(26:08):
thirteen under the zone.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
Craig away with you.

Speaker 1 (26:10):
And glad to have you with us here on this Friday,
alongside the producer Cameron Parker, getting you called up on
scores of other games. First fall, the ns he's Super
Regionals are underway. North Carolina won game one of its
super Regional in Chapel Hill, beating Arizona eighteen to two.
They scored five in the bottom of the first after

(26:32):
spotting the Wildcats running the top of the first and
they did not look back, so they lead that best
of three to one, game to nine. Miami and Louisville
are playing right now game one. Neither of these teams
were seeded. Miami was a three seed that won the
Hattiesburg Regional. Louisville was a two seed that won the
Nashville Regional, and they are scoreless going to the bottomless

(26:55):
second inning. Miami loaded the bases with nobody out, in
Louisville got out of it, so they're one to the
bottom of the second, no score Louisville in Miami and
the other super regionals get on their way.

Speaker 2 (27:07):
Tonight and tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (27:09):
Meanwhile, also the UIL High School state baseball Championships continue.
They started yesterday where you had brand new state champions
crowned in Class two A.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
Where in.

Speaker 1 (27:27):
Two A Division two, Collinsville made it back to back
state titles. They beat Overton, Centerville beat New Home in
the two A Division one championship game. They won that
with six to one. Collinsville won twelve to nothing in
their state championship game. Thrall unfortunately came up on the
short end. They were run ruled by Wall Wall making

(27:50):
it back to back state titles. Wall over Thraw fourteen
to two and five innings on that one and this
morning in the state championship round in three A Division one,
the three A Division one championship. Actually it was played

(28:11):
last night, not this morning. This morning was for A
Division two, but in three A Division one, the state
championship game that was contested last night. I want to
make sure I get the final score on this correctly,
as they pulled this up here.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
It here it is.

Speaker 1 (28:35):
The state championship was captured by London High of the
Corpus Christie area. They beat Liberty Ilow for to three.
There's also very much a controversial obstruction play that fortunately
did not factor and who won the game because it
was a call that should have been made against Ilo

(28:58):
and it was not. London ended up winning the ball
game anyway. Four to three was the final score of that, okay.
And then this morning Wimberley fell to spring Hill five
to three. Wimberley was up one nothing, scored a run
in the top of the first. They were down as
much as five to one going into their final at
bat in the seventh. They got two runs home and

(29:19):
at the time runs in scoring position when the ball
game ended. Second game of the day is going on
right now, and it is going to the bottom half
of the seventh inning, and it'll be the last chance
for look at this, making sure I got this right.

(29:42):
It'll be the last chance for Pleasant Grove High in
the Texas Kana area, who are trailing cal Allen. Cal
Allen's come up with a couple of runs late and
they're going to the seventh now and Pleasant Grove trails
five to three. So that's in four eight Division one,
and then they have the two five A games later

(30:02):
today schedule to start at four o'clock, defending state champion
Great Vine to take on Kingwood Park. The UMBLEISD is
well represented at the state tournament, as you will see.
That's in five AD two and five AD one. Tonight
is Alito against Smison Valley. Smison Valley trying to pull
off the football baseball double in the same academic and
athletic school. Do you remember Smison Valley won the state

(30:24):
football championship in five AD one and then tomorrow morning,
nine o'clock in the morning the one A state title
Gordon and Fayetteville, followed by the two six A games
at noon tom Ball against Kingwood. That's an umble LIASD school,
tom Bawla defending state champion in six A Division one
Midway High the Waco area against the Task Casita, another

(30:45):
humble As D school. So they've got three schools in
the top two classifications vying for state titles out of
that one.

Speaker 2 (30:53):
So anyway, we'll keep your post on that. And Louisville.

Speaker 1 (30:56):
By the way, he's just taking a two to nothing
lead on the two run homer in the bottom of
the an inning in game one of that super Regional
gets Miami. So there's the update on the games that
are going on right now. Tonight, of course, the final
game of the collegiate softball season, Texas against Texas Tech
as the long Range try to win their first ever

(31:17):
national championship in softball, Texas Tech trying to accomplish the
same thing. I think we'll see the starting pitching matchup
from Game one t get combined for Texas and Nijerie Kennedy,
who has pitched every inning of every game in Oklahoma
City and inclusive of that, the two Super Regional wins

(31:38):
in Tallahassee against Florida State. She'll be in the circle
tonight and Tech winning last night four to three. Texas
did have the tying run at third base when the
ball game ended on the strikeouts. You'll be able to
hear the contest tonight and you can hear it on
the iHeartRadio app with Andrew Haynes on the call.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
So that's that's going on tonight.

Speaker 1 (32:02):
Game two of the NBA Finals will take place on
Sunday night. Last night was Game one and the Indiana
Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. They rallied from down
fifteen points with nine and a half minutes to go.
Tyree'se Halliburton, who was guarding him Wallace, I think on

(32:23):
that last year, Yeah, and I think he just kind
of he peeled off back a little bit because when
off the missed shot by Shake Gilgers Alexander and the
rebound there with I think it was eight seconds to
go when the rebound was pulled down by Pascal Siakaman,
they kicked it out to Halliburton and he's driving it

(32:44):
into the front court. It looks like time is going
to run out on them and they're down one ten,
one oh nine, and he drives to the right side
and he looks to be well guarded. And this is
an ongoing debate always about do you call time out?
Do you not call time out? Rick Carlisle, of course,
was the coach the Mavericks when they won the NBA
title in twenty eleven, has a lot of belief in

(33:06):
these guys and he believes in them to be able
to bring it up the floor and get into a
set quickly enough to get a shot away. I looked
at it and I thought they're not going to get
a shot off because he looked to be well guarded,
but he was able to step around Wallace was Haliburton
and rise up and knock down his fifth game time,

(33:27):
go ahead or winning basket in the playoffs since he's
been in the league, which ties him for second all time.
I guess three behind Lebron, who has like eight of those.
My question to you, Cameron is who are the people
who said he was the most overrated player in the NBA?

Speaker 5 (33:47):
So I think that's been blown out of proportion because
they'd build NBA survey.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
Do you know how many players were surveyed?

Speaker 3 (33:55):
No?

Speaker 2 (33:55):
Thirteen? Oh, for heaven's sakes.

Speaker 5 (33:58):
And for some reason that like that wasn't a fact
that was made known to the public, so a lot
of these people. And I understand it too, because when
the list came out of this is so stupid, and
then trying to understand it and it's like, how is
this guy, Oh, thirteen players were picked? Well, I think
all thirteen may have been on the Cleveland Cavaliers at
this point because the list doesn't make any sense. And

(34:19):
I think most NBA players, if you if you if
you pulled the entire league, it would not be Tyrese
Halliburton so and it certainly won't be next year. I
don't understand, like why this is looked at as a
credible survey if you're only gonna you know what if
a thirteen people you're these thirteen players, it could be

(34:41):
fantas Todkoumpo, who doesn't even play. You know, it could
be anybody. It doesn't mean it's Lebron James or Kevin Durant.
It could be anybody who was just available in the
area when the reporter conducted the survey.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
And I think you you can disagreement with me if
you want on this. I think that the players who
are the best players in the league would not have
voted that. And know they know ball and they know
it when they see it.

Speaker 5 (35:11):
He was I mean, he was on he made it
the Team USA last summer. So that tells you, Okay, well,
Steve curtisesn't think he's overrated Lebron and Katie and step
because they probably would have had to say and like,
hey let's go after you know, Jalen Brown over Tyreese
haliburt he's not overrated. I don't understand. I would love

(35:31):
to know who the thirteen players are. Yeah, and at
this point, you know some of these things, Craig, You
know some of these players don't take it seriously either,
you know, they just kind of vote for their bodies,
or they vote.

Speaker 2 (35:40):
For people they don't.

Speaker 5 (35:41):
Maybe they just have beat for Tyree Halib Maybe Tyree
stole on the guy's girlfriends.

Speaker 1 (35:44):
He's pissed off about it. Anything's possible in that, Okay.
So anyway, it's one zip.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
Indiana.

Speaker 1 (35:56):
I saw somebody post on social media today and I
had to think about it for a second realize they're
exactly right. They said they were hoping the Indiana Pacers
become the first team in history to win an ABA
title and an NBA title. I don't I know you don't,
but I'm saying I had to think about it, and

(36:18):
they're what they were saying is correct, because immediately there
are a whole bunch of knee jerk reactions.

Speaker 2 (36:22):
Wait a minute, what about the Nuggets. Nuggets never won
an ABA title. What about Spurs?

Speaker 1 (36:27):
They've won four NBA titles, True, never won an ABA title.
In fact, the Spurs never went to an ABA finals.

Speaker 2 (36:35):
And we have to remember also about the Spurs.

Speaker 1 (36:37):
Their their ancestry is as a team that played in
the ABA for the first six years I think the
Dallas Chaparrals and UH sixty six, sixty seven, sixty seven,
sixty eight, sixty eight, sixty nine, ninety seventy seventy. Yeah,

(36:57):
their first six years they were were in Dallas as
the Chaparrals. They played at the old Dallas Memorial Auditorium,
which by the way, is being completely redone and reconfigured
for the Dallas Wings, the WNBA team.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
It's downtown Downtown arena.

Speaker 1 (37:15):
And they also played at Moody Coliseum on the SMU campus.
There was one year where they were called the Texas
Chaparrals and they played some games in Lubbock.

Speaker 2 (37:24):
I think in Waco.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
They played in different places, but they wound up selling
back in Dallas. Well, after the seventy two to seventy
three season, they moved to San Antonio became the Spurs,
so they only had like three seasons. In the end,
ABA is the Spurs, So they didn't win an ABA title,

(37:46):
but they won four NBA titles clearly. So that and
the Denver Nuggets got to the ABA Finals and lost
to the Nets. The Nets when they got to the
NBA Finals several years ago, had a chance to be
the first team to win an ABA and NBA title

(38:08):
didn't happen. They lost to the Lakers. Same thing with
the Pacers lost to the Lakers. Now here are the
Pacers up one game to none in the NBA Finals.
In speaking of the Nets, the leader of that team
on the floor was Jason Kidd, and there is a
report out today that says the New York Knicks are
interested in talking with Jason Kidd about their coaching vacancy.

(38:32):
Kid has two years remaining on his contract, the extension
he got with the Mavericks after getting to the Western
Conference finals or at the NBA Finals last year. He's
got two years left on that extension of his contract.
But would any of us be surprised if Nico let

(38:53):
him go and didn't try to get any compensation for it.
Of that let him go if he wanted to become
the coach with the Knicks. I mean, the next are
taking some heavy swings here. We got Jason Kidd and
then also this is all waiting reported by Ian Begley,
who I think it's with ESPN that addition Jason Kidd,

(39:13):
they are trying trying to contact Chris Finch, the t
Wolves coach, and also the Rockets head coach Im Udoka,
three coaches who I don't think would be on the move.

Speaker 5 (39:25):
I mean, I don't know. I think Udoka has got
something special brewing in Houston. I think the same thing
with Chris Finch. Now he's Jason I don't know, you know.
I mean, although Kid did seem to be somewhat a
part of the Luca trade based off of Jason Kidd's
uh comments after that trade. But that's the thing, Craig,
when when you fire a coach like that, like okay,

(39:47):
so then who's your guy?

Speaker 3 (39:48):
You know?

Speaker 5 (39:48):
I think I think about a lot with college sports,
you know, when Texas football has gone through a couple
of periods where we got to fire a head coach. Okay,
then who you're going to hire? Who's the guy in
for New York? They don't They don't have that guy
right now. I mean, I think their time with Tips
had come to an end. But usually there's a no

(40:09):
brainer option, and it looks like they don't have the
no brainer because they're going after three coaches who were
a part of well, two teams that were top ranked
seeds in the playoffs, and another one that you think
might end up being there. And we'll have the like
Jason Kidson, a number one draft pick. I think he
wants to coach Cooper flag Over, maybe Jalen Brunson in

(40:30):
cap And I could be wrong, but you know, I
think a lot of these organizations they make a misstep.
And I'm on the record sing I think there was
time for the move on for TIBs, but you got
to have someone else in mind.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
Here's New York is just kind of swinging for the fences.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
Here.

Speaker 1 (40:44):
Whenever the University of Texas in recent years, since Crystal
Conte has been the athletic director, whenever they've made a
coaching change, they've had somebody in mind. It's happened. In
all three cases in the big sports, it happened, and
really and truly it happened, including women's basketball as well. Yeah,
he had his sight set on Vic Schaeffer to be

(41:05):
the new women's basketball head coach. We know he had
a site set on and in this the power nexus
that included Kevin Eltivee, the Border regent's chairman, and the
university president as well, since now left to go to SMU,
the three of them kind of operating as one unified

(41:25):
force that brought in sark As the football coach. Jim
schwas Nigles the baseball coach. Sean Miller now is the
men's basketball coach. So that's how that has worked up.
Do you think the Dallas Stars have anybody in mind
for folks on all No, they fired their coach this morning,
Peter de Boort. Three straight trips to the Western Conference
finals not good enough.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
They fired him. They have somebody else in mind.

Speaker 5 (41:50):
Yeah, I saw the news this morning. It kind of
felt like things were a little bit ominous after the
Western Conference Finals. I mean, look, the run that the
Boris had in Dallas has been sitable with five seasons
for Western Conference Finals, one Stanley Cup appearance with the
COVID season, but just haven't gotten over that hump, and

(42:11):
you know, looking at the playoffs, their run to the
Western Conference finals. Okay, the first series, was it the Avalanche,
I'm losing my memory here, Yes, yes, led for like
what three minutes in the entire series, and when at
second round, you know, I thought they were the better team.
And then against Edmonton outside of Edmonton just committing twenty

(42:33):
penalties to start the third period, allowing dabtas to take
advantage and power play goals.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
They got completely outplayed.

Speaker 5 (42:38):
And you can see, you know, there's an argument that, hey,
you know, well Hayskinnon came back injured, Robertson was banged up.
Is it the Bower's fault that Jamie Benn disappeared, that
Duquine disappeared, that all these guys didn't play well. You know,
it could be yes, it could be no. But you know,
kind of the same thing with TIBs. Right, I think
it's okay that after a period of time, maybe it's

(42:58):
okay for people to break up. Right, Obviously, it's they've
had some success, more success than they probably have had
in a five year span than in any other span
in franchise history, but it seems like it was time
for both parties to move away now. In terms of
their next option, I don't know. I don't know hockey
well enough, so I'll defer to all the hockey fans

(43:19):
out there. But hopefully, hopefully there's somebody in mind. I mean,
Jim nil has been a fantastic GM the moves he
made and means what. He's won two straight Gem of
the Year awards, and I think so hopefully Jim and
the ownership group have somebody in mind.

Speaker 3 (43:36):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (43:36):
Maybe's Tips. May you hire Tips? Just play his can in?
Okay sixty minutes? Yeah, that would work. Okay, just up there.

Speaker 2 (43:45):
One thing.

Speaker 1 (43:46):
Congratulations Cal ale and Wildcats. They win the four A
Division one high school baseball state championship. Be Pleasant Grove
for Texas or Canada. So Steve Chapman, the longtime head
coach at Cal Allen, now is one one, two, three
four state titles two thousand, two thousand and five, two
thousand and eight, and now twenty five. So congratulations to him. Okay,

(44:09):
we've stalled long enough. Up next, Cameron Parker takes the
music survey when we continue on thirteen under the Zone,
third and final hour of the program here on thirteen
hundred Zone Craig Way and the producer Cameron Parker, who
just completed the music survey. He'll post that on our
web page at A thirteen under the Zone dot com.

(44:31):
I'll post that on the social media outlets we have
to let you know the questions and his responses to
that music survey. We will be doing the music survey
on Fridays throughout the course of the summer with different
members of our staff and special guests doing that. Coming
up in a few minutes, Geene Watson from the Chicago
White Sox front office to talk to Major League Baseball

(44:51):
with us. But of course tonight is the third and
final game of the Women's College World Series National Championship Series.
Texas in Texas, attack or even at a game apiece.
This is the response for Mike White and Texas players.
After long Orange dropped Game two last night, four three
to the Red Raiders.

Speaker 10 (45:11):
Yeah, obviously an exciting game, a tough finish to it,
you know, obviously getting down against Niger full one. We
made a good, good fight to come back, but we
got down with some uncharacteristic eras there and some misplays,
but they took advantage of some good base running and
everything else. Very exciting game for TV again, obviously a

(45:33):
team never gave up. Full back, real proud of the
way the team did that. We've got to come back
now and face Niger again for sure, and we're gonna
have to kind of work really hard to get some
runs and then obviously you know, shut them down as well.

Speaker 11 (45:48):
Questions for players, Okay, starting front right left.

Speaker 12 (45:54):
Thomas Jones, Austin, American States, When Katie or Leanne or
or Katie, is there anything you've learned against Naja in
two games that could help you tomorrow and what would
that be.

Speaker 13 (46:07):
She's gonna attack the zone, and so just be ready
to hunt early and get my pitch, not chase too
far out his zone, and just be ready to attack
because she's just gonna come at us. She's not gonna
dance around the zone, and so just being ready to
go from anyone.

Speaker 4 (46:21):
Yeah, I think very similar.

Speaker 2 (46:23):
She's gonna go right at you.

Speaker 14 (46:24):
She's not afraid to throw her pitch early on and
even later on in the account, so she's very fearless
out there, and so you have to do the same
going up there.

Speaker 15 (46:33):
Yeah, she mixes speed well, and so just going up
there and picking a pitch, you have to take risk.
So sitting on one or sitting on fast, you have
to take risk at this level especially and this kind.

Speaker 16 (46:44):
I guess second or left Sedri goldenaust in the American States,
when Leanne is this in field playing faster than then
Philip Macombs because there's been some hot shots and it
seems like the ball is bouncing a lot faster up Yeah.

Speaker 15 (47:00):
But still no excuse as the infield in your node
to attack the ball. So just having that mindset, even
though we may know that the field is playing faster,
just going and attacking the ball.

Speaker 4 (47:09):
Okay, we've got through. Left in the corner for Beck here.

Speaker 7 (47:14):
For any of you, what do you expect Tigan's mentality
to be like tomorrow? You've seen her in big moments.
Can you kind of take us into what she's going
to be thinking and why you have so much trust
in her for tomorrow?

Speaker 2 (47:26):
She's going to compete.

Speaker 13 (47:27):
She's been been in some of our biggest moments, and
so she's not gonna shy down from it.

Speaker 2 (47:31):
She's gonna give us.

Speaker 13 (47:32):
Her all for however long we need her or however
long she's ready to give us, and trusting her, She's
gonna trust herself and trust her defense and being there
to back her up so she can throw what she
needs to throw.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, I agree to it.

Speaker 14 (47:44):
I think every game she comes into she has just
a super tough mentality, and I don't think that's going
to change in Game three of this series. And I think,
if anything, it's going to make her stronger. And I
know she wants it for herself, but as well as
the entire team. So I think she comes out there
tomorrow with the office mean talley she's ever had.

Speaker 4 (48:03):
Can we get a second and left?

Speaker 17 (48:04):
Kirk Kirk Bowls from Houston Chronicle Leanne, you guys, as
your coach said, made some money characters that cares you know,
last night and tonight and they got some runs on bases,
loaded stuff, as you know. Do you feel like y'all
didn't make tech hernit enough.

Speaker 3 (48:22):
Tonight? Yeah?

Speaker 15 (48:24):
I think we beat ourselves at the end of the day,
Coach White obviously says Ben, but don't break and we
broke down. So to just coming together tomorrow and just
banding together, I think that's what we needed the most.
I mean, what happened happened. But coming out tomorrow and
banding together is a defense.

Speaker 2 (48:40):
Can we go front?

Speaker 9 (48:40):
Right?

Speaker 4 (48:40):
Left?

Speaker 12 (48:41):
Thomas Thomas Jones lost in American Statesmen, LeAnn. When you
have a freshman picture in there like Cambria, what can
you say to them to help them as opposed to
more veteran picture like like mac or.

Speaker 15 (48:54):
T And Yeah, I think the whole time I was
just saying that you're meant to be here, and you
want this, you want to win this, and you're going
to win this pitch. And I think she was looking
at me nodding her head, and honestly, I think she
was in it the whole time. I didn't see any
pear on her face. And I'm really proud of her
the way she came out and pitch for us.

Speaker 4 (49:11):
More questions for players, Okay, we go second round?

Speaker 17 (49:18):
Left, Kirk, Katie, are you wondering when Nigel is going
to break down or wear down or do you think
she just a machine at this point?

Speaker 9 (49:28):
No, I think she's just ready to go.

Speaker 13 (49:29):
She's going to give it all for her team, and
so she's not going to back down from this moment.
I've heard in an interview in the past that she
said she's got summer to rest, and so she's just
going to keep fighting for her team and for the
history that they're looking for. And so it's just keeping
our game what we want and how we're going to
attack her, staying together and just keep fighting.

Speaker 4 (49:48):
Okay, last one for players third or left corner, how.

Speaker 7 (49:51):
Do you guys describe this opportunity in front of you tomorrow,
what this means and what's going to take to actually
bring it home?

Speaker 14 (50:00):
For me at least, you know, we may have lost
this game, but I'm so smiling because we get another
opportunity to go out there and win. And I think
this team is just so excited to get out there again.
And we know that wasn't our best game, but we
have a new opportunity to come out with a fresh
start tomorrow, a new twenty one outs to play with,
and I think, you know, we want to win this
so much. I mean, especially my class. We've done this

(50:21):
three times and we don't want to lose it in.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
A third time.

Speaker 14 (50:24):
So I think all of us just have that fire
in us to win it.

Speaker 15 (50:27):
Yeah, even though the score said quarter three at the end,
we took the momentum and that top of the seventh,
So just taking and running with that.

Speaker 6 (50:34):
We have the momentum.

Speaker 13 (50:35):
Yeah, we showed how badly we want this in our
fight in the seventh inning, and so just using that
momentum that we gained from that inning into tomorrow and
just starting out early instead of waiting entirely too long
to fight while our backs are against the wall, and
so just keep going at it. We want this really bad.
Both teams want to make history. It's just whoever wants
it more.

Speaker 4 (50:55):
Okay, that'll wrap things up for players, Thank you, you're
just messing.

Speaker 11 (51:00):
Yeah, we'll start the coach questions for coach front right right, David.

Speaker 17 (51:12):
You mentioned that un characteristic here to night, but yesterday
was worrying.

Speaker 9 (51:17):
Well, what do you attribute that to?

Speaker 6 (51:19):
You know's that's a good question.

Speaker 10 (51:21):
I think that, uh, maybe some indecision, some miscommunications between
the infielders.

Speaker 6 (51:27):
There was some squip. There's been some different types of plays.

Speaker 10 (51:30):
Obviously there was a couple of you know, KB head
one last night and so did the end we didn't charge,
you know, didn't.

Speaker 4 (51:37):
It wasn't aggresive.

Speaker 10 (51:38):
It's like they said, they're gotta be aggresive and then
the squibbers and those funny ones. Those things can happen sometimes,
so we just got to pull it together and understand
what we made those plays before, and we just got
to communicate bit on what we're doing.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
Okay, we got front right.

Speaker 12 (51:50):
Left, Thomas Thomas johnsas American Statesman. Uh, your freshman was
then she was thrown into the fire. Did you think
about bringing Teaguing in when they had the runners, I
think on the corners with the two outs or bases
loaded the two outs, and what was the plan on
using Teaguing tonight?

Speaker 10 (52:07):
Yeah, it was a little lilier than I really wanted
to bring her in. I was hoping you're trying to
get a lead and then bring her in to close
the door. So, you know, we wanted to extend Nayger
a little bit. I know she's a work course, but
we got to look at her, you know, three four
times through the orders tonight, so there's another couple of
good looks. They got to see her teaking, you know,
just three or four batters. So we're hoping that's kind

(52:28):
of plan in our favorite tomorrow.

Speaker 16 (52:30):
Okay, we got a second our levet cetera, Hey, Mike
Cedria Golden, Austin American statesman Katie Stewart said, you guys
took the bull, bent them back in the seventh inning.

Speaker 2 (52:38):
How does that? How do you carry that over?

Speaker 3 (52:40):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (52:41):
Even though the results didn't speak in your favor.

Speaker 10 (52:44):
I'm not sure what else you're suppoined to do with that,
you know, So it's it is, Uh, You've got to
you gotta be confident in what you're doing.

Speaker 6 (52:50):
We hit the ball pretty well.

Speaker 10 (52:51):
We scored three runs, two runs and the seventh th
innings off one of the best pictures in the country.

Speaker 6 (52:55):
And like the lady said, we're just waiting too long.
Tiur backs against the wall.

Speaker 10 (52:58):
So we got to come out and understand what we
want this or we don't want this, and if we're
going to fight or not fight, and it's a little
about chicksa fight, and we need to stand out for
each other, play together, and play tough.

Speaker 11 (53:09):
Right from this first pitch or questions for coach. Okay,
we'll go thirder our loft in the corner. Obviously, teaging
on this stage is somewhere. You know, she's she's used
to this, She's been in big moments. Her tomorrow How
excited are you to see her in that moment? And
why is there so much trust in her?

Speaker 6 (53:28):
It's just the consistency she's showing here in the postseason.
We know she's gonna do her stuff.

Speaker 10 (53:33):
She's got a edible, three different types of pitches that's
hip for him to sit on here, and when she
has her stuff, she's as good as anybody in the country,
and so we feel real confident in that. I think
they're also going to give our team more confidence and
buoyancy behind her, you know, and that feeling of we've
got each other's backs, and I think they feel more
confident with teaking.

Speaker 6 (53:52):
On the mound than anybody else.

Speaker 4 (53:54):
Okay, we got a second our left, Kirk.

Speaker 17 (53:56):
Yeah, Mike, do you feel like there are any nerves
because there's the stakes are so big in this game
since y'all have made some weird plays that are usually.

Speaker 6 (54:05):
Haven't, I'm also sure about nerves.

Speaker 10 (54:07):
I mean, they want to be perfect, you know, and
so when they make mistakes, sometimes they can't release it,
and so the things compound.

Speaker 6 (54:13):
I mean, that's something that's happened this year.

Speaker 10 (54:15):
So but you know, they've played on the stage before
and we've got sixteen players that have been out there before.
And but then sometimes you can think about, you know,
there's more to lose than it is to win, and
so we got to kind of understand this is a
game right here, we need to It's going to require
our best effort in the biggest moments, and so that's
all they can really look at is just go out
and give their best effort and live with the results.

Speaker 12 (54:38):
Okay, we go front where I left Thomas Jones last
in American States. When you're in a position to close
out Texas for the first time, how does that change
the way you approach a game, you know, whether strategically philosophically,
as opposed to face an elimination.

Speaker 10 (54:56):
Well, I like having the opportunity to have the last
of bat for sure. You know, that give an opportunity
to kind of like, you know, finish the game, so
to speak, what we did the other night. But really,
you know, we've talked all year about the game doesn't know,
and the game's not going to know this is the
final finale and that and whatever it is.

Speaker 6 (55:12):
It's going to warld the team that plays the best.

Speaker 10 (55:13):
And oh sure we got some momentum, but if we
don't back it up with a good quality at bats,
some quality defense, and some quality pitching, it's not going
to matter. The game will know who's the bit of
team on the day, and that's what's going to really count.
So we got to make sure we come out know
what we're going to do, have a game plan, stick
to our game plan, and attack. I think we got
a little defensive in times, especially later in the game.

(55:36):
With that defense, we got on the back foot instead
of being a little more aggressive and making the plays
when we need to make the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (55:42):
Okay, last one front right.

Speaker 18 (55:44):
Lauren Roller with the athletic coach Tiggs, always seemed really
good at harnessing her emotions in the circle. What kind
of poker face do you expect from her tomorrow or
what kind of emotions do you expect her to show
during the game.

Speaker 6 (55:55):
I think she'd be guided.

Speaker 10 (55:56):
You know, she's not gonna you know, we're emotions on
the sleeves, but this moments, she's gonna, you know, pump
up and fire and show her emotions to a team
to did their team know that she's giving me everything
she has.

Speaker 6 (56:08):
I think she's telling to do a little more of that,
and what she's done in the past.

Speaker 2 (56:11):
So there it is.

Speaker 1 (56:12):
That was the press conference with Texas head coach Mike
White and long warn sawt Paull players on the eve
now of tonight's National Championship game. You can hear it
on the iHeartRadio at beginning at six forty five up. Next,
we talk Major League Baseball with Geene Watson from the
Chicago White Sox front office. When we continue on this
Friday afternoon on thirteen under the Zone as we do

(56:33):
every week, with Geene Watson, the director of player Personnel
for the Chicago White Sox, who joins us, we're told
from a batting practice, which batting practice are you at
right now?

Speaker 2 (56:44):
Gino.

Speaker 19 (56:45):
I'm actually with the team in Chicago. We're playing the
Kansas City Royals tonight, which has been a lot of
fun because I've seen a lot of my old friends
and players. And we'll be here for the weekend and
I'll be going with a team to Houston for the
series against the Astros on Tuesdays.

Speaker 1 (57:00):
There you go, all right, hey, and and uh, I
preface this by saying that I understand how you approached
what you did and uh, the job that you were
getting into when when you first went into the White

(57:22):
Sox understanding that they were going to be in a
difficult situation and whatever, going and lose a record amount
of games and all that other kind of stuff. I
get all that, uh, but but I am curious to
try to get your thoughts on this, the mere fact
that last year, for all the struggles that that the

(57:46):
that your ball club had, that the White Sox had,
and going for here, they are halfway to that total
right now and looking like they've got lots the signs
of life right now. So I am kind of curious
with your ball club at the moment being twenty and
forty three and I know, well out of first place,

(58:08):
but still vastly improved over last year. How about your
thoughts on the on the stride your own ball club
is made.

Speaker 3 (58:16):
Yeah, Craig, we're very excited.

Speaker 19 (58:17):
I mean we we know we in a calendar year,
we've probably acquired you know, seven first round talents, either
via the draft or via trade. You know, we acquired
Shane Smith, arguably one of the best pitchers in the
American League right now, via the Rule five draft. We
called up Kyle Till who we acquired in the Garrett
crochet deal today. So you know, you look for you know,

(58:40):
you look for incremental improvements, and we just we just
split with the Tigers, arguably the best team in baseball,
and so you know, more than trying to you know,
find out who's going to be your long term on
the field and off the field, you're looking for a
culture change and you're looking for gradual improvements. And if
you just put your head down and go to work
and do the best you can every day from the
player personnel sign.

Speaker 3 (59:00):
One day you look up and you've got a good
baseball team.

Speaker 19 (59:03):
And y'all just looking at the Royals and what they
did last year was very, you know, very satisfying for
me to be a big part of a lot of
that roster, and you know they had struggled a while
since the fifteen World Series, and so you know, it's
what makes it's the joy of the job. It's art
without an audience. To be able to just acquire as
many player as you possibly can, as many creative ways

(59:25):
as you possibly can, and to put a good team
on the field after years of that is really really fun.

Speaker 1 (59:29):
Geno, tell folks why in your learned opinion, because your
evaluative tools are beyond questioning and approach. So tell folks
a little bit why a youngster like Kyle Teel, who's
just been called up from Triple A Charlotte is ready
for this step, is ready for the major leagues to

(59:52):
be as young as he is and as new to
the game that he is ready to play this game
at the highest level.

Speaker 3 (01:00:00):
I don't think you ever know.

Speaker 19 (01:00:01):
I think when you look at Jackson Holliday last year
with Baltimore, you know cag le Own's been up four days,
he's won for eleven. I don't think you ever know.
I think you've got to look at the quality of
that at bats. I think you've got to look at
the best potential scenarios offensively that they're facing in their
at bats in TRIPLEA. But this is a whole other
animal up here, and the information is so great that

(01:00:24):
I don't think you ever really know how they're gonna do.
And even if they come up and they do well
in the beginning, the league.

Speaker 3 (01:00:30):
Is going to adjust to them.

Speaker 19 (01:00:31):
So what you're really trying to do is get them
adjusted to the culture, adjusted to the travel, the workload
from a preparation standpoint, integrating with their teammates, you know,
being a part of big culture. And Kyle Teel is
a tremendous, tremendous offensive player. He's a great athlete out
of the University of Virginia. He can move around the diamond,

(01:00:51):
but he happens to play a premium position behind the plate.
So we felt like with the way our ball club
was playing, that if we can piece by piece bring
young guys up to just interject some energy and some
talent in our roster, that again, one day we would
have a good team. And so I don't think you
ever really know how they're going to perform, but you
just look at some indicators and they're at bats and

(01:01:12):
the way they're going about at triple A when you
make that decision.

Speaker 1 (01:01:14):
Would you say that that is the biggest challenge for
a young prospect coming up is to adjust to the adjustments,
because you can come up, might have some initial success
and then guys starting to figure them out a little bit,
whether they're a position player or a pitcher, and then
making the adjustments to the opponent's adjustments. And in your view,

(01:01:37):
which is it more difficult for a position player or
a pitcher, I.

Speaker 3 (01:01:41):
Think it's way more difficult for a position player.

Speaker 19 (01:01:44):
The pitching is so dominant right now, the power pitching
like Kyle Tiel, Jack Tagleone. They're going to see every
pitcher that steps on that mound is going to be
like one out of five they see at the Triple
A level.

Speaker 3 (01:01:58):
And so that's love. You do a good living. So
that's going to be the biggest adjustment.

Speaker 19 (01:02:02):
Is like you see a guy on a Friday night
in Triple A and you may not see that guy
again for five days. You see it every time they
step on the mound at the major league level. And
just the information they have on your strengths, your weaknesses,
the heat maps, you know where they can go for chase,
you know where they can go with two strikes. Is
is an enormous adjustment for these hitters.

Speaker 1 (01:02:25):
Talking Major League Baseball with Geene Watson here on thirteen
under the Zone, I'm always fascinated by long time veteran,
long time relief pitchers, especially closers, guys who've been around
the game a long time years. Kenley Jansen still like,
you know, earning a living pitching for the Angels these days,

(01:02:47):
and there's guys been around long time. Probably nobody who
has been around much longer than Craig Kimberl and he
has made the rounds in the National League and in
the American League, and al the Brad's had picked him
up again were it all started for him? I guess,
and they had signed in a minor league contract at Gwinnette.
He's thirty seven, spent his first five years with the Braves,

(01:03:08):
one hundred and eighty six saves during that time, and
so now he's up with that. In your view, what
are what are the Braves looking for from a guy
like Kimberll since they've had some bullpenning complosions of late,
and what do you think a guy like that still
has even though his style, his pitches are pretty much known,

(01:03:30):
pretty well known around Major League Baseball, aren't they?

Speaker 6 (01:03:34):
Well?

Speaker 19 (01:03:34):
Number One, it's the result of all the injuries that
are taking place in the game. And if you have
any linked at all right now and you become a
free agent. And if you look at a Jose Arena
this week, you know we picked up Adrian Howser, who's
just been outstanding for us from round row.

Speaker 3 (01:03:52):
And so if you have any kind of link, number one.

Speaker 19 (01:03:55):
You've got all the value in the world. And if
one team lets you go, another team's going to pick
you right up. But but from a short work reliever
standpoint two. Things one is and this is where players
and I say this to young players all the time,
what kind of teammate you are and how you go
about your business every day within the confines of your
clubhouse is ultimately going to determine your the length of

(01:04:17):
your career way more than your ability is because premp
Timberl has been around forever, one of the best closures
in the game of baseball, went all the way back
to Triple A. And the reason he's back is because
of what kind of teammate he is. And so number one,
just you know in the clubhouse he's going to add
a great deal to the young pitchers. And number two,
no fear. I mean they know when he steps on

(01:04:38):
the mound, there's absolutely zero fear. Houston Street was the
same way. And I could go on and on with
guys that that that pitch long beyond There's Corey Knabel,
years beyond their ability. But because they were great teammates
and they had absolutely no fear to the way they
went about it, their careers are extended a little bit longer,
and it's a great lesson for young that being a

(01:05:01):
great teammate and blending into the needs of the organization
are always going to carry you longer than your overall
ability at the end.

Speaker 1 (01:05:08):
Interesting, all right, I want to get your impressions on
the performance of some teams of late. Tampa Bay is
five back of the Yankees. They're five above five hundred.
They're thirty four to twenty nine, and they come off
that inexplicable ninth inning against the Rangers last night.

Speaker 2 (01:05:25):
I don't know if you've got a chance to see.

Speaker 1 (01:05:26):
I have never seen two runs scored on a ground
ball to second base that did not involve an error.
And I know you've seen scores of baseball. I don't
know if you've ever seen any thing like that, but
that just absolutely thunderstruck me. But what about your thoughts
on what you've seen from the Rays playing obviously at
stein Brenner Field right now.

Speaker 19 (01:05:47):
Nobody in baseball does more was less than the Tampa
Bay Rays. They just have an incredible infrastructure in the
way they do their work and the way they acquire players.
And I will tell you that twenty nine clubs are
always afraid to make trades with the because they're wondering
what they know about the player that you don't know,
and they've got an unbelievable system. We rolled through their
system to day as we began to create our trade

(01:06:09):
deadline board, and their.

Speaker 3 (01:06:10):
System is amazing.

Speaker 19 (01:06:11):
So if they can hang around within you know, two
three games into the trade deadline, one of the advantages
that they have over most organizations is they have a
very good minor league system, and so if they want
to go for it, they can. They have the pieces
to add whatever they may need. But they do they
just do such a great job of evaluating not only
their players, but players from other organizations and knowing how

(01:06:33):
to fix them when they when they acquire them.

Speaker 2 (01:06:35):
How about the Twins.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
You mentioned the Tigers may be the best team in
baseball right now. Certainly the record reflects that they have
the best record. Twins are trying to hang in there.
They're six back right now, and they'd had some injuries
as well. What about what you're seeing from Minnesota.

Speaker 19 (01:06:48):
Yeah, they've been they've been hit by the injury by
They went on that good two week run where they
won twelve out of fourteen, and they've they've been a
little bit streaky since because of the injuries, and there's
really nothing new can do when you when you get
struck by that. But they have to have Byron Buckston
on the field. But rockaball Delhi, one of the best
managers in the game of baseball, has that team prepared

(01:07:09):
every night. And they're certainly again another minor league system
that's fairly talented. So they're they're going to be in
this thing throughout the summer and into the race.

Speaker 1 (01:07:18):
I always ask you about the two teams in this
state that the Asters and Rangers. I know you're going
to see the Asteroids early next week. They won seven
of their last ten and and now they're up a
game and a half on Seattle.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
What are the Asteroids doing well right now?

Speaker 19 (01:07:31):
It's just amazing to me. And I can't say enough
the job that they do. I mean, you lose all
those players and they just hang around. You lose Bregman,
you lose Tucker, you lose Ferlander, and they just seemed
the way they have such a great culture down there
and the expectations drive the results that you know, they
just find.

Speaker 3 (01:07:50):
A way where they may.

Speaker 19 (01:07:52):
Have a little bit difficult time is if they want
to really add to the team.

Speaker 3 (01:07:55):
The system is not the strongest in the world.

Speaker 19 (01:07:57):
They've got a few pieces that they could, you know,
completely mortgage the future on, but the payroll is up
there a little bit. The system is not what it
once was, but they have a very very unique infrastructure
in the way that they just get it done. And
here they are again in the race.

Speaker 2 (01:08:13):
All right, and in the Nationalage.

Speaker 1 (01:08:14):
You want to ask about the Cubs again because they
have the best record in the National League and they've
won eight of their last ten ballgames.

Speaker 3 (01:08:21):
Yeah, this is a team Craig Council.

Speaker 19 (01:08:23):
You know, everybody kind of vibrated when he left Milwaukee
and went to Chicago, and they didn't have the kind
of season they were expecting last year. But it does
take a little time to bring things together from a
culture standpoint and get things just the way you liked him.
And they have done an unbelievable job in adding to
that team, and they've really.

Speaker 3 (01:08:41):
Got it going on right now.

Speaker 19 (01:08:42):
They're one of the higher power offensive clubs in the
world and they have arguably the top catalyst in the
game right now in Pete crow Armstrong, who is turning
into a budding star and really somebody that has taken
the game by surprise, and so they're going to be here.
They've got an unbelievable system up high. Not a team
in baseball that's not going to want to make a
deal with them because they have bats that other teams

(01:09:04):
don't have, and they're certainly going to be in contention
for that title at the end.

Speaker 2 (01:09:08):
He's GANE.

Speaker 1 (01:09:08):
Watson, the director player personnel from the Chicago White Sox,
and he joins us each week to talk baseball here
on the program. Do you know, I appreciate the time,
have a great weekend, and we'll look forward to the
next week.

Speaker 3 (01:09:19):
All right, crag, take care, thanks so much.

Speaker 2 (01:09:20):
You bet.

Speaker 1 (01:09:21):
That's Geen Watson there as the White Sox get ready
to play the Royals tonight. We got some other topics
to get to and we'll get to those when we
come back here on thirteen. Under the Zone a Friday

(01:09:51):
afternoon and Cameron Parker's personal Fired Up Friday, fire me
Up Friday. It is fire me right, that's what you
do you go with, fire me up, not fired up,
it's fire me up Friday.

Speaker 3 (01:10:04):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:10:04):
Yeah, but it's been even fired down the day.

Speaker 1 (01:10:07):
Yeah, I know you're trying to get yourself trying to
work back up into that. Part of his disappointment, certainly
was the Longhorn softball team's four to three loss last
night to Texas Tech Azeri Kennedy. Kennedy, by the way,

(01:10:27):
it was announced today has has come up with another
seven figure n I L deal, so she will be
back for the Texas Tech Red Raiders in twenty twenty six,
regardless of what happens tonight at Devon Park at Oklahoma City.

(01:10:48):
After the win for Texas Tech last night, head coach
Jerry Glasgow offered some words up in the press conference.

Speaker 3 (01:11:00):
Right.

Speaker 20 (01:11:02):
Uh, first of all, I've heard there was a really
bad storm near campus in Lovey and uh, be sure
people back in Lovey know we're thinking about them. We're
praying for them and keep them in our thoughts here
as until we learn more tonight. As far as the game,
man this place electric. I love this atmosphere of the crowd.

(01:11:25):
It looked to me like a packed house when they
had everybody turned the lights on.

Speaker 4 (01:11:28):
That was really good.

Speaker 20 (01:11:29):
And then of course military night, I thought it was
just a really special night to play softball in Oklahoma City.
As far as the game, we did what we wanted
to do. I thought controlling the emotion and controlling the
momentum in the first two to three innings was critical,
and I thought we had to really be careful in

(01:11:53):
that early innings and not let any momentum get in
their dugout because they took plenty from last night the end.
I thought vic throwing out the runner in the first
sitting was absolutely huge.

Speaker 2 (01:12:03):
I thought that was that was a.

Speaker 20 (01:12:05):
Huge momentum breaker for them, and a momentum put a
little bit of momentum in our dugout. And I thought
Naja was huge. She went out there and just pitched
her tail off and kept us in a position that
when we finally could make a move, we could really
get that momentum in our dugout. So I thought the

(01:12:28):
early innings it was quiet zero zero for four and
I've sent her in the fourth and I'm getting kind
of frustrated because we lift the bases loaded again, and
that's just you got to tip your hat to Texas
and the pitchers and then Coach White, he's a master
pitch caller, and there's not an accident of getting out
of those bases loaded dilemmas because they know where to pitch,

(01:12:50):
and they know how to pitch, and they know how
to play defense.

Speaker 3 (01:12:52):
So tip of you.

Speaker 20 (01:12:52):
I had to Texas, but I thought it was really
good for our kids. We didn't, you know, get down
about it. We didn't lose our fight. We kept fighting.
We kept we were hard in those ball club and
we take great pride in that we've something. We worked
really hard to become a really hard, mentally tough team.
And unless you've been through practice what these girls have

(01:13:15):
been through and taken the coaching that they've taken, you
can't really fully appreciate it. But the girls here beside
me know what I'm talking about.

Speaker 6 (01:13:26):
And so then we get all the way.

Speaker 20 (01:13:28):
I think it was the fifth inning and we finally
broke through.

Speaker 3 (01:13:31):
I believe that's the ending.

Speaker 6 (01:13:32):
Reagan Jenning's let off with a.

Speaker 20 (01:13:33):
Pinch hit, and if I'm right, she's now ten for
twenty something, absolutely ridiculous. Gotta you know, to have an
All American type pinch hitter or the best pinch hitter
in America, either way you want to say it, that's
what she is. And she's took that role for us
and just relationship. Now, one time she come and said coach,
I'm leading the team hitting. I want to start, never

(01:13:54):
said a word, does what I ask and does it
with this amazing skill. And I think that was our
first run and got us going tonight.

Speaker 6 (01:14:05):
So super proud we got the lead.

Speaker 2 (01:14:07):
They come back.

Speaker 20 (01:14:08):
Tip your hat to them, Mia Scott, all American great player,
comes right back, gets that home run and gets them
a little bit of momentum, and then we come back
and score and get the lead extended back to four
to one. And those runs were huge because of what
happened in the seventh and then Nisea to pitch away.
She pitched after fourteen innings and now over two hundred

(01:14:31):
pitches in two days, or you could say it this way,
over two hundred pitches in less than twenty six twenty
seven hours. Just amazing to have the mental strength to
get through that bottom of seventh, and that was really
good for us because we need those tests like last
night was a test for us, and we're growing from
every everything happens to us. And I told them after

(01:14:52):
the game last night, we learned ten times wonder when
we lose than when we win. And we learned so
much last night. And I think the bottom of seven
our fortitude and our determination, and the way we reacted
there at the end was a testament to the toughnesses
to their acquiring by playing these tough battles. Anyway, all
that said, four to three win, great pitching my Naja Kennedy,

(01:15:13):
great clutch play by my team and them last three innings,
and I elated for my girls. I'm just grateful, thankful
to get to be their coach, and I'm so proud
to be here with them and see them doing the
things they're doing. I think I've got to be mentioned Vic.

Speaker 6 (01:15:33):
From Second to Home.

Speaker 20 (01:15:34):
That was some hustle for kid that's caught two hundred
and some pitches in twenty six hours. She was all
out and so we will It was good.

Speaker 1 (01:15:45):
Yeah, there it is. And one thing that coach Glasgow
talked about and we've heard Mike White talk about it
as well, and maybe it is indeed fitting that it's
coming down to just one game, one final game, because

(01:16:06):
the thing that he pointed out, and what Mike White
has pointed out, and what is glaringly apparent, is that
each of these teams are really, really emotionally and mentally tough.
They kind of grit their teeth and go about their business.
You think about this, You think about this Texas team.

(01:16:28):
By all rights, by all logic, they should have gotten
eliminated in the regionals Clemson led in that winner's bracket game,
or led when they would have had to have lost twice,
and they had second and third with nobody out in

(01:16:49):
that bottom of the seventh, all they needed was a
deep enough fly ball to get home the winning run,
and the season would have been over in that Super Regional.
It would have It would definitely have been over in
the Superregional, But somehow Texas found a way to get

(01:17:09):
out of it, stayed mentally tough and went on and
won that forced the final game in the Super and
then won that. Texas had to be tough in Game
one when a call went against them on the obstruction
to find a way, and Texas Tech had to be
mentally tough after seeing that one get away on a

(01:17:31):
bizarre set of circumstances with Atwood swinging at a three
to zero pitch that was supposed to be far enough
outside of being an intentional walk and wasn't, and she
had the resourcefulness to do it. That Texas Tech was
able to respond mentally emotionally, and like he said, keep

(01:17:52):
their wits about them and to rein it in and
that they did. And so now you have two teams
each with a win in the NACIAL Championship Series and
it comes down to one game tonight, and that seems fitting.
We'll be back to wrap up today's edition of the program.
I'm thirteen under the Zone.