WCWS Finals Press Conference Day, Texas infielder Joley Mitchell, and NBA Finals

It's a Texan Tuesday! Craig Way and Cameron Parker preview the WCWS Finals between the Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders with press conferences from both coaches and players. Texas Softball infielder Joley Mitchell joins the show as well.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're glad to have you with us here on this
Tuesday afternoon on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred The Zone.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
This is the Craigway Show, and that's my name.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Glad to have you with us, Craig Way, and pleased
as always to be joined by the producer of this
program to such an outstanding job compiling and organizing and
compartmentalizing all the things that make this show be able
to tick and roll. He's Camera d Parker. The DAL
on the birth certificate stands for Dallas. His dad named

(00:29):
him for his favorite pro football team, which became Cam's
favorite pro football team, the Dallas Cowboys, but he's turned
his back on them, or at least away from them
for the time being, because of the misdeeds and shortcomings
they've had over a few years. So he has used
a D to define different things, whether it be teams
or games or just things that are going on. Good afternoon,

(00:53):
What does the D stand for today?

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Good question.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Maybe we'll figure it out later on today's program, But
good afkay, I wouldn't a little bit surprised that we're
going to have Texas Tech and the Women's College World
Series Finals. I think even maybe some Texas Techs. Yeah,
they thrown because we won't have what a seven p W.
Oklahoma won three.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
They won, four, they won They were going for five
in a row, so there will be no five straight
and and uh he's referred to Texas Tech's walk off
win over Oklahoma the throning the national champions. They were
knocked out last night in the women's College World Series,
which means it's going to be an all lone star

(01:32):
state national Championship series. The Texas Longhorns and the Texas
Tech Red Raiders. And notice, by the way on their
uniforms it says Red Raiders. It's not Lady Raiders like
they do with the basketball program, Lighty Riders as they
say out there like it's l I d y and
our idea lighty Riders. No way, it's the South Plains

(01:54):
act So that I was told as the way he
goes Lighty Riders, it's uh No, it's it's the Red
Raiders and Texas will play Texas Tech. Game one of
that Actional Championship series is tomorrow night. You can hear
it on the iHeartRadio app and Retro Austin is where
do you want to go to listen?

Speaker 2 (02:13):
To that correct, Cam to hear Andrew Haynes call of
that on the iHeartRadio app. Yeah. Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Incidentally, Andrew Haynes texted a photo to Cam and myself today.
Andrew was on with us yesterday, and he has spent
considerable time in Oklahoma City for the past few years,
but there were still some places that he hadn't figured
out yet for dining options and Cam wasting no time,

(02:39):
you know, suggested Nick Grill, which of course I had
told Cam about that. It was last year when you
went right when you were calling some Round Rock Express
games up Oklahoma City.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
He went out to Nicks Grill actually about a year
ago this week. Yeah. Now.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
And my good friend David Garrett a former play by
play voice of the Dallas Cowboys for three years back.
He was the play by play voice last time the
Cowboys won a Super Bowl back in nineteen ninety five.
He did him for three years when Brad Sham had
shifted over to do the Texas Rangers. David also had
done the New Orleans Saints a lot of Westwood Won

(03:14):
play by play, and a good friend of mine retired
and teaching retirement broadcasting pretty much but teaching up at Oklahoma,
and he's the one who took me to Nicks Grill
originally and I fell in love with the place and
I took into there for the first time last year
and it's this big, huge, sloppy burger that's really really good.

(03:34):
So we suggested that and sure enough Andrew Haynes went
and was really thrilled with it and said that was great.
Thanks for the recommendation. Cam wasn't kidding that it was
a shack. It's a little place, a little building, yeah,
but that's.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, that was a good burger recommendation up there.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
So anyway, Texas is going to play Texas Tech, and
we're gonna set you up for this National Championship Series
in a variety of ways. We're gonna let you hear
the press conferences from both teams, the pre National Championship
press conferences. This is also unique in that you have

(04:18):
two teams that have played each other this year already,
but only one time. It wasn't like Texas and Oklahoma
when they met last year. Of course, they met during
the regular season and Texas beat them last year and
won the Big twelve regular season title. In Oklahoma beat
him in the National Championship round. They beat him in
the National Championship round in twenty twenty two. Texas had
never beaten Oklahoma in the state of Oklahoma, and that changed.

(04:45):
That changed over the weekend last Saturday, when Texas beat
Ou to move into the semifinals and then defeated Tennessee
yesterday in the semifinals to go to the championship. Taxas
Tech on each side of the bracket, handled its business
and up with the match with Oklahoma and held a
two to zero lead with two outs in the seventh inning.

(05:08):
Oklahoma down with its last bat and an o two
count when they got a two run homer to tie.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
It is the Sooner, so hard to knock off.

Speaker 1 (05:16):
But in the bottom of the seventh with Texas Tech
the designated home team, the Red Raiders managed to get
the winning run home on a sacrifice fly. So it's
the first time since twenty eighteen. Think about this, it's
the first time in seven years that Oklahoma is not
going to be playing in the National Championship Series. Florida

(05:40):
State won it that year, but Oklahoma played in it
and lost in twenty nineteen. In twenty twenty, there was
no National Championship because the pandemic, So the seasons were canceled.
But the last four seasons twenty twenty one, twenty two,
twenty three and twenty four, Oklahoma's won had won four straight.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
National time idols.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
So I watched or viewed a lot of social media
things about all this. And did you see the tweet
from the Big twelve conferdence?

Speaker 3 (06:13):
Is this the one referring to how many consecutive pitches
she's thrown?

Speaker 2 (06:17):
No? No, no, no, no, no, I missed that one. I
missed that one. There was one tweet that that blew
my mind. I mean Big twelve, just twelve confidence.

Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's a pretty interesting one. Now,
Like I say, you know, the people who handle the
tweets are different admins and things like that. Then you know,
then the actual conference. In other words, it's not you

(06:48):
Mark's sitting in his office tweetingness. It's it's people doing.
But they have a tweet out that says, hate to
go and wreck a perfectly good dynasty, but it was
bound to happened sooner or later. The rack part is
the Capitol w because of Tech's you know, motto of
recam tech and in said it's bound happened sooner where

(07:10):
the capital lists or later. So that was their that
was their tweet, and boy did it in gender response?

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Uh uh mainly incredible.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, it was mainly from angry Oklahoma fans who were saying,
you didn't wreck any dynasty.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
You know, there was no dynasty. I mean it wasn't wrecked. Uh.

Speaker 1 (07:36):
You know, the New England Patriots didn't win the Super
Bowl every year and they had a dynasty and we'll
be at So there was a lot of that. But
I also could see the conflict which sounds like Palpatina story.

Speaker 2 (07:51):
He since the conflict wedding inside you.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
A lot of Oklahoma fans are like, shut up if
you did, no, you do know it? Who go and
beat Texas? It was like, let me tell you something.
If the Big Twelve Conference or Texas Tech, either one
had put out a tweet that said, what a great battle,

(08:17):
a true champion to the end into the run, you know,
but outstanding Oklahoma program and you know what, it's great
to move on to the national championship. Tip of the
hat to Oklahoma for the great run. If it had
been something like that instead of hate to wreck a

(08:39):
good dynasty. But it's bound to happen sooner or later.
If it hadn't gone that route, I think Oklahoma fans,
probably in unanimity, would have said, hey, look, great job
by Nigerie candidate. Go out beat Texas blah blah blah,
because in their heart at hearts, there's not a that

(09:00):
sec It just means more. It don't mean Diddley squat
to Oklahoma when it comes to Texas. They want Texas
to lose at every turn. And I would say it's
probably the same thing with Longhorn fans for Sooners and
Aggie's as well.

Speaker 2 (09:13):
They're gonna root for that.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
But it brought about conflict because here was the Big
Twelve kind of fumbing its nose and rubbing Oklahoma's nose
in it saying, yeah, I hate direct your dynasty.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
But yeah, it was a bound to happen sooner or later.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
So it really angered a lot of Oklahoma fans, but
not so much that they would root for Texas. There
were a couple in there that said, oh, you're gonna
get You're gonna get knocked out by Texas blah blah blah,
but most of them were like, go and beat Texas.
I hate Texas, but shut up, you didn't wreck the diasts.
There was there was a real conflict brewing from them
about that. So that was that was kind of fun

(09:50):
to see. We're gonna hear the press conferences of BO
teams and we're gonna start in the next segment let
you hear from Texas. But h also also we're going
to visit with Jolie Mitchell, Longhorn's grad student first baseman,
who's had herself quite a Women's College World Series might,

(10:12):
depending on what she does at the plate in the
Championship series and if the long Wrns win, might wind
up being the outstanding player of the Women's College World
Series because she's already hit three home runs in it.
So we're going to visit with her in the four
o'clock hour. So we'll visit with Jolie Mitchell the long
Orang's first Basement to talk about the Longhorne's.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Path, her own personal path.

Speaker 1 (10:35):
If you don't know what happened to her, you should
know that she nearly lost her life. She had COVID
and then a rare disease that happened out of that
and had to and was on chemo for a while.

Speaker 2 (10:45):
I was in the hospital for.

Speaker 1 (10:46):
Weeks and was really at one point fighting for her
life when she had finished up at Notre Dame and
then decided she wanted to go to Texas. Her story
is pretty compelling, So we're going to visit with Jolie
Mitchell coming up in.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
The four o'clock hour as well.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
We're going to have Inconceivable coming up, but we're also
going to get into some NBA. The NBA Finals began
on Thursday night, and the Indiana Pacers are in the
finals for only the second time in franchise history. Of course,
they went into the NBA seventy six seventy seven. I
guess it was when the ABA officially close shop and

(11:25):
the Pacers, the Spurs, the Nets, and the Nuggets all
were absorbed into the NBA from the ABA. And the
Pacers have only been in the finals one time, and
that was losing to the Lakers, who had Shaq and
Kobe at the time. They'd beaten the Knicks in the
Eastern Conference finals. Well, they beat the Knicks again and

(11:45):
the Knicks were in the conference finals for the first
time in twenty five years, but they decided apparently that
was not good enough for their coach and they fired
Tom Thibodeau today after five years. Such is life in
the NBA. We'll talk about the NBA Finals coming up
and the Texas Stars back in their Western Conference Finals

(12:06):
series with the Abbots for Canucks. They won last night
at the ATV Center, so it's two games to one
Abbots for leading in Game four is tomorrow night, that
best of seven series up next, we'll hear from Long
Worn softball head coach Mike White and Texas players from
the pre championship news conference. When we continue on this
Tuesday afternoon. I'm thirteen under the Zone.

Speaker 4 (12:29):
Welcome back to the Craig Way Show and the Voice
of the Longhorns Craig Way. Follow Craig on social media
at Horn Voice.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
I wanted to bring you here, like we said the
press conference as we started off, this is a part
of the Texas press conference. Will bring you the second
part of it later, but let's let you hear from
Mike White, Texas head coach, and long worn players.

Speaker 5 (12:55):
I'd like to thank the organizing committee, the NCAA, and
they're all the people that put on the ornament. Obviously
the regional super regionals. It's been a lot of exciting
games played throughout the country and the level of softball
has been outstanding. Congratulations to all the teams that made
the College World Series, and we're just super proud to
be one of the last two teams standing and excited
to look forward to a great championship series.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
Okay, we'll start on that opening grow right front row.
David Mike David Collier from the ABC in Luvewick, Texas.

Speaker 6 (13:25):
Can you, I guess, go in depth with your relationship
with coach Glasgow and what it means to have both
of you playing for a national championship he mentioned last night.
You know his daughter would probably be happy with whoever
won a championship this week.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (13:43):
Absolutely, It's been a good relationship with Jerry. He's been
a softable stalwart so to speak. Is being a big
proponent of the game and loves it, loves the energy
from it. I kind of imagine him doing anything else
aby softball, But I was blessed to be able to
coach his daughter, Jerry and Glascow Oregon for a couple
of years and just had so much fun with her.

(14:04):
What a special person she was, not only as a player,
but as a person. She was a proponent of sample
and just promoted it everywhere she went. Kids loved her.
She had that just great smile and demeanor about her.
And we always had a fun time in the bullpen
with her as well, just joking her about the trenches.
She used to live with the dragfoot, so you know,

(14:25):
just some great times and this all. She was also
a special hitter as well, and I just loved coaching her.
And it was certainly a very sad day when when
that tragic thing happened.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Okay, we got a second our left.

Speaker 7 (14:39):
Teagan, what do you remember about the game when you
played Tech earlier in the year that you guys won
to one? What was working for you against the Tech lineup?

Speaker 2 (14:48):
Uh? Just what do you recall from that game?

Speaker 7 (14:50):
And then Jolie, what do you recall going against Nyja
in that game in last year's World Series.

Speaker 8 (14:57):
Oh yeah, it was a tough game long, I think
nine innings. It was fun to play it on our
field under the lights. It's a good way to start
the year. I think we're a lot of we're both
different teams now and I think so I'll look back
on it, but I'm sure scouts have changed a little bit.
But It definitely just fun to look back on and
it was a good performance by us and good to

(15:17):
get the win out of that one, and so it's fun.
I mixed the pitch as well, and so I think
that was what was working the most, just mixing everything.

Speaker 9 (15:26):
Yeah, I would just say just we need to be
a little bit more disciplined. I think that sometimes we
get ahead of ourselves, and personally myself, I wasn't very
disciplined that game. So just going back watching a little
bit of film, it was a dogfight.

Speaker 10 (15:37):
So it's going to be a dogfight this week too.

Speaker 9 (15:41):
Just sticking within ourselves, just being disciplined, being on time.

Speaker 11 (15:45):
Okay, we'll stay second our left. Kirk Kirk Bowls from
the Houston Chronicle. Does it give you an advantage that
you'll beat Nidia here last year and also in the
regular season this year.

Speaker 10 (16:00):
I'm not going to say yes or no.

Speaker 9 (16:02):
I just think that games can change, things can be different,
especially last year coming into this year. I'm sure Nija
is just a different pitcher. But we just had to
focus on what's in front of us. Take it one
pitch at a time.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
Okay, second round left again.

Speaker 12 (16:17):
For both players. Cedrick Golden Austin, American Statesman. Where did
you guys watch the OU game? What was your reaction
to it? And also how exciting is it to be
part of an all Texas matchup for the championship.

Speaker 9 (16:32):
I was watching the game last night with my parents,
and so it was pretty exciting.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
It was just kind of like what's happening?

Speaker 9 (16:40):
But yeah, it was really exciting, and it was a
really great game to watch. I said, it was probably
the most entertaining game I'd watched all week. What's your
second question, How exciting? I think it's really awesome. I mean,
I'm glad to be a part of it just in general,
but I do think it is pretty awesome that go
to bring back a national championship to the state of Texas.

Speaker 10 (17:02):
Whoever it is.

Speaker 9 (17:03):
It's exciting for the sport as well, and I'm happy
for both teams to be in it.

Speaker 8 (17:08):
Oh yeah, I was also with my family and a
few teammates and their families at a restaurant in Bricktown,
and so it was really fun, fun game. Definitely was
a lot of shocked people in the restaurant, including myself
in that last setting, and but it was fun, you know,
Like she said, it was a really entertaining game. And
then I think it's it's super cool to be part

(17:28):
of the trophy coming back to Texas no matter what.
And I think what's even cooler about it is that
it's going to be someone's first.

Speaker 10 (17:35):
I think that's the most special part.

Speaker 13 (17:37):
Okay, from her life Brady Brady vernon Softbare America. Just, Mike,
You've worked with a lot of great pictures and I
think sometimes we forget that Teaken's only a sophomore. But
how has she grown from this time last year to now?

Speaker 5 (17:50):
Yeah, I think that she reflects back on how she
could get better, you know, the experiences that she's had
and some of the struggles. To tell you the truth,
I mean, she's always one to get better and that's
what pushes the great ones. But she's proven that she's
got the mental toughness. She came in in some super tough,
super regional, super tough situations, especially against Clemson second and third,

(18:11):
none out and be able to kind of work out
of that was some great pitching and termination. I think
that's and especially after some struggles she went through. But
you know, sometimes that can make you tougher, and it's
made her tougher and just being in this situation. Now
she's pitching at her best, and I think he's looking
forward to leading this team to hopefully the championship series.

Speaker 2 (18:29):
Okay, we good front left to Eli Eli Letterman ESPN
for teaking in Jolie.

Speaker 14 (18:35):
You guys both joined this program before last season, and
there's been a lot of talk with this group about
the desire this year and wanting to get over that
hump in Oklahoma was one of those humps. You're back
in this championship series. The growth of this program and
the group of players in that time from when you
showed up to campus to now, where do you think
this group has grown to be in this spot again?

Speaker 12 (18:54):
Now? Yeah?

Speaker 10 (18:56):
I think there you go ahead.

Speaker 8 (18:58):
I think we just keep getting better a day after day,
and I think we coach Wyd always says like you night, Ben,
but never break, and I think that's been us all season.
We've just gotten better through adversity and so just leaning
into each other. I think this is from when I
got here, the team was really close, but to now,
I think the team's even closer, and so I think
we just keep getting tighter closer with each other. These

(19:21):
are my best friends out here, and so I wouldn't
want to be out there with anybody else. And so
we just keep getting tighter and we just keep getting
better day after day.

Speaker 9 (19:28):
And I think that's what's made the difference. Yeah, I
think the biggest change. I mean, you look at last
year and then to this year, it is very different.
But I even think within the last month has just
been insane to see how we've changed. We love each
other a lot, and I think just naturally we all
are just strong competitors. We're talking about it earlier that
I think that we enjoyed just going out there and

(19:48):
competing and dominating other people together. It's just kind of
like our little bonding thing. And outside of this we
love each other too. But yeah, I do think that
ou was kind of just like the moment where we said, Hey,
if we're going to win this thing, we have to
turn around everybody. This postseason has played a huge part.
I mean, you look back and Leann's had a great postseason.
KB got us the run in against Clemson. I mean

(20:09):
it's just everybody is contributing the best that they can.
And uh, I think that we've had a really great
attitude going into this week.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
As well, can we stay for our love Jake?

Speaker 15 (20:18):
Yeah, question for fritiguing and then for my coach. You
guys have been knocking on the door in recent years. How
much have those experiences helped and prepared you for this moment?
And then Tigan, you've had some battles with Nijo over
the last couple of years. You know, what's it like
when you're pitching or facing off against an opposing picture
like that.

Speaker 10 (20:39):
Yeah, I mean you can't ignore that.

Speaker 8 (20:41):
Obviously, she's gonna hold offenses offenses off quite a bit,
and so it's always in the back of your mind. Uh,
I think some I think I just try to take
it and it's obviously fun. It's like it's a challenge,
and I like when it's a pictures jewel. Uh, It's
it's fun to just compete in those atmospheres and against
the best, and so, I don't know, it's just fun.

(21:02):
It's fun to play against the US and to be
a part of it. But yeah, I'm excited for us,
and I was excited for our offense. I think last
year it was different. This year it's different. I think
it's in the back of your mind obviously that you're
facing her and you're going to have to It's going
to be a challenge for our offense.

Speaker 10 (21:19):
But it goes both ways.

Speaker 5 (21:21):
I think, yeah, yeah, Obviously, we have sixteen players that
are back from last year and a few from the
previous time before that. We're hoping we can use that experience,
you know, and we we'll talked about the fact that
if you an opportunity to tell yourself what it would
mean to be in the situation right now, what would
you say? And that being in that position and they
have the opportunity right now, and I think it's just

(21:41):
to be together, work really hard, and play the best
off what we can. The game is not going to
know that we've been here before. It's going to rule.
The team that plays the best takes most of the opportunities,
and that's what we have to do.

Speaker 16 (21:52):
Okay, we go second or right right and compost. CBS
love a coach White. What has impressed you the most
outside of Naiauja about this Texas Tech team to get
to this point of the season.

Speaker 5 (22:03):
Jerry Gresco's cunningness. So you know, he's a savvy as
a fox. You know, he's he's been reading a game
alone time he's coaching a lot of different places. His
enthusiasm enjoy for the game is great. But also you
know they have a lot of talent on that program too.
He's brought out a lot of players that have experience
from Louisiana as well, and they have the blend of

(22:24):
speed and power. Maybe you know as much Paris some teams,
but you don't have to when you're throwing a point
eight four e ra at the door the other team.
So you know they've got a good blend of determination
and spirit which comes from Jerry.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
So there's the first part of that.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
The press conference Texas getting ready for this National Championship
matchup with Texas Tech. We'll hear more from Mike White
and the players coming up next hour, and again in
the four o'clock hour, we'll visit with Jolie Mitchell Loghorn's
Gratitude First Basement up next Inconceivable on a Tuesday afternoon
on thirteen under the Zeven Craig Way, alongside Cameron Parker.

(23:01):
Glad to have you with us. I didn't want to
remind folks we do every day. Remind you that if
you'd like to send us a text on our text
line feel free to do.

Speaker 2 (23:13):
So all you have to do is text the program.

Speaker 1 (23:14):
You text the word texas follow by your question or
comment to eight one five three zero. So you text
the word texas and then have your question or comment
texted to eight one five three zero. Standard messaging and
data rates may apply. I was referring to that text,
that the that the one text said about.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
You know, is it just me?

Speaker 1 (23:33):
Or are these places going overboard with the weird snacks.
Just give me a chocolate frosty or a heath Bar blizzard.
I don't meet a Superman's cap, kryptonite cake, battered blizzard.

Speaker 2 (23:42):
It's not far from that. What they're calling that superman
blizzard thing.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
Somebody else just said, dairy queen is the derweener snitsel
of ice cream joints.

Speaker 2 (23:51):
I beg to differ with you, my friend.

Speaker 1 (23:54):
I like a good blizzard from DQ or a dip cone.
I like those because I understand your your your connotation
unless you're like me, and also like wier Stitzel. Now,
now Cameron has become a fast food snob, so he
hasn't even you haven't even tried wiener Stitzel.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
No, yeah, see so yeah, so anyway, but you like
dairy Queen. Yeah, right, yea Queen's a fine that's though establishment.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, absolutely, And I think you know and the ones
in the state, those Mayfield Dairy Queens, those those are
really most of them anyway, really well run and operated there.
But the Dairy Queen national brand is the one that
throws into things like the Superman whatever batter Blizzard thing.

Speaker 2 (24:43):
So there's there's that.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
Hey, I wanted to ask you about this that you
followed the the pro golf circuit so much. How about
this story with Max Homer For folks who didn't hear
about this Max Holma, what a few years ago was
looked at one of the beings one of the real
up and coming heavy duty rising stars of the golf circuit.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
Am I right? He was number ten in the world
golf ranking last year, just a year ago. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (25:09):
Now he has failed to qualify for the US Hope.
But and more's the point. He failed to do it
while having to carry his own golf bag. Yesterday in
Columbus US Open qualifier. Had some other PGA two were
players there, but he was the only one carrying his

(25:29):
own bag. He didn't have a caddy, didn't really want
to talk about it. He and his caddy of two months,
Bill Hark, are no longer together. According to a person
informed of the split, who only said that heart quote.

Speaker 17 (25:44):
Lost his job. I have no idea what the under
colonel and all of that is.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity
because word of the separation needed to come from Homer,
and he didn't really say.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
Much about it.

Speaker 1 (25:58):
His quote was, I'd much rather talk about golf instead
of all the questions about the caddy. I'm good. Just
howift it? Thirty six? He carry his own back for
thirty six holes, says, ask for the golf. It's probably
gonna be heartbreaking. I haven't carried my bag thirty six
holes in a while, so I'm a little tired of
actually thirty eight Because his three putt par three putt

(26:20):
for par on the thirty sixth hole, how do he
pronounce the golfer?

Speaker 2 (26:23):
Is it Kinsali kin Sale the course where he was
trying to qualify? I no, yeah, anyway.

Speaker 1 (26:29):
It put him in a five man playoff for the
final spot, and Cameron Young got it with a twelve
foot birdie, and then Homer then lost a playoff for
an alternate spot on the next hole. When he asked
was asked about his attitude, he dropped one clue about
the split.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
Here's the quote.

Speaker 1 (26:46):
It seems to be better than when someone is standing
next to me. For some reason, I might need to
walk by myself more. Maybe I just looked at it
as a nice, peaceful walk. Probably got to battle some
demons and have no one to lean on. Maybe that
helps a little bit. There's no one. Everything is me.
The battle helped that a little bit.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
It's weird.

Speaker 1 (27:05):
It's very strange because you and I want to I'm
gonna want to carry his bag on tour all the time.
This was a US Open qualifier, but you know there
there are certain more celebrated pairings of golfers and caddies.

(27:26):
And then the splits become celebrated. Wasn't it Tiger and
was it Fluff Fluff?

Speaker 2 (27:34):
Count?

Speaker 3 (27:34):
He used split with his caddies like five different times, right,
The one was the first one.

Speaker 2 (27:38):
Fluff was the first one.

Speaker 1 (27:39):
Because everybody said Tiger got irritated with with Fluff's notoriety on.

Speaker 2 (27:48):
That they ended up splitting. And then he said, he
said other.

Speaker 17 (27:51):
Guys as well, and uh, and you know some golfers
had the same caddies for decade. Aids Jack Nicholas said,
the same caddy for decades. Lead Travino I had the
same caddy for decades. A lot of those guys, but
a lot of other ones. You know, they switch pretty rare.
I mean even what Jordan sped. No, he's never switched caddy.

(28:13):
He's always had Michael Breler, all right. Krystin Thomas has
switched caddies a couple of times. He had Jimmy Johnson, Uh,
not the NASCAR driver or the football coach. He had
Bones of course, Phil Nicholson's old caddy. Yeah, and then
I think JT is on his third or fourth caddy.
Now I don't know him off the top of my head,
but it happens. You know Phil obviously him and Bones

(28:35):
split up, But that was more Bones leaving Phil because
Phil owed him lots of money. And now his brother
think Tim is his caddy for him and on the
LIV Golf Tour. So it's a part of it, you know.
It's caddies and golfers split up a little bit more.
I mean Scotti Scheffler, he ended up splitting with his
first caddy and then found Ted Scott and his career

(28:56):
has not been the same since he's become the best
player in a long, long time, and so it does
help you. The funny thing is about what Maxhoma did
yesterday is that the qualifier for the US Open on
the course they were at the first five spots were
taken for that qualifier, so they were playing a five

(29:17):
for one and in that playoff, Craig featured Cameron Young, who,
like Max Homa, was a top ten, top twenty golfer
about a year ago.

Speaker 3 (29:25):
And it's kind of fallen off. You had Chase Johnson,
Eric Cole, who I believe is a PGA Tour winner,
Max Homa, and then Ricky Thaller. Ricky Thaller also was
in the playoff, and it was Cam Young who ended
up securing that final spot to be able to get
into the US Open. So I mean, what a what
a playoff there just to get in. So it is

(29:46):
you know, they called the longest day in golf where
you have I think, let's see the number, right you
I forget how many spots were on the line yesterday,
but twenty twenty thirty spots. I think we're secured and
you know, seven eight different tournaments going on, so it's
such a really cool event and you have stories like
that a Max Homa hoofing it for thirty eight holes. Unfortunately,

(30:10):
he can still qualify for the US Open if he
can possibly win this week at the RBC Canadian Open.
He's not in good form at all right now, but
it's a fun story. I'm interest to see what the
background is about that because Max, he's split up from
his caddy. He changed, he changed his sponsors from he
was he was a foot Joy Rapped now he's Lulu Lemon,

(30:31):
and then he went from Titleist Golf Clubs to Cobra
excuse me. So he's been, you know ever since all
these changes, he's you know, kind of gone down.

Speaker 2 (30:40):
He had T twelve and Augusta.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
Remember he played really well quole Hall in the PGA
Championship on Friday and was in the top ten and
then just completely fell apart from just like T sixties.
So he's trying to find it and obviously trying to
find it with his caddy as well.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
So did Ricky Faller not qualify.

Speaker 3 (30:56):
Either, No, they are all alternates, so I don't know
if Ricky is playing this week at the RBC Canadian
but it looks like he'll be out. And hey, remember
two years ago at LACC in the US Open, he
was in the final group with Wyndam Clark and battling
Wyndham and Roy mccroy for the US Open.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
Ricky didn't get it done. I think he was. I
think he was.

Speaker 3 (31:17):
He was tried at sixty two on the Thursday, was
the thirty six hole leader and then ultimately kind of
fit in the weekend. So I told you, you know,
Alm was a top ten golfer last year. Cameron Young
finished second at the think the US Open or PGA
Championship a few years ago, Ricky Fowler almost winning it
two years ago, and now here they are either outside
the US Open or happened to play Monday qualifiers just
to get into it.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
It did did Would you agree with this assessment. There
was a time in pro golf, I want to say
this was mainly seventies eighties into the early nineties when
they would have this category and they'd say best player
never to win a major was and for a long
time it was Tom Kite, And then Tom won the

(31:58):
ninety two US Open at Pebble Beach because he was
so close in some other majors, including at the Masters
in a couple of other words, but but had never
won until he finally won the US Open at ninety
two at Pebble Beach. So then it went to I
think for a while, I forget who it was in
the early two thousands, but then it was just Dustin

(32:19):
Johnson until DJ one.

Speaker 2 (32:21):
Uh they open and one and then and then.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
But Ricky Fowler has been long mentioned as best player
never to win a major, And you say, you can't
count the Players Championship, which he did win, but that's
not really a major. It's just it's kind of like
how Pete Best was the fifth Beatle, you know, or
Billy Preston was the fifth Beatle. You know, it was

(32:47):
one of the Beatles, you know, So it wasn't it
wasn't one of the four major championships.

Speaker 3 (32:52):
Would you agree with that assessment, I would say because Ricky,
I think, was always more popular than he was talented.
A goal, I think is a fan task to golfer.
But I think because of you know, the bright orange
fit and the long hair and the celebrities he dated
and stuff, and him in that weird band with was
it Bubba Watson. It is weird hillbilly videos and stuff.

(33:15):
I look at something like Loke Donald, who was world
number one for fifty six weeks and then came back
and was world number one for forty four weeks. He
never won a major championship, the Ryder Cup captain. Now,
I would put him on that list over Ricky Fowler,
David Duvall. Remember David Duval won the British Open, we did, okay.
Whether he won the ninety at Royalism, okay, So so
LaVall was.

Speaker 2 (33:34):
He was the guy. I'm glad you jogged my memory.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
He was the guy who replaced Tom Kite on that
list in people's minds as the best player not to
win a major, and then he won the Open I
think at Royalism in the ninety six all two thousand
and one, Okay, all right, So.

Speaker 3 (33:50):
I would say Luke Donald even like I think Lee Westwood.
You know, he was around for forever. Yeah, had a
similar type of career as Ricky Fowler and Leek Westwood
was also number yeah.

Speaker 1 (34:01):
Remember they talked about him. He was in position to
win both the US Open and the Open Championship two
or three times. I remember on that but yeah, you know,
but I always kept I think you're right about it
from the popularity standpoint for Ricky Fowler, because Luke Donald
put Luke Donald in a police lineup with a bunch
of people and ask people to identify which one's Luke Donald.

(34:23):
You know what I'm saying, I don't think he's one
of the most well known players on tour even when
he was world number one. You know, it was like
that for a while. Martin Kaymer yep, until he won. Yeah,
Martin Kimer was the guy who so why is this
kind number one in the world?

Speaker 2 (34:40):
What's he won? Well, then he won at Piner, so different.

Speaker 3 (34:43):
Twenty fourteen, Ricky Fowler finished t fifth of the at
the Masters and then finished t second the US Open,
t second at the Open, then the PGA.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
That's how you get into that club or you're president
of that club. Is best player not to win an ozer,
not to win a major. It's not only being a
really good player on tour and won a major. It's
being a really good player on tour who's come close
to winning majors and in his case all four and
didn't finish the job on any of those. All Right,

(35:17):
That was just some thoughts I had about that and
looking at that, and Max Homa is one of those
guys that looked as being really good player but hadn't
come through.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
And as I read that story today, I thought about that.
All right.

Speaker 1 (35:28):
Up next, we're going to hear more from Texas softball
head coach Mike White and long worn players from today's
pre championship news conference, and an interesting take on college
sports dynasties. If you'd like to hit us with what
you think is a college sports dynasty, you can do

(35:49):
that on the text line. Text the word Texas followed
by your question or comment to eight one to five
to three zero. Standard messaging and data rates may apply.
This is thirteen under the zone.

Speaker 4 (36:03):
It's the craig Way shot with a voice of the
Texas Longhorns and Hall of Fame broadcasting Craig Way.

Speaker 1 (36:13):
There was an interesting piece written today in The Athletic
by Jason kirk And where he is examining Oklahoma's place.
Me a minute, Oklahoma Softball's place in college sports history.
It's described as one of the greatest dynasties and major

(36:35):
college sports history saw its title streak.

Speaker 2 (36:39):
In by.

Speaker 1 (36:42):
By losing after winning for inn a road. Now, I
agree with some of those angry people that were on
Twitter saying our dynasty's not over the run in and
there is a difference between the run ending and the dynasty.
And we'll see time will tell about that. And in fact,
it said he even says that. He said, where with

(37:04):
history's longest softball title streak now officially dusted, where does
it stand in college sports history? Well, since it's his
college sports, there are about a million ways to answer that,
he said, we'll find out about, you know, with with
regard to Oklahoma situation.

Speaker 2 (37:23):
Okay, so.

Speaker 1 (37:26):
All Division one title streaks, team title streaks, do you
know who has the longest one?

Speaker 2 (37:32):
Can be any sport? M I think is usual to
lay basketball in that list.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
It is, it is, But again, like he said, there's
a million ways to answer. For example, among all Division
one title streaks, regardless of how many people can actually
watch it or be there or participate in it, the longest.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
One is the twelve year run in men's indoor.

Speaker 1 (38:01):
Track and field for Arkansas, which began in nineteen eighty four,
So eighty four through ninety five. If we limit it,
he says, to just Division one team sports that draw
big crowds, like modern softball or whatever. UCLA basketball seven
in a row from sixty seven to seventy three. Division
one football's best streak ever BAMA.

Speaker 2 (38:24):
Division one includes one of the five league schools.

Speaker 1 (38:30):
It includes FBS, so that would be North Dakota State
five in a row from twenty eleven to twenty fifteen,
and then he points out the Bison may have started
since started another run running the winning the tenth last season.
FBS football, I said FCSD, I said FBS, FCS for
North Dakota State. FBS football is not really Alabama, he says,

(38:53):
the last widely recognized three peat because Bama has never
had a three peak. The last widely recognized three p
was nineteen thirties Minnesota. He goes, while I'd argue the
only consensus ish streak of five in.

Speaker 2 (39:09):
A row belong to Yale in the eighteen eighties.

Speaker 1 (39:12):
If we include every sport in every level of the NCAA,
it says, then hang on to your freaking hats. Because
Kenyon College in Ohio had the two longest streaks ever
thirty one in a row and seventeen in a row
for men's and women's swimming and diving programs, both lasting

(39:32):
from the eighties. In the two thousands, of course, Texas
men's swimming and diving under ed he reached one like
every Big twelve championship that they competed for, and going
back to Southwest Conference thin he was forty six in
a row before departing for the SEC and then of
course they won the SEC title this year. Longest current
streak Middlebury College Division three field hockey. Do you know

(39:57):
where Middlebury Colleges leave?

Speaker 3 (39:59):
It's I know it's in the northeast cause that of
buddy play baseball there is it? Pennsylvania, New York area. Vermont, Vermont.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
It's pretty I've actually seen the campus up there.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
This is the Vermont School's second mentioned in their until
Saturday Minutes in twenty twenty five. Is just setting up
shop around here. Seven years in a row. They've won
field hockey there. Pretty good. Yeah, So anyway, there's there's
those kinds of things, so it said coach Patty Gasso.
Softball Sooners didn't put together a string long enough to

(40:31):
hurdle some of the biggest records in the books, but
they also managed to challenge for a fifth straight title
despite playing in the portal and nil era. So so
this season the previous star, Jordi Ball and the d
one player of the Year for Home State Huskers of
Nebraska and the Texas Tech team that finally took oh
you down was led by a million dollar ace Isijerie Candadate.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
Because we know Nija signed was at one point two
or whatever.

Speaker 1 (40:55):
It was said that nobody's heart is breaking for any
sec power in any CC sport. But still it's reasonable
to wonder whether staying on the very top is even
harder now, so said salute. For example, else one of
the diamond, the best matchups and the super regionals could
be where number three arkansass the top seed. Left, course
they're going to play Tennessee. Wait, and so that's that's

(41:17):
that's where that is. So anyway, if you if you
think what your opinion on some of the best dynasties
are in college sports, you can reach us on the
text line. In the meantime, let's hear more from Texas
softball from head coach Mike White and long ward players
from today's pre Championship Series news conference.

Speaker 2 (41:35):
Okay, we go front our left, pretty.

Speaker 13 (41:38):
Brady vernon Softball America just Julie, you've seen Naga Lie
and we live in an data central world with analytics
and stuff. But what are the conversations like with Steve
preparing for her and just maybe trusting some instincts based
on previous at That's yeah.

Speaker 9 (41:54):
I think his biggest focus is just getting the job done.
That's kind of his mantra. And he really he does
trust us, and he trusts that we're going to communicate
well with each other, especially the way we've been communicating
the last month or so. I think the biggest thing
is that he's just gonna ask us to be disciplined,
us to be on time, and he always says it
just to play Pepper.

Speaker 10 (42:13):
I mean, she's gonna produce some of the speed for us.

Speaker 9 (42:16):
So if we just get out there and just play
a little game, we're gonna be just fine.

Speaker 2 (42:21):
Can we got a second around left? Kirk to take
it in?

Speaker 11 (42:24):
Jully, you said you both watched Oklahoma lose and very entertaining.
Are you relieved you're not playing Oklahoma in the championship round?

Speaker 9 (42:35):
Personally, I wanted it to be O you. I mean,
if you want to beat the man, you gotta beat
the man. So I'm happy either way regardless, and I
want to win this thing and I'm ready to go,
but I'm happy that we get We have a challenge
right in front of us with Nija, so regardless, it's
gonna be a tough series.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
But yeah, I wish it would have been ou but.

Speaker 10 (42:54):
It's not, and so just got to focus on what's
in front of us.

Speaker 2 (42:57):
Yeah, I don't.

Speaker 8 (42:58):
I mean, I firstly didn't care. I don't think any
championship will be easy, and so it's gonna be tough
for either way.

Speaker 2 (43:04):
Okay, we got third row and the right anything.

Speaker 18 (43:06):
You just love a gavalanche shour and Mike, You've obviously
squared up with Texas take plenty in the past. But
is there's a kind of a situation where none of
that really matters because of how different the setting is,
how different they are and everything.

Speaker 5 (43:19):
Well, I think we've got to find out. You know,
it's something you don't know until it happens, but you know,
like I've always still a team that the game doesn't know.
You know, it's sixty feet to and left, you know,
forty three feet pitching distance in a twelve inch bowl.
It's going to reward a team that plays Abyss in
the moment and what has ever happened before has happened.
But we can do is take our experiences, which we've

(43:39):
had plenty of the last few years, both good and bad,
and use those to an advantage to be able to
play against one of the best pitches in the game
right now.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
Okay, next question will be on Zoom from Eric Lopez.

Speaker 19 (43:53):
Eric lopezd won Softball for the players. How did plane
in last year's championship series? Did you learn from that
experience that you hope to apply.

Speaker 2 (44:02):
This time around?

Speaker 8 (44:05):
I think me personally kind of just more focusing on myself,
not getting caught up anything anything external or who we're
playing or the name on their chest. Just focusing on
my strengths and what I can do and not getting
caught up and and the other things around me. And
I think that we've been just talking about that what
matters is us and how we perform, and but just relying.

Speaker 10 (44:25):
On each other, not external things.

Speaker 9 (44:27):
Yeah, I agree with Teagan, just making sure that we
stick within ourselves. Yeah, last year was tough, but I
think it's just because we wanted to make it tough
this year. I feel confident that our team's going to
do what we need to do. We love each other,
we can fall back on one another, and I think
that we're confident in trusting each other.

Speaker 2 (44:44):
More questions, Okay, we go second, right, right, Lauren Marolla.

Speaker 20 (44:48):
With the athletic coach, Can you talk about how competitive
you think your program's ANIL budget is and what the
benefits or.

Speaker 2 (44:54):
Complications of having one are in this new sports landscape.

Speaker 5 (44:58):
Yeah, that's that's a really hard to answer because you
don't really know what other teams have for a budget
or how much to spending. Obviously, we know that NAIs
has made over one point million, which is great for
the game and great for the sport, and as I
saw it on TV that you know, is helped promote
the game in Lubbock, Texas and in that part of Texas,
and so that's a good thing. And we're hoping that

(45:18):
this continues to be opportunities for our young woman to
be able to fade in NIL and make a living
out of it hopefully. And then we need the next
step of that to be the professional league. BUSH needs
to keep doing what it's doing and getting bigger and
to push from Major League Baseball into that should help
as well. But we try to be as competitive as
we can. All of our players are getting some sort
of nil money. Uh So that's the growth for us

(45:41):
and just to start, and we're going to continue to
push and make more opportunities available for our players.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
Okay, we got a second left, Kirk.

Speaker 11 (45:48):
Yeah, Mike, do you feel like your players might be
more relaxed? You know, having been in this setting, you
know somebody like me, you know several times. And who
do you think all you fans will far?

Speaker 5 (46:01):
Probably not us, but you know, I think you know
as a fan before, it's like you got to just
hope for good softball. That's what you want to have.
You want to have a games that are promoting the
game itself. And obviously having two great pitches out there
and a lot of really good pool players, she makes
a really good sitting on the biggest stage of this
game provides right now. So that's really what we want

(46:24):
to focus on.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
Okay, we go for our left to Eli Elon Letterman ESPN.

Speaker 14 (46:29):
Mike in the vein of the question I asked to
the players earlier, I'm curious if over the last year
there was something you recognized after losing the finals last
year with this group needed to get over that hump,
and if you've seen it at any point this spring.

Speaker 5 (46:41):
Yeah, I think pulling together closer, having each other's backs,
being on the same page, you know, pushing each other
when no one's watching, you know, just really having that.
And they came up with the acronym fuel the fire,
you know, so that's really pushed them, and that came
from the team, from Jolie and the leaders on the team,
and they lived that. You got to live it on

(47:01):
and off the field. We've got to do more than
just the twenty hours every week. If you want to
have it, you got to change the mentality about winning
and playing this game. And they've really been focused on that.
They've been focused on getting better each and every day
we go out there and they're pushing each other, and
that's what you need. We've got a lot of players
that could play but don't, but still have spirit behind
the team, and I think that really makes a difference,

(47:21):
especially if pitching stuff. This group, I know Teagan spearheads it,
but they all have each other's backs and it's been tremendous.

Speaker 13 (47:27):
To see, can't we say proNT left Brady Brady running
South of America We talk a lot about Reese's bat,
but with a very aggressive Texas Tech team, how can
she really be a game changer behind the play of
controlling the running game?

Speaker 5 (47:41):
Yeah, I mean, I think that speaks for herself as
far as the number of people she's thrown out and
people are just not stealing on her, She's ready to
gun them down. She loves that opportunity to do that.
And she's continues to work on a receiving game to
try and she gets frustrated when we don't get cools
that we think we should get and she's continuing to
try to work on that as well. And you know,

(48:02):
she probably should have got Gold Glove Catcher this year,
but unfortunately missed by one inning. If you can believe that,
she has seventy four percent of the innings instead of
seventy five. And but she did get an award for
being the best catcher, So that was definitely judy for
her and it was great to see her get that.

Speaker 6 (48:19):
Okay, we go front Road, right, David, David, call your
ABC lovelock for coach and for Joli Texas Tech. I
think it's twenty fourth straight games that they've scored first
in their contest. Does that put extra pressure on you
when you're at bat to try to get something done early,
because you know, when Snyja has that lead, it's difficult

(48:41):
to kind of come back against them.

Speaker 8 (48:43):
No.

Speaker 10 (48:43):
I trust our team.

Speaker 9 (48:47):
And if they score first, I mean, okay, it's a
game of scoring, and like coach says, it's the game
doesn't know. So we have to go out there and
play our best game regardless, and if you hit a
little bit of a wall some adversity doesn't mean you
have to back down.

Speaker 10 (48:58):
So just trusting herself.

Speaker 9 (49:00):
We've beaten Nijo a few times the last two years.

Speaker 17 (49:02):
So we know that we can do it.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
We just have to go out there and do it.

Speaker 5 (49:07):
Yeah, well, the game is, you know, seven innings, seven
battles to win the war. And whether it comes in
the first or the last, I mean you saw that
yesterday with ou down to the last strike and it's
a home run. I mean, it can happen at any time.
So I think just eating your head about you and
understanding that it's going to be kind of really battling
together and working together, like keeping the pitch count up,
making her work hard in those situations, not giving you

(49:29):
those easy one, two, three innings. Just continue to put
the pressure on not only Niger, about their defense as well.
That's what's going to kind of play the toll. And
that's what we've done well this season. We've scored a
lot just about against everybody. I don't know the total numbers.
I don't know if we've been shot out by anybody,
but we're always in the game and that's what we
continue to do. We always want to try to bring
up that either winning or tying run in the last inning.

Speaker 2 (49:52):
Okay, last question I'll be from Eric Klopez again on zoom.
Eric Lopez, do you won softball coach?

Speaker 19 (49:58):
When you look at Jerry Glasgow and offense, how are
they different now than they were when you played him
in February?

Speaker 5 (50:04):
They're still home so, which is incredible. So but I
think he's done Someoney said he's done it three times.
But that's definitely bringing a new one into my playbook. So,
but you know, he's crafty. You know, he's gonna use
what he has at his disposal. He's gonna make you
play well. He's gonna put pressure on you know, and
and that's what he does. And he always believes he

(50:26):
has Nija there and he believes he can get a run,
he's gonna.

Speaker 2 (50:28):
Win a game.

Speaker 5 (50:29):
So but we also have a very talented team as well,
and so it's a great matchup and Jerry he knows
the game, he's crafty, which I'm looking forward to that matchup.

Speaker 2 (50:40):
All right, right, things up for Texas. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (50:42):
There is the Texas News Conference from the National Championship
pre National Championship news conference there for tomorrow's softball National
Championship coming up. We're gonna hear a little bit from
Texas Tech from their side as well. And again a
reminder in the four o'clock hour, we visit with Jolie Mitchell,
Longhorn's first baseman. We got some other details to take

(51:06):
care of, which we'll do when we continue on thirteen
under the.

Speaker 4 (51:08):
Zone and we're back to the Craigway Show. Have a
message for Craig, share it by using the talkback feature
on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 1 (51:23):
All right, I wanted to hear a little bit from
Jerry Glasco, the very entertaining head coach of the Texas
Tech Red Raiders softball team, close friend of Mike White,
the Texas softball coach. Jerry's daughter played for Mike White
at Oregon and so there's great memories of that as well,

(51:49):
so let's hear from them. Also, Niger and Kennedy is
in there another Texas Tech players. Here's some from their
pre Championship series news conference.

Speaker 21 (52:00):
All right, we were joined by Texas Tech head coach
Cherry Glaska and players Nidrie Kennedy, Demmy Older, and Alexa Angeliers.
A reminder to please silence your cell phones and then
give your name in mediaffiliation when you get the mic
to ask a question. No recording with your cell phone
to get video of the press conferences allowed. Make sure
to rate use to raise hand function when you're on

(52:20):
zoom to ask a question. We'll start with an opening
statement from coach Glasgow and then go to questions for everybody.

Speaker 2 (52:26):
So if you have an opening statement, feel free.

Speaker 22 (52:30):
We're just super thrilled, super excited to be here and
to be a part of this. The crowds, then the
excitement and enthusiasm, the atmosphere of the games has just been.

Speaker 2 (52:45):
Unreal, unbelievable.

Speaker 22 (52:47):
I thought the atmosphere in the game last night was
just absolutely amazing. He you know, somebody asked me if
the crowd and always bothered me and I said, I didn't.

Speaker 2 (52:55):
All I know is it was loud.

Speaker 22 (52:56):
I didn't think one time about it being against US
or for US. I didn't think that had a effect
on the game at all other than I thought it
created a great atmosphere for a big time playoff game
to have that many people in that bigger crowd.

Speaker 2 (53:12):
So we're super excited.

Speaker 22 (53:13):
Where as far as the final series, I think we're
really healthy going into the series. I think where the
healthy is we've been off season. I think we're the
most confident we've been all season, and I look forward
to seeing the girls go out and play the best
ball of the season.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
Okay, let's start front road.

Speaker 14 (53:31):
Level with Eli Letterman, ESPN. Alexa been the backdrop of
everything last night. There was obviously a lot of love
here Sam Lander on the other end all those things,
And I'm curious with coach Glasgow.

Speaker 2 (53:43):
You followed him to come here.

Speaker 14 (53:45):
What makes this guy the kind of coach that the
players want to play for, that want to follow, that
want to be a part of his program.

Speaker 20 (53:53):
Sorry, In my opinion, Jerry's always just been genuine, like
You're not gonna see a lot of like the two
different sides of him. I feel like he's always been
upfront with you about everything, academics, athletics, real life. Like
he's very honest about stuff and he's not gonna steer
you one.

Speaker 2 (54:11):
Way or the other.

Speaker 20 (54:11):
And I've always wanted that in a coach.

Speaker 2 (54:14):
So okay, we'll go from our left to get a Jake, Jerry.

Speaker 15 (54:19):
There was a report yesterday that Nisa has been playing
on a torn hamstring? Can you confirm that? Elaborate on
it and if it is the case, Nisa, you know,
how have you managed playing?

Speaker 2 (54:29):
Yeah injury. I've never known exactly because I'm not they did.

Speaker 22 (54:34):
I just know it was a really serious injury that
was that was going to take eight or nine weeks
to get over completely. I was actually told soft tissue injury,
and I think I assumed it was the leg or
a hamstring or you know, but I really didn't know
other than.

Speaker 2 (54:49):
The doctors said that, and I talked personally to.

Speaker 22 (54:53):
Doctors I wanted to be sure what we were doing,
or to a trainer, to lead trainer, and I remember
him saying the pitching motion because it was on her
left leg, not her right legs, there would be it
wouldn't do further damage to go ahead and pitch, but
if it had been on the right leg, he would
have to shut her down.

Speaker 2 (55:12):
And so it was that close that.

Speaker 5 (55:17):
It was. Really we were walking on.

Speaker 2 (55:19):
Pins and needles for about what a month.

Speaker 22 (55:22):
There was about a month there where even like the
South Carolina Friday night game, we thought she was going
to start and it didn't feel right, and we had
to start on Friday, and we eliminated all bullpens during
the middle of the week, and we eliminated hitting like
actual batting practice.

Speaker 2 (55:38):
She was taking almost none for a little over a
month period.

Speaker 22 (55:43):
We didn't talk a lot about it, but it was
a significant setback, I think in her offensive part of
her game, but in the pitching part. When you when
you realize as a coach how effective she was every
weekend and not going through the normal bullpen procedures are
the really hard you know bullpens where you work on

(56:06):
your spin, you work on your location that you normally
would do and then still have the results that she
did just show what a tremendous competitor and what tremendous.

Speaker 2 (56:14):
Talent she was.

Speaker 22 (56:16):
But yeah, it was it was a major, really really
serious soft tissue injury and the way I understood it.

Speaker 15 (56:24):
When did this happen and how has it affected you
and how you managed playing through it?

Speaker 1 (56:29):
Oh?

Speaker 23 (56:29):
Yeah, it happened in preseason, and honestly, I think the
results said it was worse than it was.

Speaker 10 (56:37):
Like the paper said it was worse than it was.

Speaker 17 (56:39):
I think it was.

Speaker 6 (56:40):
Okay, So overlaw over all, right, Okay, Well go front
right to David Collyer ABC Lubbock for Coach and Nija.

Speaker 2 (56:49):
We'll start with you.

Speaker 6 (56:49):
Coach, you spoke about it some last night, but your
relationship with can you elaborate on your relationship with Mike White?

Speaker 2 (56:58):
And then for nice what can you learn.

Speaker 6 (57:02):
From your previous meetings with Texas going into this championship series?

Speaker 2 (57:10):
Coach White.

Speaker 22 (57:12):
I've known Coach White for a long time because you know,
he's been a significant.

Speaker 2 (57:19):
Coach in you know, at Oregon, and.

Speaker 22 (57:25):
So I was trying to think when I guess I've
known him probably since I started coaching in Georgia in
two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, and then
just you know, a tremendous respect for Coach White. I
don't think he's ever lost a regional what he's done
in the postseason. Everywhere he goes, he wins. He's extremely intelligent.
He's a very highly successful coach, but he's also very

(57:47):
He gets a lot of his players and he really
develops them. And then I got to know him better
when Jerry and played for him at Oregon. She went
out to play for him and Jimmy Calattis. Chelsea Spencer
had a great staff and a great team in the
twenty She went out there in twenty fifteen and sixteen seasons,

(58:10):
and you know, I didn't get to go to very
many games, but I watched every game, and I didn't
really get to know him because I don't I don't
know that I even talked to him maybe over one
time or two times in two years.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
But I got to go out there on Senior Day
and I got to go out there on.

Speaker 22 (58:28):
The Super Regional and watched those games, and you know,
I just know his team's always win, they win. And
so then when he got so then when he came
to Texas, I made a point to play there every year.
Taken my team from Louisiana over there every year to Austin.
On this year we went ahead, We went, we went

(58:50):
there and played. He was good enough I got. When
I got the job to schedule, it was late and
I wanted to get really hard series and I was
having trouble getting games, and I was able to pick
up a series with him in Texas, A and M
there in the preseason. So you know, I know, whatever
of us knows, he's a winner. He's he always does

(59:11):
well in the postseason, and I'm super happy for him
to get in this series. I think it's just what
third series in four years or something ridiculous like that,
And you know, I think it's I thought about last night.
You know, if Jerry Anne was here and she could talk,
I don't know if she drew for me or white
because she loved Whitey and.

Speaker 2 (59:35):
She used to Comparis a lot. She'd say, Daddy coaches
just like you.

Speaker 22 (59:39):
He just got more colorful vocabulary and uh, and she
probably thought he's a little smarter.

Speaker 2 (59:46):
Than I am.

Speaker 22 (59:46):
But anyway, I'm really looking forward to getting to compete
when we play it Texas.

Speaker 2 (59:51):
We always had really good competitive games.

Speaker 1 (59:54):
Uh.

Speaker 22 (59:54):
I've seen him get tossed once and he saw me
get tossed once in that series. We've always had fun
with that and hopefully we don't do that and we
act better here. But we're gonna we'll get after in
this series. It'll be fun.

Speaker 2 (01:00:07):
Yeah. So there is from Jerry Glasgow who sick good
friends with Mike White, and.

Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
An amazing, amazing story there. All right, we'll be back
to wrap up our number two. I'm thirteen under the Zone,
third and final hour of the program here on thirteen
hundred of the Zone, Craig Way alongside the producer Cameron Parker.

Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
Glad to have you with us.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
Coming up in a few minutes, we'll visit with Jolie
Mitchell Texas saftball first basement on the eve of their
National Championship Series which begins tomorrow night against Texas Tech.
And you can hear that on the iHeartRadio app our
coverage beginning six forty five, first pitch at seven o'clock.
So look forward to that tomorrow night game one of
that National Championship Series.

Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
Sad note.

Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
If you know a bit about pro football history, you'll
remember the real that the cal Ripken of the NFL
was Jim marsh iron man, for decades held the NFL
record for most consecutive games played. Died the day after
a long hospitalization was eighty seven, joined the Vikings in

(01:01:13):
their inaugural season in nineteen sixty one and played in
every game afterwards. He played in two hundred and eighty
two consecutive games two hundred and seventy with the Vikings,
which he established upon retiring in nineteen seventy nine, and
that record stood until Brett Farr broke it while in
a Vikings uniform in two thousand and nine. So he

(01:01:33):
of course a lot of people remembered him because of
something strange to happen in nineteen sixty four when in
a game against the San Francisco forty nine and he
returned to fumble the wrong way went all the way
into his own end zone for a safety. Now, the
Vikings ended up winning the game, so I didn't you know,
wind up hurting that much. But he got turned around

(01:01:53):
and picked up the fumble and ran all the way
the wrong way for a safety. So he was a
Vikings captain for fourteen years and played in all four
of those Viking Super Bowls that they lost. But he
was a great player and also a big humanitarian of
the game as well, and passed away Jim Marshall, who

(01:02:18):
was a great for the Minnesota Vikings Pro Football Hall
of Famer and passed away at the age of eighty seven.
It was interesting we were hearing some of that news
conference from Texas Tech, from Jerry Glasgow, the head coach,
and also from Nigerie Kennedy. Remember early the years she
didn't pitch as much. He was dealing with a little

(01:02:39):
bit of a hamstring issue. Now she said it was
more of her blown but he laid out how they
kept her from taking batting practice because you know, she's
a two way player. She also she's a pitcher who bats,
which is rare in the college game Baseball warsawp all
these days.

Speaker 24 (01:02:56):
And.

Speaker 1 (01:02:58):
You know, eliminated her throwing on the side for a
few weeks as well. But then she's really kicked the
Hiagre gears. She has a zero point eighty six e
r a H. The Longers had a great game with
Texas Tech back on Valentine's Day, and you know, right
at the start of the season. It went nine innings
and Teaking Cavan pitched one of the best games she's

(01:03:20):
pitching her. She went the distance and got the win
and Kennedy took the loss, but Texas won that contest.
And so now they tit up tomorrow night and Game
one Tomorrow night, Game two Thursday, and if necessary, Game
three on Friday in the best of three championship series.
And we're gonna hear, like I said from Jolie Mitchell

(01:03:41):
coming up in a few minutes, h NBA Finals begin
on Thursday night, Indiana against Oklahoma City the network television
nightmare from the ratings perspective. But we said that at
the start of the day that the the ones, the
worst one we we've came to the conclusion would have
been Indiana against Minnesota. That might have been the worst

(01:04:04):
possible TV ratings matchup, at least with Oklahoma City. You
have a number one seed, best record all the way through,
you have the MVP in shay Gilgess Alexander.

Speaker 2 (01:04:15):
So there is that.

Speaker 1 (01:04:18):
And as we pointed out here, it is coming right
off of that, the New York Knicks in the first
conference finals in twenty five years.

Speaker 2 (01:04:25):
And so what they do.

Speaker 1 (01:04:26):
They fired their head coach today, Tom Thibodeau fired. And
I know there was a great deal of excitement, anticipation
and hope that they were going to make the NBA
Finals scene before the season began, But It was kind
of funny how they, you know, parted company of Tom
Thibodau when he coached them to their best finish in

(01:04:47):
the NBA playoffs in a quarter century.

Speaker 3 (01:04:51):
And Craig, I think this is the right move for
New York. I know, I think this is There's two
moves that New York needs to make this soft season.
The first one was fire tips. The second one one
is to get rid of Karl Anthony Towns. I think
the Knicks have reached their peak with this roster. It's
a fun story. What they've done this season was great,
knocking off Boston, all the comebacks, the crazy finishes, coming

(01:05:12):
back from twenty points in games one and two. First Boston,
and then you get to the Pacers series where they
were run out of the gym. Yeah, you could say, yeah,
game one and they don't blow it. They win, Well,
they blew it, and they came back from twenty down
game three to win in Indy and in yeah, in
Game three, but wouldn't capitalize.

Speaker 2 (01:05:28):
Yeah, couldn't capitalize on it after that.

Speaker 3 (01:05:31):
So there's one thought where it's like, yeah, you got
to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since
whatever it was nineteen ninety nine, two thousand, thousand and one.
You know, twenty something years ago, your three wins away
from the NBA Finals, which I think they would not
have matched up ball against Okay see if they were
to win it, but they lost. And Tom Thibodeau, I
think he's a fantastic basketball coach. He's had great success

(01:05:54):
with Chicago and Minnesota and now New York, but he
has not won an NBA Finals, and his of coaching,
I think where's very thin on players. In the front office.
You know, he likes to he likes to have a
guy his His bench is about five to sixty total.
He's got six guys in the court. They're playing forty
five forty six minutes per game. And it's a long

(01:06:16):
NBA season eighty two games plus you know, twenty more
in the playoffs if you're fortunate enough. These guys are tired,
and a lot of times, I mean the next this season,
you know, with all the moves they made, they kind
of underachieved in the regular season, and then they get
to the playoffs. And I think they had a good
matchup against Detroit, a team that you know, had not
been the playoffs before, a young team in the Boston
team that don't I don't know, just completely fell apart.

(01:06:38):
So I'll give you the Boston series. Even though that
Tatum did Terror's achilles and so you know, they had
they played two games without Jason Tatum on the floor.
Boston did win one of those at home in Boston.
But you know, Graig, I don't I think New York
underachieved under Tom Thibodeau. I think, you know, a great
basketball team, but they need something different and you can

(01:06:59):
kind of feel it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:01):
The athletic headed a piece up.

Speaker 3 (01:07:02):
I think yesterday there you know, usually when it went
a team loses, there's always a hit piece I like
to call it where they'll bash the coach and they'll
they'll bash certain players and stuff. But you know, there
was a lot of interesting quotes there, but from the
you know, from anonymous sources talking about how you know,
Thibodeau's coaching style is kind of weird thing with some
of the players and some of those in the front
office because of like he doesn't he doesn't really trusted

(01:07:23):
young guys, and so for New York you got to
be able to add more depth because I think in
the Indiana series, we saw Indiana who they played ten
guys at times. You know, they had more death, more youth,
and they were able to think out play New York
for the entire series, whereas New York just relying on
those five six guys. And yeah, they're probably more talented

(01:07:44):
starting five than Indiana's, but that's all they have is
those five six guys, and that's about it. You know,
That's how TIBs likes to coach. So I'm okay with
this move. I think New York's in a great, great spot.
I think that they have some offici of moves to make.
One of those might be honest, might be Kevin Durant.
We'll see what they end up doing. But I think

(01:08:05):
the next step now is to get rid of Anthony
Towns because I just don't think defensively he's a good
enough option. He's he's a great basketball player, but there's
a reason why Minnesota traded him this past season. And
I think we're gonna see why New York will move
off a cat going forward. But I'm okay with this
move for New York.

Speaker 1 (01:08:21):
Okay, all right, we'll have more on the actual finals
itself to marvel take a look at that up next.
My conversation with Jolie Mitchell, Long Orange first baseman here
on thirteen hunder the Zone, continueing on this three D

(01:08:45):
afternoon here.

Speaker 2 (01:08:46):
On thirteen to hundred zund business.

Speaker 1 (01:08:52):
By one of the leaders of this Texas softball team
that begins competing for a national championship at the national
championship level tomorrow night in the National Championship Series Game
one against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Speaker 2 (01:09:04):
The Long Orange gratudent Jolie Mitchell joins, is, now, I
appreciate the time.

Speaker 1 (01:09:07):
The first thing I got to ask is how's it
been the day having an actual day off from competition.
I know there we're press conferences and stuff like that
and workout this morning, but are you guys able to
relax a little bit?

Speaker 10 (01:09:22):
Yeah, just getting our minds right.

Speaker 9 (01:09:24):
I think it's always good to have an off day,
you know, physically get to rest, but mentally it's most important.
So I'm very happy to have it so I can
collect my thoughts going into the Chance Series this week.

Speaker 1 (01:09:33):
Okay, now, what is tell folks a little bit about that.
What exactly does collecting your thoughts entail in terms of
the mental preparation for a national Championship Series.

Speaker 9 (01:09:45):
I think the biggest thing is just flushing the bad
things that have happened and just focusing on what's right
in front of us. So, yeah, we're watching film and
we're scouting Nija Kennedy and know what we're facing.

Speaker 10 (01:09:56):
So it's just kind of a Hey, what can I
do better? And how am I gonna apply that tomorrow?

Speaker 1 (01:10:01):
Well that's a good point, And I'm interested to get
your thoughts on this because i know it was way
way back some time ago when you played Texas Tech
Valentine's Day to be exact, when you won that contest
and and and they you know, it was a it
was a great game. I know it ended up going
nine innings and Teagan pitched very well and Cannedy pitched

(01:10:24):
very very well also, Uh, but you wound up being
certainly one of the keys in this in that two
to one game. What what are the things that you
that you remember about that matchup with with Kennedy? And
and really and truly also, Jolie, is she that much
different a pitcher this year, at least what you saw

(01:10:45):
back in February as opposed to what you saw from
her last year when she was pitching for Stanford and
you played up there.

Speaker 9 (01:10:52):
Yeah, biggest thing from that game was just I mean,
it was a dogfight. It took all night long, and
that's what happened. I think a big thing was that
we were just attacking good pitches at the end of
the game and that's what got us over the hump.
But with Nija, I think a big thing is that
she's got the same pitches. It's just a matter of
how she's mixing, if she's throwing more changeups, if she's

(01:11:12):
actually making us chase out of the zone with her
rise ball. But big key is just for us to
be disciplined.

Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
Yeah, is that one of the biggest challenges is when
someone has a change like she has to, you know,
to be able to be patient at the plate or
not chase pitches out of the zone. And can you
describe what the mental discipline encompasses, what it takes to
be able to lay off pitches like that and wait

(01:11:38):
for the one pitch that is the good one and
be ready to go when it does come.

Speaker 9 (01:11:42):
Well, I think one big thing you have to decide
is are you going to pick a speed so if
she's throwing the change enough or you're gonna sit on
it and wait on a change up, or especially if
you get into two strikes, you're gonna have to attack
it anyway. I just think that we have to trust ourselves.
I know that we hit a lot of pictures that
have rise balls, drops and a good change and we
do find and so I think a big thing is
just staying discipline and making her work accounts coming into

(01:12:04):
the zone.

Speaker 10 (01:12:04):
The zone is going to be tight, but we can
hit those balls that are close to it.

Speaker 1 (01:12:08):
Visiting with Joli Mitchell here on thirteen under the Zone, Joey,
you said something pretty interesting, or at least Holly Rowan
reporting it during the telecast mentioned about you, and I
think you did say it in the press conference afterwards
when you hit the first home run there that you
kind of had a goal in terms of a home run,
and then you said I just wanted to settle in

(01:12:29):
and then of course you get the next one in
the next one. So here's my question for you, is
you know, when you have that kind of goal in mind,
how challenging is it not to alter your plate discipline
and the things you do knowing you do want to
drive one long, because it really does help the team if.

Speaker 2 (01:12:47):
You can knock one out, yeah for sure.

Speaker 9 (01:12:50):
I mean, yeah, my goal this year wasn't a home run,
but I know that home runs don't necessarily win games.

Speaker 10 (01:12:55):
It's about how we can come together as a team
and chip away.

Speaker 9 (01:12:58):
Yeah, that is very helpful that you just get to
run around the bases and you get to touch it
and there's run. But I think that a huge thing
now is I'm not too concerned with that anymore. I mean,
I got my personal goal with one, two and three,
but I think that right now, I just want to do.

Speaker 10 (01:13:12):
What I can for the team.

Speaker 9 (01:13:13):
If that's me being on base, if it's me pushing
a runner with a bun or hitting a sack fly,
That's what I'm going to.

Speaker 2 (01:13:18):
Do, all right.

Speaker 1 (01:13:18):
So how many people told you what you're run away
from Courtney days mark of a couple of years ago
is and folks mentioned that to you.

Speaker 10 (01:13:27):
Yes they have. Actually Courtney reached out to me the
other day.

Speaker 9 (01:13:29):
I don't know Courtney personally, but tell me how awesome
it was to watch me where the burn orange and
that she really enjoys watching me play. So that was
pretty cool. I mean, she's somebody to look up to.
She's a great ballplayer. And yeah, so that was really
nice to hear from her as well.

Speaker 1 (01:13:41):
All right, let me get into some other things with
you that I think are really really important. One thing
I mentioned ESPN. I mentioned Holly grow and I've known
her a long time. And one thing that ESPN does
in these national events, these championship events, is they do
a really fine job I think of highlighting the the

(01:14:04):
career path and the personal path and all of those things,
uh that that go on, uh for the student athletes
who were involved with this, and and and to be honest,
he spent quite a bit of time where they did
on on your path and the challenges that you had
to overcome, both you know, obviously with the illness and

(01:14:24):
then and then uh uh and then also uh you know,
transferring in and making your your mind up that this
was where you wanted to be, you know, going back
through that and and coming all the way from Redbud,
Arkansas playing at Notre Dame and then the illness and
all of that sort of stuff. At what point, even

(01:14:44):
in the most difficult times, were you saying to yourself,
this is not going this is not my end story.
This is good even though you were at certain points
fighting for your life. But I mean, was there a
point along that path where you were saying, this is
not my story. I'm not done here yet. I've got
more left in me.

Speaker 9 (01:15:03):
I mean, going through my illness, a lot of that
was just that was I mean a lot was physical,
but a lot was mental too. I'd never been through
anything like that, and I struggled a lot, and so
it was hard for me to kind of emotionally be available,
and I kind of shut my parents out. I wanted
to find out who I was as a person and
be independent, and that's really tough, you know, especially going

(01:15:24):
through something that's so dangerous as my illness. But I
think a big thing for me was when I actually
had Tommy John in the same year that I got sick,
and so that was the big hurdle I was trying
to get over.

Speaker 10 (01:15:35):
And then I had another speed bump, which was my illness.

Speaker 9 (01:15:37):
So once I had Tommy John done and I started
recovery from that, I actually I saw like a little bit.

Speaker 10 (01:15:43):
Of a light at the end of the tunnel.

Speaker 9 (01:15:45):
It was still hard, and I still was on chemo
for almost two years. And I mean, if I can
do that I can do anything, and I love softball
so much, but I think it put it into a
new perspective for me. I mean, I love softball, and yeah,
I was playing in Notre Dame, was getting a great education.
But that's why I was getting to do those things.
I was able to be a Notre Dame because I
was a great heltball player. I was able to eventually

(01:16:06):
experience the World Series twice with Texas, and so it's like,
if I'm really going to enjoy this, I really need
to pretend like this is actually what I want to do.
And then it turned into everything that I love and
I've never loved the game more than I do right now.

Speaker 1 (01:16:19):
Toward that end, I think this is a good story
that you had told apparently about why Texas. I mean,
like you said, you were getting a really good education.
Notre Dame finean institution, who were playing there. What struck
you about the University of Texas And I heard there
was a reference to obviously what happened in twenty twenty
two and that unseated Texas team got to the finals.

(01:16:40):
But what really struck you about Texas as to being
where you wanted to finish your collegiate career.

Speaker 10 (01:16:45):
I think the biggest thing for me was that I
was finishing my why notre Dame.

Speaker 9 (01:16:49):
I was getting that degree and I ended up graduating,
and then my next why was I want to be
on the national stage and play at the World Series.
So where am I going to do that? And we
did play them the beginning of twenty twenty two and
they went zero and five and Clearwater and I'm just like,
who is this Texas team? This is not who they are,
This is not who Mike White is. And I mean
I remember watching Oregon when I was growing up and
Coach White was just a legend, and I remember seeing

(01:17:11):
him on my TV and It's like, man, it'd be
really awesome to play for somebody like that. But the
fight that they had, and they came back and put
up a great fight all year long. I mean went
to Washington and then went to Arkansas. I mean, I'm
from Arkansas, so I was watching the series very closely
and it was insane to see them come back and win.
But just knowing the culture that they had then versus
the culture that we have now, there's no reason that

(01:17:33):
we can't win a national championship.

Speaker 10 (01:17:34):
We love each other, and we're so tight, and I think.

Speaker 9 (01:17:36):
That we all are on the same page as far
as winning it, and we're going the same direction. Nobody's
behind and nobody's trying to get ahead of anyone else.
We're just a really great team and we love each
other so much. And so this culture and the competitiveness
that Coach White builds around it is everything that I've
ever asked for. And then obviously I ended up here
twice and have a chance to win the national championship again.

Speaker 1 (01:17:58):
Got to ask you this when you were you were
watching the Super Regional, and even before that, prior to that,
after you had decided to transfer from Notre Dame, was your.

Speaker 2 (01:18:10):
Home state institution interested in you? Were they were they
trying to get you to come to Arkansas.

Speaker 9 (01:18:17):
I honestly, back when I was younger, it kind of
didn't go that way, which is, okay, it's fine, I
get it, but yeah, I maybe threw it out there,
but it definitely was not in my top five. Texas
was pretty much my top one. And that's really what
I wanted.

Speaker 10 (01:18:32):
To focus on.

Speaker 1 (01:18:33):
How much, also, Jolie was the fact that this program
has come close but has never won a national title.

Speaker 2 (01:18:40):
How much did that register with you?

Speaker 1 (01:18:42):
Wanting to be a part of the team that would
have another shot and maybe this year is the best
shot ever to win a national championship.

Speaker 10 (01:18:50):
I mean, you always want to be a part of it,
but you just want to contribute.

Speaker 9 (01:18:53):
I mean, I want to be part of the reason
that this team is successful, and I want to be
the reason that my teammates wanted to be successful.

Speaker 10 (01:18:59):
I want them to know that they have a strong leader.

Speaker 9 (01:19:01):
Ahead of them and I've got their back when I'm
out there behind the pitching staff, just knowing that I'm
talking with the defense, I'm encouraging them, hyping them up
whatever they need. But yeah, I seriously think that just
being a part of it is so cool. But I mean,
my ultimate goal was to win a national championship, So
I want to be part of.

Speaker 10 (01:19:18):
It and I want a con tribute to it.

Speaker 1 (01:19:19):
Okay, Julie, before we wrap up, I gotta know what's
what's next for you on your career path beyond is
it is it playing professionally, is it taking a degree
out into the professional world?

Speaker 12 (01:19:32):
You know, what?

Speaker 1 (01:19:33):
What is it that I've also heard you described by
other people as being somebody who could really coach this
game very very well.

Speaker 2 (01:19:39):
What's on the horizon for you?

Speaker 9 (01:19:43):
Ultimate goal is I want to work in the medical field,
So that's going to be the biggest thing that I'm
going to focus on, starting school back again in October
to pursue my career at being a nurse and aesetus.

Speaker 10 (01:19:54):
Really excited about that.

Speaker 9 (01:19:55):
But I don't want to fully step away from the game,
and I think that that's actually grown with me.

Speaker 10 (01:20:00):
Even in the last few months.

Speaker 9 (01:20:01):
I kind of wanted to say, Nope, I'm want to
hang my cleats up and I'm going to take a
break from it, but no, I'm definitely not. I want
to give lessons. I want to be coaching teams. I
want to do camps. I want to inspire kids. Just
outside of the softball part. I want to be an
inspiration to everybody who goes through adversity, whatever you might
stand in their way of them being successful, because it
definitely was something that I had to deal with, but
I learned and I try to give advice when I can.

(01:20:24):
But yeah, I think just outside of softball, I want
to be an inspiration to others and.

Speaker 10 (01:20:27):
Be a mentor.

Speaker 12 (01:20:28):
Well.

Speaker 1 (01:20:28):
I appreciate you taking the time, and I don't want
to take any more time up of your off day.
I want you to get as much enjoyment and relaxation
out before you go back to the field tomorrow night.
We're looking for the broadcast and we're looking forward to
seeing you in the Longhorns excel and try to wrap
up that national title. Thanks so much, Jolie, and best
of luck tomorrow evening.

Speaker 10 (01:20:49):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 2 (01:20:49):
All right, that is Jolie.

Speaker 1 (01:20:50):
Mitchell, Longhorns First Basement and again Texas in the National
Championship round against Texas Tech.

Speaker 2 (01:20:56):
And we'll have more on that coming up when we continue.
I'm thirteen under the Zone.

Speaker 4 (01:21:03):
Back to the Craig Way Show. Connect with Craig through
the text line by text team so eight one five
three zero followed by your message standard message and data
rates may apply.

Speaker 2 (01:21:15):
All right, we're continuing on thirteen Dreds.

Speaker 1 (01:21:16):
It was a great conversation with Jolie Mitchell and if
you didn't know her story about contracting COVID and then
having a rare disease from that and nearly passing away
from that and going through chemo and everything else. Transferring
from Notre Dame to Texas and having the year that
she's having as a grad student this year.

Speaker 2 (01:21:34):
It's a pretty inspiring stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:21:36):
And has hit three home runs in this Women's College
World Series and they resume again tomorrow night.

Speaker 2 (01:21:42):
So great story there.

Speaker 1 (01:21:44):
On the text line, we were talking about the NBA
Finals going to be in the end against Oklahoma City.
Somebody said this matchup, NBA's final matchup, will draw a
similar rating to a refront of Mama's a rerun of
her Mama's family. You know what I always used to
say about that when I was like a fan of
a team that got into a championship and they said, oh,
it's not gonna be a ratings winner.

Speaker 2 (01:22:08):
Who cares if you win? The Tampa and the people
who can play at the ratings like like what, like
do you get paid based on good ratings or not?

Speaker 20 (01:22:15):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:22:15):
Like, what do you care if there's good ratings or
not or bad ratings? No one cares. I don't know why.

Speaker 3 (01:22:19):
It's always a big conversation piece, like there's gonna be
a tweet out next week about Game one's ratings, whether
they're up or down.

Speaker 2 (01:22:25):
Who cares?

Speaker 3 (01:22:26):
It's two really good basketball teams, the best basketball team
the regular season OKC against an incredible Pacers team with
two fantastic coaches, Like, who cares if it was a
good ratings or not.

Speaker 2 (01:22:37):
Uh, remember when the Rangers and the Diamondbacks got series.

Speaker 1 (01:22:42):
So it's gonna be the lowest rated World Series ever?
That and and what the Rangers won it in five games?

Speaker 2 (01:22:49):
Right?

Speaker 1 (01:22:50):
Last year the Dodgers and Yankees got in the World Series,
they said it's going to be the just most colossal
and it was a huge traget.

Speaker 2 (01:22:56):
What happened.

Speaker 1 (01:22:57):
Dodgers won in five games, same amount of games when
five games.

Speaker 2 (01:23:01):
In the World Series. All right, so we heard from
Joli Mitchell. Let's hear some more.

Speaker 1 (01:23:06):
This is from today, this is Texas Tech. In the
press conference, Nigeria Kennedy asked about what she learned about
Texas from last year and back on February fourteenth, that
nine inning matchup. Jolie Mitchell, by the way, scored the
winning run in that game on a throwing error.

Speaker 2 (01:23:27):
As they won it nine innings.

Speaker 1 (01:23:29):
But Nigeri Kennedy there along with other Tech players and
head coach Jerry Glascow at this news conference.

Speaker 13 (01:23:34):
Brady Vernon, SOAPO America, just Alexa, how have you kind
of seen the infield grow defensively, especially on the left
side of the two freshmen.

Speaker 2 (01:23:43):
I think they've grown tremendously.

Speaker 20 (01:23:44):
I mean, starting the season, I feel like there's a
lot of miscues, but I mean they just got really
tough mentally and they just beared down and I don't
think you'll see a better left side of the enfield
in my opinion.

Speaker 6 (01:24:03):
Again, for Naja, the experience you have against Texas and
how you can take from that going into this series.

Speaker 23 (01:24:12):
Yeah, yeah, they're a really good offensive team. So just
knowing and obviously they see me in the preseason, but
just knowing we're gonna have to change things up, keep.

Speaker 15 (01:24:20):
The hitters off balance.

Speaker 23 (01:24:22):
I think that's something coach Sarah is really good at too,
just knowing what the throwbatters and how we can attack
their weaknesses, but also playing to my strengths.

Speaker 24 (01:24:30):
Okay, we get a second, right, right, Todd Kapain with
the daily Toyd or Demi obviously sticking around with this,
you Reagan and Logan all stuck around, how have you
celebrated with them? And then for Alexa the sisterhood that
you kind of built with the other girls from Louisiana,
how has that been obviously watching Lauren and Maya get
that walk off yesterday.

Speaker 25 (01:24:47):
Yeah, I think for me Reagan and Logan has been
very special just because we trusted in coach.

Speaker 10 (01:24:52):
Glasgow and we stuck with it.

Speaker 25 (01:24:53):
But I think the mean more is just with my
teammates and without Nigia, we wouldn't be here when now
the in Phi, we wouldn't be here year, And.

Speaker 10 (01:25:00):
Without the offense we have, we wouldn't be here.

Speaker 2 (01:25:01):
So I think just as a team, it's been pretty awesome.

Speaker 20 (01:25:05):
I think the sister head from Louisiana is just really
something special and being able to expand that into the
sisterhood we have now is just amazing. And just seeing
the success Lauren and Maya have have had this tournament
is just awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:25:19):
They deserve it and I love them. Okay, we'll go
a second our life.

Speaker 7 (01:25:25):
Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesmen Damian Alexa. The Texas players
talked about the challengers of facing Naja. For you guys,
Cavan had a lot of success Controw in that first game.
What was she doing particularly well? What did y'all learn
from that game at the play and then do you
change her? How do you change her approach.

Speaker 20 (01:25:46):
I think for me it's she's she went hard up
a lot that game, and I think just being able
to make an adjustment faster of getting on top of
that ball will force her to throw more of that
drop ball that she has and the off speed, and
I think if we can make her a little bit
more uncomfortable this time around will be more successful.

Speaker 25 (01:26:06):
I was unable to play the first two games to
put him since I was injured, but have seen her
in the past, since last year the three game series.
I think with her, you have to just make adjustments
really fast.

Speaker 2 (01:26:17):
Okay, let's stay second of our left.

Speaker 11 (01:26:21):
Jerry, did you bring any other pictures here Polkaoma City.

Speaker 2 (01:26:25):
I'm just curious. I mean you got pictures?

Speaker 22 (01:26:32):
Yeah, yeah, we do, dying to go, you know, And they've.

Speaker 2 (01:26:40):
Been great, the girls have. They've been working in the
bullpen of course.

Speaker 22 (01:26:43):
You know, I think they understand the situation and they
obviously are playing with extremely talented, generational type talent. And
you know, Chloe's Chloe is amazing. She's got tremendous control
and you know, when we put her in, she's gonna
be sharp. And she's working in the book pend like
she was even sore yesterday, just from throwing so much

(01:27:05):
the last few days, because she's been down in a
bullpen throwing and and you know, just staying ready in
case something freaky happened, we had an ankle turn or
a ball hit Naja or anything that would suddenly occur,
that she's got to be ready.

Speaker 2 (01:27:21):
And so I thought it was interested.

Speaker 22 (01:27:23):
She said, like her shoulder was sore from throwing so much,
not injury whise, just just tight, you know, and she's
ready when she gets when she gets her shot, Chloe
will be magnificent, and uh, we're gonna need We're gonna
need more than Naja in this three game series. Most likely,
she don't think she could pit three more games. I

(01:27:44):
think she could do anything right now. She's kind of
like super super uh yeah, superman out there in the circle.
But I suspect in this three game series we'll we'll
end up having to go to more than one.

Speaker 2 (01:27:57):
Pitcher obviously, Okay, we'll stay second.

Speaker 12 (01:28:00):
Left Centric Golden Austin, American Statesman that Demi Oklahoma terrorized
the Big twelve terrorist Texas terrorized Tech for many years,
and then those teams knock oh you out of this
college world.

Speaker 2 (01:28:13):
Series.

Speaker 12 (01:28:14):
How do you guys kind of re refocus and know
that it's not over yet. I mean, you beat ou,
but there's still some work to be done.

Speaker 25 (01:28:24):
I think the way we refocus is just staying to
the game and staying to what we know and what
we love to do. I think the job's not done yet,
and I think we all know that.

Speaker 16 (01:28:34):
Okay, we will go next second, are right, Ryan Coppo,
CBS loveck.

Speaker 2 (01:28:40):
This is for all the players.

Speaker 16 (01:28:41):
Just talk about the moment being two wins away from
a national championship. It's two teams from the lone Star state,
and it's also two teams trying to win their first
you know, national championship on the diamond as well.

Speaker 2 (01:28:55):
I think it's going to be interesting.

Speaker 20 (01:28:57):
I think the fact that it's like a Texas National
Championship is going to be a lot of talk around this,
and I think.

Speaker 10 (01:29:06):
It's gonna be tough.

Speaker 20 (01:29:07):
You know, we both want to win, and we're both well,
we're the first team to like not have been in
this situation before. They've been in this situation before, and
obviously they haven't come out on top. And I know
that leaves a bitter taste in their mouth. But we're
both gonna be fighting for it.

Speaker 23 (01:29:24):
Yeah, I still don't think the moment is fully set
in for me yet. Just to be able to again
to say that we were two games away, I feel
like it's it's just amazing And yeah, I still it
honestly still doesn't set in for me yet.

Speaker 2 (01:29:40):
Okay, we go third round the left.

Speaker 26 (01:29:43):
Pete Christie from KCBD and LABA coach being this interest
squad intra state championship. What does this mean for the
program's future, for Texas Tech and then just softball in
the big state of Texas.

Speaker 22 (01:29:59):
I think that this is obviously it's really good for
Texas and it's really good for the youth and the
young women all over the state. They're going to be
inspired by this. You know, I think you see that.
You know, you saw that when Kat Austin was pitching
for Texas, you saw left handed.

Speaker 2 (01:30:15):
All of a sudden, five years later, there's left handed
pitchers everywhere.

Speaker 22 (01:30:18):
Everybody was a left handed softball player, was a pitcher
and inspired so many people. And I think there's no
doubt the success of Texas and the success of Texas
Tech and A and M had a really good year.

Speaker 2 (01:30:32):
No doubt that you know that nine and.

Speaker 22 (01:30:35):
Ten year old girls all over the state, eleven twelve
year old girls. There's no doubt that little leagues are
field up right now and seeing the effects of having
really good college softball teams in the state.

Speaker 13 (01:30:50):
Okay, we go a third right right in the corner
to Justin. Justin mccleffin, do you want softball? Alexa. I
saw a TV interview you gave yesterday. I think it
was where you mentioned you didn't know, didn't think you'd
be here. I'm curious for you. You guys are winning
and you're playing well, but you're also this is your
first time on the stage.

Speaker 2 (01:31:06):
However, you managed to balance those two.

Speaker 5 (01:31:08):
Things this week.

Speaker 13 (01:31:09):
Get to enjoy the experience while also making sure you're
focused on winning ball games.

Speaker 20 (01:31:13):
I think we really soak in the moment more of
like after the games and like on the days we've
had off, of like really just being here, and I
think once it's time to like really lock in on
game days and stuff, we kind of just realized, like, hey,
this is still just another game, and like we've done
this all season long. We've fought and we've competed, and
I think that's just really helped.

Speaker 13 (01:31:34):
Okay, we go for our left Brady Brady Vernon Softball
America just Jerry Maya has really good numbers against Tegan
and I just how big is her speaking and playing
this kind of series.

Speaker 22 (01:31:49):
When she gets on base, our team is a whole
different level of team. And the amazing thing to me is,
you know, we got through these three game with her.
I think getting on base one time. If you'd have
told me before we got here we could win three
games of Maya only get on base one time, albeit
that was a really important bat yesterday, I would I

(01:32:11):
would have probably thought it would be impossible. And I
think the law of averages is in our favor because
that kids, she'sus consistent, It is consistent can be if
you look over her three year career, she's just she's
just been a tremendous player for us.

Speaker 2 (01:32:26):
And she's a big game player.

Speaker 22 (01:32:28):
It's not the stage, it's not the environment, because you
go back to the Texas A and M game, go
back to the Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:32:33):
Game early in the year. She's a big game player.

Speaker 22 (01:32:36):
I just think that you know, so far, it's a
very limited amount of bats, it's a very small, uh
sample size, and and I think I'm expecting her to
come out huge in this next next series, and I
want her to because I want people to see how
good she is. I think I've said all year, I

(01:32:56):
think she's the best center fielder and lead off hitter
in the country, the best defensive centerfielder in the country,
and I wanted to show that.

Speaker 2 (01:33:04):
And so far, you know, I don't think she's had the.

Speaker 22 (01:33:08):
She hasn't had the performance that that shows how good
she is, and I want her to show that before
we leave here.

Speaker 18 (01:33:15):
Okay, we go third, right, right, and you think East
love the Gavalanche Journal, Denny, you have the most experienced
in this Tech Texas rivalry, being the longest tenured Red Raiders,
being in this spot and playing for a championship.

Speaker 2 (01:33:27):
Does that add a little extra something.

Speaker 18 (01:33:29):
That the rivalry is still kind of going even though
they're not conference mates anymore.

Speaker 25 (01:33:34):
I don't think I've ever beat Texas actually, so I
think this series is going to be pretty cool because
I think this team is a lot different than the
other teams I've had in the past. So I think
with our offense and our defense, I think we can.

Speaker 2 (01:33:47):
Get the job done.

Speaker 15 (01:33:50):
Okay, Jake, goohd Yeah, Jake Trotter being Jerry big big picture,
what his NISA meant for Texas Tech with the publicity
surrounding her in il Dill, what does it mean for
softball going forward? And then what does it say about
her that she is delivered on all the expectations that
came with her.

Speaker 2 (01:34:12):
Yeah, I don't think.

Speaker 22 (01:34:14):
I don't think you put a value in once she's
meant to Texas Tech when you think of the magnitude
of what she brought to our program in publicity. And
I remember the week after we announced that she was
coming last year with something someone told me, it's like
seven hundred thousand associated press articles had to come out

(01:34:36):
where you're talking about and in those articles, in those
little seven hundred thousand clips it you know, you're mentioned
in Stanford, Texas Tech and Niajia Kennedy and softball all
in those little articles. And what's the value of something
like that, I don't know. And then to deliver, you know,
And she's delivered over and over and over, and she

(01:34:57):
kept even early in the season when we weren't ready yet.
You know, it takes while, it takes a long time
to develop championship mentality and championship, championship culture. While we
were growing as a team behind her and around her,
she was just in that.

Speaker 2 (01:35:16):
Circle of rock.

Speaker 22 (01:35:17):
And so you look back at the zero zero game
to Mississippi State, and then you look at the Texas game.
We got a one nothing lead and they tied up
one to one. We go to the eighth or ninth
inn and we lost two to one. Niger's in there
just doing her job. But that give us a chance,
even though we didn't hit, but it give us a
chance to feel those at bats and and my players

(01:35:39):
to realize, like we got to grow. And so the
value of that, I don't know how you put but
we wouldn't be here without it, obviously. And then I
think what it more speaks to is her leadership and
her character. She's a great pitcher. Everybody sees that when
you see her pitch in a circle. Even a casual
supple fan recognizes the great new So that but I

(01:36:01):
think when you look at how she endured injury, she
endured a young team around her, or a new team
around her, and with a new coaching staff, and went
through with a new pitching coach, and she's got a
new hitting coach working with her on her hitting, there's
just total adjustments. But throughout all that, no matter what,

(01:36:23):
she just was a rock solid in the circle force
and provided us with that solid, stone cold assassin out
there in the circle that allowed us to grow and
become a really good softball team at the end of
the year.

Speaker 2 (01:36:39):
And I think it even surprised us.

Speaker 15 (01:36:43):
Nice just real quick, you know, how have you managed
this experience? What's it been like for you? And what
has this run been like leading a program to a
place it's never been before.

Speaker 23 (01:36:55):
Yeah, honestly, this year has been hard, just for me
personally and honestly this team. I feel like we had
a lot of rope bumps and this was not an
easy ride. We actually were joking about on the bus.
If you would have asked us, like earlier in the year,
earlier in preseason, if we would be two games away
from hoisting a national championship trophy, we we would probably laugh.

(01:37:16):
We took some heart losses early on, but just honestly,
just I feel like we've just grown as a team
and we are part part of the road getting here
is just peaking at the right time, and I feel
like we're finally just catching our step and we're we're
getting to know each other on the field, and I
feel like that we're just playing for each.

Speaker 17 (01:37:34):
Other right now.

Speaker 1 (01:37:36):
She's the one, the long word you're gonna have to beat.
How's your Kennedy? How's for short Fornerie Kennedy? And that's
game one tomorrow Night, Texas and Texas Tech. We'll be
back to wrap up today's edition of the program on
thirteen hundred and some