It’s hard to think of any Texas team being called a Cinderella team but this year’s softball team might fit the bill. With an up and down season that at times even looked like they might not make the playoffs and entering it as an unranked team. At first I wasn’t a believer in them either picking them to lose their regional round series against Arkansas and then their super regional round against Washington. I just didn’t think they could ride pitcher Hailey Dolcini’s arm through the whole tournament. But playing through obvious pain Dolcini got Texas to the WCWS..

Once at the WCWS in Oklahoma City a surprising thing happened, pitcher’s Sophia Simpson and Estelle Czeck both got game starts and shined brightly in their winning appearances giving Dolicini’s arm a much needed chance to rest.

Texas also cut down on the fielding errors that had plagued them all year and used speed on the bases and timely hits to score the runs needed to keep winning. Along with taking full advantage of the oppositions errors to put runs on the scoreboard.

For Texas Mia Scott and Alyssa Washington have found their hitting groove and Courtney Day has become a home run machine. Add that to the ever presence bats of Janae Jefferson and Mary Iakopo and you have a winning combination.

Also kudos to head coach Mike White who has continued to get the best out of his players while trying different fielding position options until he found the winning combination. 

Once again though the road is gonna be tough one in the finals to bring the championship trophy back to Austin for the first time in school history. Their opponents the Oklahoma Sooners have been called by many this season the greatest woman’s college team ever and with their numbers and stats a good argument can be made for it. Oklahoma can slaughter the ball and at times put runs up on the scoreboard faster then the roadrunner in a cartoon. Their pitching staff is loaded with aces that make you work for every run you get. 

On paper it looks like an easy series win and another back-to-back championship for Oklahoma but with Texas this year I’ve learned my lesson and with that Cinderella factor they have going who knows what could happen come game time. 

I like rooting for the underdog plus Texas has a special place in my softball heart since the first woman’s college softball game I ever watched they were playing in it. So I’m gonna go with my heart and pick Texas to complete their underdog mission even though my brain is yelling to take Oklahoma.