Texas softball, the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, opens a best-of-three Austin Super Regional series Friday at McCombs Field against Arizona State.
The No. 6 Longhorns (45-10) enter their sixth consecutive super regional on a hot streak after winning all six of their postseason games, which includes three straight victories while winning the SEC Tournament and three wins in last week’s Austin Regional. But No. 19 Arizona State (44-16) is playing at the same temperature; the Sun Devils beat Texas Tech for the Big 12 title and won three games at the College Station Regional, including two over host Texas A&M.
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The winner of the Austin Super Regional Series advances to the Women’s College World Series next week in Oklahoma City.
Read below for live scores and updates Friday as the Texas Longhorns face Arizona State Sun Devils in Game 1 of the Austin Super Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
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Texas Longhorns infielder Leighann Goode (43) throws the ball to first during the NCAA Softball Championship Regional final against Baylor at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Sunday, May 17, 2026 in Austin.
Texas freshman Hannah Wells likes the first pitch she sees from ASU’s Kenzie Brown and sends it over the centerfield wall for a solo homer. The one-out shot ties the game. Wells extends her freshman single-season school record with her 15th home run of the season.
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ASU gets its fourth hit of the game from Yannixa Acuna, but 2B Leighann Goode gets Acuna at second on a brilliant defensive play for the third out. Goode dives to her right and flips the ball to SS Vivi Martinez while laying on the ground. Goode has enjoyed a brilliant senior season with the glove.
For the third straight inning, Texas get its leadoff runner on after Ashton Maloney laces a single up the middle. Maloney reaches third on a single by Vivi Martinez, but Reese Atwood lines a sharply hit ball right to CF Kaylee Pond. Three hits for each team, but that error by Texas last frame is the difference.
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The first mistake by either teams proves big. Tiare Ho-Ching, the No. 9 hitter for ASU, leads off with a single and reaches second on a throwing error to first by Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan. She eventually comes around to score on a two-out single by catcher Samantha Swan, a local product from Georgetown High School.
Texas 2B Leighann Goode leads off with a walk and gives a little OU-style bat throw to celebrate. She advances to third after a fielder’s choice and a stolen base, but ASU starter Kenzie Brown fans Jaycie Nichols to end the inning. Each team has one hit so far in a pitcher’s duel.
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Ashleigh Mejia rips a two-out double into the right center gap for ASU’s first hit and promptly steals third. But Teagan Kavna gets her third K of the game and the third out of the inning by fanning Brooklyn Ulrich.
Kayden Henry leads off with an infield single for Texas, but ASU starter Kenzie Brown strands her at first. One hit for the Longhorns.
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Eleven pitches and three outs for Texas starter Teagan Kavan, including two strikeouts. An efficient start for the Texas ace.
Texas starter Teagan Kavan throws a strike to Tanya Windle, and we’re off at McCombs Field.
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Game 1 features a matchup between two of the top pitchers in the college game. Arizona State’s Kenzie Brown, a graduate right-hander who was recently the 15th overall pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League collegiate draft, has anchored the Sun Devils’ staff since joining the program for the 2022-23 season after one year at Tulsa. This season she boasts a 17-6 record and a 2.23 ERA and ranks fourth in the nation in strikeouts with 246 over 153⅔ innings.
Texas ace Teagan Kavan, a junior who earned MVP honors at last season’s Women’s College World Series, is 23-4 with a 2.57 and 1.12 WHIP and 215 strikeouts in 174⅓ innings. She’s thrown two consecutive complete-game shutouts in the NCAA Tournament.
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| Spot | Pos | # Player | Bats | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | cf | 21 Kayden Henry | L | .410 |
| 2 | 1b | 20 Katie Stewart | R | .437 |
| 3 | ss | 23 Viviana Martinez | L | .387 |
| 4 | c | 14 Reese Atwood | R | .353 |
| 5 | 2b | 43 Leighann Goode | R | .375 |
| 6 | dp | 13 Hannah Wells | R | .296 |
| 7 | lf | 9 Alisa Sneed | R | .260 |
| 8 | 3b | 24 Jaycie Nichols | R | .339 |
| 9 | rf | 7 Ashton Maloney | L | .300 |
| 10 | p | 17 Teagan Kavan | R | – |
| Spot | Pos | # Player | Bats | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | dp | 44 Tanya Windle | L | .398 |
| 2 | cf | 42 Kaylee Pond | R | .348 |
| 3 | c | 32 Samantha Swan | R | .382 |
| 4 | 3b | 17 Emily Schepp | R | .360 |
| 5 | 1b | 12 Katie Chester | R | .351 |
| 6 | rf | 24 Ashleigh Mejia | L | .326 |
| 7 | lf | 21 Yannixa Acuna | L | .294 |
| 8 | ss | 49 Brooklyn Ulrich | R | |
| 9 | 2b | 18 Tiare Ho-Ching | R | .259 |
| 10 | p | 10 Kenzie Brown | R | – |
Mike White may always advance out of regionals, but he’s also never won a Game 1 in a Super Regional series in his seven years at Texas. In the past two seasons, the Longhorns dropped the first game in a best-of-three series to Texas A&M in 2024 and Clemson in 2025 before advancing to the Women’s College World Series.
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Where: McCombs Field, Austin
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TV/radio: ESPN2; texaslonghorns.com
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