Texas softball has hit the ground running with seven ranked wins in 15 games and only one loss to then-No. 9 Nebraska.
The Longhorns batting and fielding have been reliable in the last three invitationals. Texas has utilized power hitters like senior catcher Reese Atwood and junior infielder and catcher Katie Stewart in the lineup and given freshman infielder Jaycie Nichols and freshman pitcher and utility Hannah Wells opportunities to develop their fielding skills.
However, Texas softball has found strength in its bullpen, but not with the faces most fans expect.
“We had a lot of time in with different people, pitching,” head coach Mike White said after the Bevo Classic. “(Cambria) Salmon did very well. We still need to work on Teagan.”
Last year, junior pitcher Teagan Kavan earned the Women’s College World Series Most Outstanding Player award for her performance against Texas Tech, giving up zero earned runs in 14.2 innings. However, her start to her junior campaign has looked different.
In the first game of the season, Kavan pitched 3.1 innings against Nebraska and gave up seven hits and five earned runs. Now, 15 games into the season, Kavan has the second-highest ERA of the Texas pitchers at 2.53, following Wells, who registered a 3.50 ERA. Kavan has thrown the most innings out of all the pitchers with 36.
“(I) didn’t perform my best in the Nebraska game, and didn’t feel my sharpest either when I came in against Washington the prior day,” Kavan said.
Still, Kavan might be finding her groove as she gets more time in the circle. At the DeMarini Invitational, she pitched a combined 16 innings over three games, only giving up three earned runs and registering an impressive 19 strikeouts.
Senior pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez has registered the best ERA at 2.33 with 12 innings pitched. Sophomore Cambria Salmon is following close behind with a 2.40 ERA in 23.1 innings.
Salmon had a standout game against Syracuse during the Bevo Classic, pitching four innings and allowing zero earned runs to earn her second win of the season. She followed that up with a win against Ohio State, giving up two earned runs in 5.1 innings.
“(Salmon) was able to come through with some really good pitches, that was a 2-0 count, came back, threw a couple strikes, and able to get the out,” White said. “I thought that was a really good effort by her, and she’s ready to do her best for the team.”
Salmon has only pitched 5.1 innings over two games at the DeMarini Invitational, giving up six hits and one earned run in the game against Santa Clara.
Texas will face Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Red McCombs Field in Austin.