Dowling Catholic alum Teagan Kavan and the Texas softball team are once again national champions.
Kavan and the No. 2 Longhorns knocked off No. 11 Texas Tech, 4-1, and swept the Red Raiders in a best-of-three championship series of the 2026 WCWS on Thursday, June 4, at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Kavan was the star of the 2026 Women’s College World Series, becoming the first player in the history of the WCWS to be awarded the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award in back-to-back years.
“You’d have to say yes,” Texas coach Mike White said when asked after the game if Kavan belongs among the best pitchers in college softball history. “And she does it in a different way.”
Kavan’s dominance fuels back‑to‑back titles for Texas
Kavan was surgical in Texas’ run to a second straight national title, striking out 30 batters in 33.1 innings of work across seven games in Oklahoma City over the past week. In nine innings against Texas Tech, Kavan gave up three hits, three runs and struck out 11 Red Raiders.
“It just gives us so much confidence when Teagan is doing her thing,” Texas first baseman Katie Stewart told USA TODAY Sports. “It allows us to play so free and to be able to do our thing on offense for her.”
With Thursday’s win, the Longhorns became the fifth different Division I softball program to win back-to-back national championships at the WCWS. With Kavan only a junior, can Texas make it three in a row in 2027? We shall see.
Teagan Kavan stats
Who is Teagan Kavan?
Kavan is a junior pitcher on the Texas Longhorns softball team. Kavan grew up in West Des Moines and is a 2023 graduate of Dowling Catholic High School, according to her LinkedIn. She did not pitch for her high school program, but rather played exclusively for her club team.
She has been a key piece for the Longhorns since joining the program, earning WCWS All-Tournament honors in 2024 before taking home the Most Outstanding Player award in 2025 and 2026. She’s also piled up national recognition as a multi-time All-American, including from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, D1Softball.com and Softball America.
What club softball team did Teagan Kavan play for?
Kavan played for Iowa Premier Fastpitch. Extra Innings Softball had Kavan tied for the No. 11-ranked prospect in the class of 2023, while Perfect Game had her as the No. 5 overall prospect.
Kavan committed to Texas in 2021, choosing the Longhorns over 50 other Division I programs, according to USA Today.
USA TODAY reporters Mitchell Northam and Kevin Skiver contributed to this report
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa native Teagan Kavan guides Texas to second straight WCWS title
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
