OKLAHOMA CITY — Gerry Glasco couldn’t finish his thought when talking about Mihyia Davis. The pair have been together forever, Davis one of the key players to join Glasco when he took over as head coach of the Texas Tech softball team.
“I’ve been so lucky to be with her for four years,” Glasco said of Davis. “I don’t know what I’ll do next year when I have to write that lineup without Mihyia Davis. She means so much to me.”
Throughout her career, Davis’ name has been easily spotted at the top of the batting order, first at Louisiana and now with the Red Raiders. Glasco, though, is always one to tinker. He’s used well over 50 different combinations on the season, and the last few games have seen Mia Williams as the leadoff hitter instead of Davis.
Glasco could see that Davis, who went through a late-season hitting slump, was pressing too hard at the plate, so he opted to move her down to the middle of the batting order, doing so again to open the Women’s College World Series against Mississippi State.
Davis went 2-for-3 at the plate against the Bulldogs, driving in one run and creating chaos on the base paths to help the Red Raiders end the game early with an 8-0, run-rule victory.
In the team’s seven postseason games, Texas Tech has scored at least eight runs in six of them. Known more for its power hitting throughout the regular season, much of the offensive success has been generated in other ways. Doubles, singles, hit-by-pitches, walks and stolen bases have played a major role in the Red Raiders scoring an average of 10 runs per game in the postseason.
“I think as an offensive perspective, it’s more relaxing,” Davis said. “You know you don’t have to be the one to do it. Somebody’s going to pick you up and score the runs.”
During last year’s WCWS, in which Texas Tech played a total of six games, the team never scored more than four runs. The eight runs scored against Mississippi State were how many Tech scored in its first four WCWS games combined in 2025.
NiJaree Canady pitched every inning of the Super Regional and WCWS until she couldn’t anymore last season. Thanks to having Kaitlyn Terry, she doesn’t have to this time around. And neither pitcher has to do it alone with an offense generating runs in a variety of ways.
“Being a pitcher, I feel like it allows me to just attack batters, especially when we got to four runs off the bat,” Canady said. “The first thing Coach Tara (Archibald) said was just attack batters, like one home run isn’t going to hurt us right now. It just gives me confidence because I know I can go right at hitters.”
Every game of Texas Tech’s stay in OKC came in the night sessions last year. The 11 a.m. first-pitch time was also the earliest Canady had ever played in her now four WCWS appearances. Getting the game done earlier, and ending it in the fifth, allows the Red Raiders more recovery time before their second game on Saturday.
Glasco said the team will have four practices between the end of the Mississippi State game and their second WCWS game. Having an offense that can get things done in a hurry could be beneficial for the Red Raiders in the long run.
“I feel like it sets the tone for the whole World Series,” Canady said, “having a run-rule the first game.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Mihyia Davis, Texas Tech softball show offensive versatility in WCWS rout
Reporting by Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
