This article in the Austin American-American Statesman published today, 2/15/25.
Texas softball: Teagan Kavan one reason UT didn't pursue NiJaree Canady in transfer portal
Thomas Jones
Austin American-Statesman
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When
Texas softball coach Mike White heard the offseason news that Stanford star pitcher
NiJaree Canady was transferring to Texas Tech for a reported $1 million NIL deal, he had the same reaction as everyone else in college athletics.
“I thought ‘Wow, that’s a big number,’” White said. “You can't hold it against the kid for taking that kind of money; that's life-changing money. And, you know, good on her. If you can get it, why not? I mean, I’ve moved programs for financial gain. Why shouldn't a player be able to do that, too? So, I get it.”
But did White’s top-ranked Longhorns’ program dip into the offseason Canady sweepstakes? After his team’s
thrilling, extra-inning 2-1 win Friday over Canady and the Red Raiders at McCombs Field, White explained why Texas didn’t heavily pursue Canady in the portal.
And one of the main reasons — the presence of sophomore pitcher Teagan Kavan — was obvious to the fans that filled the grandstands despite a chilly, misty night. Kavan threw all nine innings and struck out a career-high 18 batters, which is the highest number of strikeouts for a Texas pitcher since Cat Osterman fanned 18 in an NCAA Tournament win over Utah in 2006. In the process, Kavan also improved her personal record to 3-0 against Canady, last year’s USA Softball Player of the Year.
Last season, Texas (8-0) beat Canady and Stanford twice in the Women’s College World Series, including a taut 1-0 triumph that propelled the Longhorns
into the championship series against Oklahoma. On Friday, Texas strung together three excuse-me singles in the bottom of the ninth, including a shot down the first-base line by Vic Hunter that scored Joley Mitchell after the throw from first base to home hit Hunter and bounced toward the Texas Tech (6-2) dugout.
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“The game was as advertised,” White said. “(They) are two of the best pitchers in the game going at each other, and they didn’t disappoint. Obviously, the (weather) conditions weren’t ideal for either pitcher, but it didn’t matter to them, they both threw their guts out. Fortunately, we were able to come out in the end.”
More:Texas softball: 5 things to know about the No. 1 Longhorns as season begins
Teagan Kavan one reason Texas didn’t offer NiJaree Canady
But if Texas had somehow wrangled together $1 million from the Texas One Fund or the softball-specific booster support that includes Osterman, would Kavan have room to blossom into one of the sport’s best pitchers, which seems to be happening?
That’s a question White said his program discussed when Texas had initial talks with Canady’s agent.
“Not that she's not a great pitcher, but you're going to displace one of these other kids that are in there,” he said, naming some of his star players. “How are you going to bring her in ahead of Teagan Kavan? It's hard to say we're going to give NiJaree that and not give it to Kavan or (pitcher) Mac Morgan or (pitcher) Citlaly Gutierrez or any other players on the team, like a (catcher) Reece Atwood. You know, there's a lot of stars in this program and on the team.”
Of course, White is a former pitcher for men’s national teams in his native New Zealand as well as his adopted home country of the U.S. He appreciates pitching talent, and he understands how special Canady has become in her three collegiate seasons.
“Certainly, if she'd come (to Texas), we'd have taken her,” he said with a grin.
Canady couldn’t be reached for comment since Texas Tech officials didn’t make her available to the media after Friday’s game.
Mike White: NIL should not just be ‘pay for play’
According to White, the NIL funds distributed to the Texas softball players are tied to endorsements, nonprofit appearances and other activities.
“It's not a handout, per se,” he said. “Our players are doing things like nonprofits and earning money that way. We want to continue to get these players opportunities to have NIL. I think NIL is a great thing for the student-athletes to have, but I'm not necessarily sure that it should be just pay-for-play.”
Mitchell, who scored the winning run against Canady, is in her sixth collegiate season after spending her first four years at Notre Dame. The no-nonsense Arkansas native serves as an elder of sorts in the Texas locker room considering her collegiate experience, and she had nothing but praise for Canady and her NIL deal.
“I think NiJaree deserves it,” she said. I'm always going to be a girls’ girl, especially in my own sport. So, kudos to her. She's a great person, she's a great kid, and I know that she works really hard, so I definitely think that she deserved it. And I hope that she really is happy in Lubbock.
“She’s probably the best pitcher in the last 20 years. She’s an absolute unit out there.”
Kavan agreed with her teammate, saying Canady’s NIL deal “is amazing for the sport.”
“I think it shows what we deserve, and what we can earn,” she said. “It's just going to make softball bigger.”
And so would a fourth meeting between Kavan and Canady, especially since it would come in the postseason.
“I think seeing both of us out there and what we can do just elevates softball in general,” Kavan said. “It’s fun to go up against her. We know what she can do, and so we respect that. And that's why it's hyped up, and that's why it's a big deal, especially if there’s a little rivalry between us. That's what makes it fun, too.”
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