JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
The Women's College World Series kicked off last night in Oklahoma, and both schools are fighting for their first championship ever. So we called up Lindsay Schnell. She's a writer at The Athletic and has been following the game as well as its biggest stars. Lindsay, welcome.
LINDSAY SCHNELL: Thank you so much for having me.
SUMMERS: So this is a best-of-three series. Texas Tech lost 2 to 1 to the Texas Longhorns yesterday. I know that the Longhorns are the favorites, but Texas Tech just has a remarkable story of how the team got to the finals. Tell us about the first game. What did you make of it?
SCHNELL: Well, it was crazy, which has been the theme throughout this year's Women's College World Series. Texas Tech, like you said, they are an incredible story because they have the first, and so far only, million-dollar pitcher in the NCAA, NiJaree Canady. Her team was up 1 to 0 last night in the bottom of the sixth, and they decided to intentionally walk a Texas batter. And Nija is not used to doing that, and her intentional walk pitches hung a little too close to the plate and Texas' catcher wound up smashing a two-run single to put Texas up. So it's kind of ironic that the only way anyone can score on this young woman, whose ERA is now 0.94, was to hit a pitch that she did not intend for them to even swing at.
SUMMERS: All right, I just want to talk about Canady for a second. She's obviously, like, the biggest story in college softball right now. She left Stanford for Texas Tech. She also, as you point out, became the first college softball player to make over $1 million. I mean, Texas Tech is in their first World Series, so that investment has paid off. For people who do not follow the sport the way that you do, just how good is she?
SCHNELL: I mean, we don't see a lot of pitchers throw what she does. Her ERA, like I said, is 0.94. And so she has really broken through to the mainstream, and, as you point out, a tremendous return on investment given that she took Texas Tech to its first conference title, its first super regional, its first Women's College World Series and now its first championship appearance. And she's only a junior. She will come back next year.
SUMMERS: I mean, she sounds like an incredible talent. What other players are also worth keeping an eye on as we head into this next game?
SCHNELL: Well, I think that you have to keep in mind, you know, Reese Atwood, the Texas catcher who got the big hit against Canady on Wednesday night. And then, while Nija is understandably getting all of the shine, you cannot forget the Texas pitcher, Teagan Kavan. She is now 4 and 0 when she matches up against Canady. She threw Wednesday night, so I do not anticipate her throwing Thursday night, but if there is a Game 3, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she's back in the circle because one thing that's really cool about softball in general is because the pitching motion is natural and underhand, pitchers can throw days and days and days and days. It's not like baseball where you have to be a little more careful of their arms. So that's someone that I am keeping an eye on if this goes to a Game 3.
SUMMERS: All right, Lindsay, last thing, the question that every sports journalist loves - prediction time. Game 2 is happening tonight. Who do you see coming away with the win?
SCHNELL: Well, I hope it's Texas Tech because I really want three games, personally (laughter). And I do think that Texas Tech lost, Nija said, because of her. She took the blame. She said, this loss is my fault. I apologize to my team. And given her talent, her swagger and her competitiveness, I would not be surprised at all if she comes out a woman on a mission tonight and puts them in a position for a Game 3.
SUMMERS: Lindsay Schnell writes about softball for The Athletic. Lindsay, looking forward to seeing what happens. Thank you.
SCHNELL: Thank you.
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