How good is Texas softball? Ranking the six teams that have reached College World Series
With the NCAA Tournament beginning Friday at McCombs Field, high hopes accompany the lofty ranking for No. 1 Texas, the top overall seed in the tournament.
The Longhorns (47-7) have already etched a deep mark in the school record books. They became the first team in the program’s 28-year history to garner the No. 1 overall seed, they won the school’s first Big 12 regular-season title since 2010, and they became the nation’s consensus No. 1 team after beating three-time defending national champion Oklahoma in a three-game series in April.
More: No. 1 Texas scrambling to scout incoming teams for NCAA Austin Regional
But how does this Texas bunch stand among the school’s best? Check back in June after the College World Series, since teams are ultimately judged by their postseason success.
Based on that criterion, let’s rank the six previous Texas teams that reached the CWS while giving a tip of the cap to the 2002 squad that went 50-13 and won the Big 12 title before falling in the regional semifinals as well as the 2012 squad that finished 47-13 and lost in the Austin Super Regional.
1. 2006: With senior All-American pitcher Cat Osterman in full bloom, the Longhorns rolled to a 55-9 record and a Big 12 championship before falling in the CWS despite allowing just four runs in three games.
2. 2003: Osterman won her second consecutive Big 12 pitcher of the year honor as a sophomore and freshmen Chez Sievers and Tina Boutelle led a young but talented lineup that went 48-9 and won a second straight Big 12 regular-season and tournament title.
3. 2013: Texas’ best team in the post-Osterman era, the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament went 51-10 and boasted lots of balance with senior All-American pitcher Blaire Luna and a loaded lineup led by Taylor Hoagland and Taylor Thom.
4. 2005: After redshirting her junior season while helping the U.S. national team win a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, Osterman returned to Austin and led a Texas squad with some offensive issues to a 49-13 record.
5. 1998: In just its second season, a young Texas squad established itself as a contender behind coach Connie Clark and UCLA transfer pitcher and All-American Christa Williams by going 49-16 and reaching its first CWS.
6. 2022: Unseeded after an up-and-down regular season, a 47-22-1 squad caught fire in the postseason behind pitcher Hailey Dolcini and All-American infielder Janae Jefferson before running into Oklahoma in the CWS final.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: As Texas softball eyes title, we rank the best teams in program history
