University of Texas softball player Teagan Kavan capped off her weekend national championship celebrations by hopping in a car with her mom and making the 13-hour drive back to her hometown of West Des Moines.
Kavan guided the Longhorns to the school’s first national title on June 6, then had to get back to Iowa to start her internship at Flynn Wright, an advertising agency in Des Moines.
“I would probably still be in Austin if I didn’t have to come back for my internship,” Kavan said in a Zoom interview with The Des Moines Register.
The time on the road allowed the star pitcher some much-needed time to rest and decompress. After all, it had been a long week. Kavan wrapped up her sophomore season with the Longhorns by winning the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City.
“I think we were all pretty exhausted,” said Kavan, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS.
The Dowling Catholic graduate was front and center for Texas’ memorable season that ended with an NCAA championship and Kavan on the mound. She tossed seven strong innings in the clincher vs. Texas Tech, allowing just four hits and zero earned runs.
Kavan finished 28-5 and pitched 31 2/3 innings in the WCWS without allowing an earned run, a tournament record.
Kavan has been a softball star for years. She didn’t play high school softball, instead dominating on the travel-ball circuit with Iowa Premier Fastpitch. The right-hander posted club career pitching totals of 1,444 strikeouts over 772 2/3 innings, with 45 shutouts and six no-hitters.
When she moved on to Texas, it was more of the same as Kavan quickly established herself as one of the top pitchers in the nation. During her freshman season in 2024, Kavan helped the Longhorns get to the WCWS championship series, compiling 20 wins with 135 strikeouts and a team-high 130 2/3 innings pitched.
She was even better this season, racking up 230 strikeouts across 207 innings. She finished strong with an impressive showing in the postseason, taking the ball time after time for the Longhorns.
Kavan said her social media feed has been flooded with messages. Actor Matthew McConaughey, a die-hard Texas fan, quote-tweeted a post from the team’s X/Twitter account with a picture of Kavan, praising the team for the championship. She said she heard from former softball superstar Jennie Finch. Kavan said she bumped into NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal at the team’s hotel.
“A lot of crazy things,” said Kavan, an advertising major at Texas.
Kavan played with a heavy heart during the WCWS. Her grandmother, Anna Lukehart, died in May. Lukehart, who went by “Jo,” was one of Kavan’s biggest fans. Kavan wears the No. 17 in honor of her grandmother, who was born on the 17th.
Lukehart would watch Kavan’s starts and then call and check in on her. Kavan said her grandmother would rewatch her starts over and over, as many as six times in one day.
“We were always connected,” Kavan said. “She was just the best supporter.”
Kavan said funeral services are this week. Many fans offered their condolences on social media after hearing about her loss. Her grandmother certainly would have been proud of what Kavan accomplished.
After winning the title, Kavan and her teammates traveled back to Texas the following day. They were greeted by fans who joined in the celebration.
The next day (June 8), Kavan was in her car driving back to Iowa. She said she was on the road by 6 a.m. The internship was originally scheduled to start on June 9. But with the Longhorns having such a successful season, Kavan said she was told she could start June 10.
“They were kind enough to reach out and say, ‘Hey, if it’s too crazy, we can push some things back,’” Kavan said.
Kavan said she’ll spend the summer doing all kinds of work for the agency. She’ll also be attending a USA Camp at the end of June and will play in an international tournament in Canada. But the highlight of the year likely already came, with Kavan and her Texas teammates hoisting the championship trophy.
“A lot of celebrations with our fans and with my family of course,” she said. “But it’s been wild.”
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
