Texas-Sized Showdown: Texas Tech Softball Rewrites History, Faces Longhorns in Monumental WCWS Final

For the first time in program history, the Texas Tech Red Raiders softball team is headed to the Women’s College World Series championship game — and they’re doing it with a showdown that’s as epic as it gets: a high-stakes, all-Texas battle against archrival Texas.

The Red Raiders, a program long viewed as an underdog in the powerful Big 12 Conference, have turned the 2025 WCWS into a Cinderella story for the ages. With grit, power, and unshakeable belief, they’ve surged through the bracket, taking down giants and capturing the attention of the softball world.

Tonight, they meet the Texas Longhorns — a perennial powerhouse — in a winner-takes-all final at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. The game marks the first time in WCWS history that two Texas programs have faced off for the national title, setting the stage for a dramatic Lone Star showdown under the lights.

Texas Tech’s historic run to the final has been nothing short of remarkable. Coming into the tournament as a regional underdog, few outside of Lubbock gave the Red Raiders much of a chance to make it out of their bracket — let alone reach the final. But head coach Craig Snyder and his determined squad had other plans.

After emerging from a grueling regional and super regional gauntlet, Texas Tech arrived in Oklahoma City with a chip on their shoulder — and they played like it. The Red Raiders knocked off perennial contenders like Alabama and UCLA, with timely hitting, dominant pitching from senior ace Kayla Brantley, and the infectious energy that has become their trademark.

It’s been a dream,” said Brantley, who has pitched three complete games in the tournament. “We’ve believed in ourselves since day one, and now we have a chance to make history.”

Junior slugger Taryn Sullivan, who has hit three home runs in the WCWS, echoed that sentiment. “We’re not here by accident. We earned this.”

Standing between Texas Tech and their first national championship is a familiar and formidable foe: the Texas Longhorns. Ranked No. 2 in the nation, Texas has steamrolled its way through the tournament behind the dominant pitching of All-American Hailey Dolcini and the explosive bat of freshman phenom Ava Martinez.

The Longhorns have played in the WCWS final twice in the past five years but have yet to seal the deal. This time, with a balanced and battle-tested roster, they’re determined not to let it slip away again.

This is what we’ve worked for all season,” said Texas head coach Mike White. “To be playing for a national title — and to do it against a fellow Texas school — that’s what makes it even more special.”

While Texas holds the historical edge in the rivalry, Texas Tech has won two of the last three matchups between the teams, including a stunning 6-2 upset in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. If there’s one thing this championship clash promises, it’s unpredictability.

Beyond the scoreboard, tonight’s matchup is a milestone for softball in the state of Texas. It’s a powerful testament to the rising dominance of Lone Star programs and a showcase of homegrown talent on the sport’s biggest stage.

This is monumental,” said ESPN analyst and former Olympian Jessica Mendoza. “Two Texas schools in the final — it speaks volumes about the level of competition and development happening in that state.”

Fans from across Texas have descended on Oklahoma City, transforming the WCWS into a sea of burnt orange and scarlet and black. The atmosphere is electric. Emotions are high. And history is about to be made.

For Texas, a win tonight would bring the program its first-ever NCAA softball title — a long-awaited achievement for one of the sport’s most tradition-rich schools. For Texas Tech, it would be the ultimate underdog triumph, capping off a season that has redefined what’s possible for the program.