Young pitcher ready to step up
Freshman Davis will start NCAA tournament opener against Bulldogs.
Tiarra Davis is about to step onto the biggest stage of her softball career.
The Big 12’ s freshman of the year will be in the circle when Texas (33-21) opens the Lafayette Regional of the NCAA tournament Friday against Mississippi State (38-19).
“I don’t think (high school) state tournaments compare to a trip to the Women’s College World Series,” Davis said.
Davis said she was feeling pretty good and didn’t feel nervous Wednesday before the team left for Louisiana. She did say, however, she expects to be nervous before taking the field Friday.
“Actually, I’m feeling pretty good about it,” she said. “Usually I don’t get nervous until that first pitch goes out,
then I take a deep breath and let it out.”
Senior catcher Mandy Ogle, who’s making her fourth NCAA appearance, will have the job of keeping Davis, or whoever is in the circle, composed.
Making the comparison to former pitcher Blaire Luna, Ogle said Davis is naturally calm.
“If you get Tiarra riled up a bit, everything seems to just go the way she needs it to go,” Ogle said. “She’s just a calm person naturally, kind of like Blaire was, and doesn’t get too emotional. Tiarra does show a little more emotion, which I like to see as a catcher. As a catcher, it’s my job to get that smile to come out every now and again.”
Davis, who is Texas’ first left-handed pitcher since Cat Osterman, has grown into her role of pitching ace for a staff that features two freshmen (Lauren Slatten is the other) and junior Gabby Smith.
Davis (18-12, 2.35 ERA) has started 20 of Tex- as’ last 21 games and has five complete-game shutouts. She’s struck out five or more 13 times and al- lowed one run or less in 10 starts. Her first college win was Feb. 7, and it came against one of the teams she could face this weekend — host Louisiana-Lafayette.
In two games against Texas, the Ragin’ Cajuns saw only 42/3 innings of Davis pitching, Texas coach Connie Clark said.
Davis has the most game experience this season, but Clark said all three of Texas’ other pitchers would be needed this weekend, a double-elimination format that also includes Mississippi State and Texas Southern along with Louisiana-Lafayette.
“Tiarra is our ace, and (she) kind of evolved in March and continued to get better through conference play,” Clark said. “We feel very good about having her in that role, but we’ve had some conversations with Lauren and Gabby about being ready to go. We’re going to have to engage them and they could be the difference makers this weekend.”
Smith has been Davis’ backup for most of the season; Slatten made a few late relief appearances in conference play.
Smith is 19-4 at Texas, but has pitched fewer innings in her threeyear career than Davis did this season. She has made 28 appearances in 2014, mostly in relief, and made her last start April 27 against Oklahoma State.
“(Tiarra) is kind of a veteran at this stage with as much as she’s pitched for us,” Smith said. “Coach Clark told us that it’s going to take all of us, not just Tiarra. I know Tiarra is going to do the best she can and if she gets into trouble, I have her back.”