Who is Teagan Kavan? Stats, more to know of Texas softball's freshman pitcher amid NCAA Tournament

Texas softball's Teagan Kavan has quickly emerged as one of college softball's top pitchers — and is doing so just as a freshman.

The 6-foot right-hander out of West Des Moines, Iowa, has also been a key part in helping Texas's pitching staff to rank No. 4 in the country on top of the Longhorns' being the No. 1 overall seed in the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament.

It didn't take long for Kavan to prove her talents with the Longhorns, as she began her career with five straight wins while posting an ERA of 1.75. She built on that by recording the most wins (18) and strikeouts (113) of any Longhorns pitcher this season, along with posting the third-best ERA on the staff (1.87).

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Here's what you need to know about Kavan as she attempts to help Texas make the Women's College World Series:

Who is Teagan Kavan?

Kavan is the Longhorns' star freshman pitcher — and one the best in the Big 12 this season.

She was tabbed with the conference's Freshman of the Year honors, finishing third in the Big 12 in wins, sixth in strikeouts and tied for second in saves (three). Her 1.87 ERA was tied for the fifth-best in the conference alongside Oklahoma's Kelly Maxwell.

That wasn't the only postseason award that Kavan earned: She became the first Longhorns freshman to be selected to the All-Big 12 first team since Erica Wright in 2015.

Kavan didn't look startled in her postseason debut in the Austin Regional, either, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Northwestern. She finished with seven shutout innings and 12 strikeouts while giving up just two walks and a hit.

Where is Teagan Kavan from?

Kavan is a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, where she attended Dowling Catholic High School — the same high school as women's college basketball star and now-Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

Though Kavan attended Dowling Catholic for high school, she did not play for the Maroons. She instead played club softball for Iowa Premier Fastpitch, where she recorded 1,444 strikeouts over 772 2/3 innings pitched with 45 shutouts and six no-hitters.

Kavan was a highly recruited prospect, as highlighted by being the No. 5 overall prospect on Perfect Game's Top 50 Class of 2023 recruits according to her profile. She committed to Texas in 2021, choosing the Longhorns over 50 other Division I programs. Her success on the club softball circuit also earned her an invite to try out for the USA Softball U19 national team in 2021, where she was the youngest player to receive an invite.

Here is what Extra Inning Softball wrote of Kavan in a scouting report when she was with Iowa Premier in 2021:

"Teagan is an imposing figure in the circle at 6-foot tall and she commands the strike zone with precision including the elite ability to go both up and down with velocity and late break. Last fall she led her Iowa Premier team to titles at the 2020 Fall Alliance Cup and the HFL Fall 16U Championship. The highlight thus far in 2021 was at the Top Club National Spring Invite in Oklahoma City where she threw a no-hitter and struck out striking 15 and was only one pitch away from a perfect game against a top national program.

"Teagan also has the athleticism to play shortstop when not in the circle. Every major Power Five school in the country has invited her to their Elite Camps and according to one Iowa Premier coach, 'She has every major Power Five school on her.'"

Teagan Kavan stats

Here is a look at Kavan's stats during her freshman season at Texas:

• Record: 18-2

• ERA: 1.87

• Strikeout: 113 strikeouts

• Walks: 34 walks

• Complete games: Seven

• Shutouts: Four

• Saves: Three

• Innings pitched: 108 1/3

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Who is Teagan Kavan? Stats and more on Texas softball freshman pitcher