2026 Women's Softball Thread

[LonghornFan4Ever]

 

[thatdude2]

Beat OU!

[HonkEm]

Our top 2 sluggers have struck out 4 times?  did i hear that right?

[LonghornFan4Ever]

 

[TexasEx_10]

Mike White has to wake up and use the portal more effectively. White generally prioritizes building a roster through traditional high school recruiting, particularly within the state of Texas. He uses the portal sparingly to fill gaps.

Last June, I watched other teams bring in insane talent while White sat complacent and happy with the incoming freshmen. When I’d question why White wasn’t bringing in a pitcher or 3rd baseman to replace Mia Scott, people would point to the freshmen class coming in and it would drive me crazy. 
 

If you look around the SEC, many teams have several portal players who start. Alabama, Arkansas and Florida are much improved this year because of the portal. Texas Tech has an entire roster built from the portal. Mike White is the Dabo Swinney of softball, but even Dabo is starting to adjust. 

Edited 1 hour ago by TexasEx_10

[LonghornFan4Ever]

57 minutes ago, TexasEx_10 said:

Mike White has to wake up and use the portal more effectively. White generally prioritizes building a roster through traditional high school recruiting, particularly within the state of Texas. He uses the portal sparingly to fill gaps.

Last June, I watched other teams bring in insane talent while White sat complacent and happy with the incoming freshmen. When I’d question why White wasn’t bringing in a pitcher or 3rd baseman to replace Mia Scott, people would point to the freshmen class coming in and it would drive me crazy. 
 

If you look around the SEC, many teams have several portal players who start. Alabama, Arkansas and Florida are much improved this year because of the portal. Texas Tech has an entire roster built from the portal. Mike White is the Dabo Swinney of softball, but even Dabo is starting to adjust. 

I don’t totally with the Dabo Swinney comparisons because it’s been less than a year since White won a natty.  It would be more like Mack Brown after he won a natty getting complacent in high school recruiting which led to the downfall of the football program.  But I do agree, regardless of sport, it seems like the formula to building a perennial championship level program is to recruit instant impact high school players and surround them with experienced veterans.  It’s getting harder than ever to recruit big high school classes and stash away talent because of how agents operate.

If Texas doesn’t make it back to the WCWS championship series, it will be for the reasons you outlined.  I do think Mike White will learn from this and be more aggressive in the portal going forward.  I don’t think he’s the type of coach that’s just satisfied with winning only one national championship.  As Rod Babers points out in livestreams, your biggest rival across the Red River constantly having your number and winning titles should bring out the best in White and this program to get back to the mountaintop.