TYLER, Texas — The UT Tyler Patriots are headed the softball World Series as the number one overall seed.
After winning both the Lone Star Conference tournament championship and then the Super Central Regional tournament championship in route to a 36-game win streak, head coach Mike Reed said this team is like no other.
“What's unique about this team along with the records is the journey," Reed said. "A lot of times in coaching, we get caught up in where we're trying to get to and this team, more than any, has helped me and everyone learn to focus on the journey, enjoy the journey. No team has grown more on the journey than this one, so I couldn't be more proud of them."
Leading up to this moment, the Patriots broke the single-season record in wins with 59, and as they prepared to be sent off, junior Courtney Plocheck enlightened us on what the team is feeling headed to the national stage.
"It's very exciting, a lot of people are very excited," Plocheck said. "So just overall confidence, a lot of us have confidence in each other and are just waiting for that first game. We're ready to get out there and there's great teams going, but we have the confidence that we're just going in to attack that first game."
As a team, this group has been unstoppable for 36 straight games and counting, but then there are players like Tatum Goff. UT Tyler is a perfect 39-0 when she starts in the circle.
"The pressure keeps building and building but you have to tell yourself like it's a regular game or it's any other game," Goff said. "I prepare the same way for each team, we watch film, we do this and that and I mean, you can't let that feeling get the best of you, you have to know that you have prepared all that you can and be confident in yourself and that's how I am with myself and my team behind me. That is the reason why we are undefeated at Irwin ballpark and the reason why I haven't lost a game this year."
As far as the game plan goes, Reed said he's taking it one game at a time.
"Our goal is to worry about this next game against California San Marcos," Reed said. "So we know everybody there can play. You know everyone's got the same story and journey just to get here, so we know we better focus on what's next, only."
The Patriots will open play in the double-elimination eight team bracket in Chattanooga, Tenn. on Thursday afternoon at 11 a.m. EST against no. 8 seeded Cal State San Marcos.