The Texas softball team's first full day in Oklahoma City was filled with pre-Women's College World Series activities. After arriving in Oklahoma City late Tuesday afternoon, the Longhorn players and staff rose early on May 31 for breakfast and a full morning of ESPN TV interviews, camera shots and some down-time filled with games of hackey sack before two hours of practice, followed by a formal WCWS press conference. Phew!
Then, the team grabbed lunch and went back to the hotel to rest before Wednesday evening's Opening Ceremonies.
Here is a look at the team behind-the-scenes on their day of preparation before opening WCWS action Thursday against Arizona State (2 p.m. Central, ESPN2).
The Setting
Who: Texas softball players, coaches and staff
What: Media Day and practice at the Women's College World Series
When: Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Where: Oklahoma City, Okla. (ASA Hall of Fame Stadium)
The Longhorns' schedule:
8:56 a.m.
After an early breakfast of omelets, eggs and fruit at the team hotel, the team boards the bus and arrives at the tournament site - the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium... While waiting for the Arizona team to finish up their one-hour interviews, the team lounged on the bus and fixed their hair and makeup for their TV time!
9:02 a.m.
The team begins filming player introductions with the ESPN producers. There are five cameramen/sound engineers/producers and production assistants working in one of the practice field dugouts, as ESPN set up camera equipment to film the player introductions that will be aired at the beginning of each WCWS game.
Other camera crews set up on the practice fields to shoot a special introduction and commercials for the WCWS, which will feature Megan Willis, Cat Osterman and Desiree Williams from the Texas squad.
The starters and potential starters each give their name, hometown and an interesting fact about themselves. The student-athletes also complete sentences for the producers, including "This is the Longhorns' year because _________" and "Being at the Women's College World Series is _________."
Highlights from the interviews include Megan Willis' professed aspirations to be the next ESPN sideline reporter, Cat Osterman's desire to be the head coach at Texas someday. Tina Boutelle's re-introduces Bob, the team's unofficial mascot which she formed as a freshman out of a batting glove, tape and an old bat, to this year's ESPN audience.
Chez Sievers blows the producers away with her ease in front of the cameras and bright lights: "Well, hello," she says with a slight smile and lots of power. "I'm Chez Sievers from Mission Viejo, California, and..." While some of the players are a bit shy in front of the camera, it's all "chill" for this second baseman.
MicKayla Padilla cracks up the camera crew when she announces that, in addition to being from Cedar Park, Texas, she "is obsessed with the color lime green and spends all her spare time cleaning up after her roommate, Cat Osterman"... Then, Meagan Denny brings them all to a great smile when she announces that the special thing about her is "her family owns a pet goat, named Bevo, which just won third-place at the Fort Worth Rodeo and State Fair."
Let's not let anyone think the other teams here in Oklahoma City have such a diversity of interests and personalities as the Longhorns!
9:38 a.m.
In between filming sessions, many of the players and coaches get in a competitive game of hackey sack. While the other teams arrive to practice, the Texas team is quite the spectacle at the stadium, and they catch the attention of a roaming ESPN cameraman. Tune into the games to see if this footage makes it on-air!
9:46 a.m.
While Oregon State and Arizona take the field for practice, the Arizona State team arrives for their pre-practice filming. Since many of the Texas players are from Arizona (and the West Coast) this downtime serves as a reunion of sorts between many of the players on the two teams. Though they will remain friends, the two teams mean business when they square off on the field Thursday at 2:00 p.m. Central... On ESPN2 in the opening game of the tourney for both squads.
9:58 a.m.
Several of the players and coaches sit down to talk to ESPN reporters and commentators which include Beth Mowins, Tracy Warren, Holly Rowe, and former USA Softball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist Lisa Fernandez along with Olympic catcher Stacy Nuveman. Much of the material the reporters use during the broadcast is gathered during these interviews and from the postseason media guide.
The reporters ask the Longhorns about their improved hitting (thanks in large part to the addition of assistant coach Corrie Hill to the staff), life on the Forty Acres (yes, the players do know former Longhorn quarterback Vince Young!) and advice and words of wisdom given to them from Austinites (including Texas' football head coach Mack Brown and baseball head coach Augie Garrido).
10:14 a.m.
The team goes back to the bus to change into practice clothes and to grab a quick snack before a two-hour practice.
11:55 p.m.
On the field, it's back to game preparations with typical fielding and hitting drills. They are here to play, after all, not pose in front of the cameras!
1:36 p.m.
The majority of the team head back to the bus for the 15-minute ride back to the team hotel to shower and get treatments. Head Coach Connie Clark and Cat Osterman represent Texas at the post-practice press conference in the media room. Sitting at the podium with players and coaches from three other teams (Arizona, Oregon State and Arizona State), they field questions on a variety of topics including what it means to be back in Oklahoma City for the third time in four years and their mental states of mind entering tomorrow's game.
At the same time, Megan Willis is besieged by reporters from Oklahoma and Texas and spends lots of time with ESPN.com's Graham Hays in interviews.
2:15 p.m.
Clark, Osterman and Willis make an appearance on KVET Radio (1300 The Zone) from the stadium as Craig Way, Sports Director for KVET, is here in Oklahoma City broadcasting live from the press box at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. (KVET AM will carry the Longhorns' 2 p.m. game against Arizona State LIVE, and many others during the WCWS). With all of this national media coverage, the Longhorns make sure not to forget about the media and fans listening back in Central Texas!
2:44 p.m.
Willis, Osterman and Clark are driven back to the hotel and rejoin the rest of the Longhorns to rest and chill out before the evening's Opening Ceremonies. Before relaxing in their rooms, however, the players undergo a shock treatment of sorts, as UT turns the pool area into an ice bath treatment center. All the players take turns soaking their legs in freezing cold ice baths-- in garbage pails -- with the team athletic trainers.
3:30 p.m.
Silence in the hallways of the hotel... Must be nap time before getting back on the bus at 6:15 p.m. for the ride back to the ASA Stadium for the special Women's College World Series Opening Ceremonies celebration.
