Citlay Gutierrez on Texas seniors: 'They really changed this program'

Oklahoma dashed Texas‘ dreams on the softball diamond this week when they won their fourth straight national championship, this time against the rival Longhorns in the final series.

After the game, several Texas players spoke to the media, including the final pitcher to take the mound for the Longhorns this season, Citlaly Gutierrez. 2024 won’t be her last rodeo on the softball diamond, but it was for some of Texas’ key players, even though they were a young team overall.

So, when asked what’s the toughest part of losing the championship series in Oklahoma City and now leaving the ’24 season behind, Gutierrez answered that it’s saying goodbye to some current teammates.

“I would say for me it’s saying good-bye to our seniors. Sorry, I get emotional,” she said, tearing up before going on to explain what this particular senior class means to the Texas program.

“They set the bar really high for us. They really changed this program. Like, y’all may have not seen, like, all the behind the scenes, but they really have set the bar high for this program and for all the young girls coming in. They paved the way for us. I’m extremely grateful to have played for them and played with them.”

Texas only had five seniors on the whole roster this season, a rarity in the current era of extra COVID years, but they were an impactful group. Those seniors: Bella Dayton, Joley Mitchell, Alyssa Washington, Estelle Czech, and Jordyn Whitaker.

Gutierrez breaks down 6th inning

It’s that sixth inning where the second game of the championship series went south for good for Texas. Pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez kept the lid on Oklahoma’s offense in her first inning of work, the fifth, but then allowed three more OU runs to make it 8-4, a deficit Texas just wasn’t able to overcome in the top of the seventh.

Ultimately, that would be the final score of the final college softball game of the season. Afterwards, Gutierrez was asked how Oklahoma was able to break the game open in the bottom of the sixth.

“I mean, we faced them multiple times this year. They’re a team that’s going to adjust. They’re a great team,” answered Gutierrez. “Just sometimes they just pass the bat, execute on mistakes. That’s it.”

When Gutierrez made mistakes, the Sooner bats were all over them. The Longhorn pitcher also notes that an overwhelmingly home crowd doesn’t hurt, either.

“But, I don’t know, just sometimes the environment can be overwhelming sometimes. I try not to let it overtake me. I don’t know.”