In less than 24 hours, Texas power Calallen joins Coahoma in historic company as only UIL softball teams to 3-peat

After winning the 4A Division I state championship, and third Texas state title in as many years, Corpus Christi Calallen's softball program isn't showing signs of stopping

Calallen head softball coach Teresa Lentz hoists her third consecutive state championship trophy after the team defeated Andrews 9-2 in the Class 4A Division I UIL State Championship game on May 30, 2025, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We wrote on Thursday that the Coahoma Bulldogettes stood alone in UIL history after their historic third consecutive state softball championship.

That lasted about 22 hours.

On Friday afternoon, May 30, 2025, Corpus Christi Calallen made it a party when the Lady Wildcats beat Andrews 9-2 to win the Class 4A Division I state championship at McCombs Field in Austin.

The first to make history came down to a matter of scheduling, really, and Coahoma got the first crack at it when the University Interscholastic League (UIL) slated their 3A Division II game against Lexington for 4 p.m. on Friday in what turned out to be a 6-1 win.

The 4A DI title game was slated for 1 p.m. Friday. First pitch was a bit behind schedule, and Calallen needed a bit more time to polish off the win after scoring nine runs. It bought Coahoma some extra time alone, but that’s all.

Now, they’ll race each other for the bid to become the UIL’s first back-to-back-to-back-to-back state champions. Perhaps they’ll even do it again on back-to-back days?

That would be even more history. For now, Calallen is fine with enjoying 2025 for a while.

Calallen’s Audryna Almaraz celebrates hitting a double during the Class 4A Division I UIL state championship game on May 30, 2025, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

But if we’re going to talk about history, let’s take it back a bit, shall we?

The University Interscholastic League, better known as the UIL, was born on May 3, 1913, when the Debating League of Texas (founded in 1910) merged with the Interscholastic Athletic Association (1911).

Softball, however, didn’t gain its inclusion into the UIL until 1993. Even then, 5A was the only class to participate in its inaugural season.

Of course, there has been a lot of softball played across all of Texas’ classes in the last 32 years. Yet entering Thursday’s games in the 2025 UIL Texas Softball State Championships, not a single softball program had ever won three consecutive state titles. By dinnertime on Friday, two teams had.

Yep. As wild as it sounds, after all those decades of waiting for it to happen, Coahoma and Corpus Christi Calallen pulled off back-to-back-to-back titles on back-to-back days.

We wrote about Coahoma getting it done on Thursday with a 6-1 win over Lexington, finishing 34-1 with seemingly no end in sight as a talented group is expected to return in 2026.

This time, it’s Calallen’s turn. The Lady Wildcats – after having their 90-game winning streak snapped in the 2025 state semifinals – came back to win that series and on Friday became the newest members of the exclusive three-peat club.

Whether it was a bit of gamesmanship or just a gut instinct, Calallen scratched scheduled starter - senior Bianca Gonzales - just before the game and went with its other ace, junior right hander Jordyn Thibodeaux – a McNeese State commit – to take the circle.

Calallen's Jordyn Thibodeaux pitches during a game against Liberty at the Portland Sports Complex on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Portland, Texas. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The move worked, as the tall right hander dominated over 5 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit with 9 strikeouts and 2 walks. Gonzales hardly lost out, however. She came on to pitch the final two innings and locked down the state title and program’s place in history.

Another junior, Braelyn Bailey, also had a monster championship game. She had two hits, including a grand slam into the bleachers in right field, and finished with 6 RBI in the win. She had the rare chance to hit a second grand slam later in the game but never got much to square up in the at-bat. She was named UIL finals MVP anyway in the win.

Calallen’s Braelyn Bailey is named MVP after the Class 4A Division I UIL state championship game on May 30, 2025, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What’s scary for 3A and 4A teams across Texas is this: Calallen and Coahoma aren’t done making noise. Now it’s a race to win four consecutive trophies, and Calallen might be the early favorite to pull it off. The Lady Wildcats were still a very young team in 2025 and is expected to return everyone from the championship roster except senior stars Gonzales and shortstop Brooklynn Meador.

They weren’t perfect in 2025. Calallen endured a couple of rough stretches throughout the season and even got shutout twice in the playoffs. But when the lights were the brightest and other teams tended to crumble, the Lady Wildcats always answered the bell.

Just as championship teams do.

Calallen shows off its medals after defeating Andrews 9-2 at the Class 4A Division I UIL state championship game on May 30, 2025, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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We wrote on Thursday that the Coahoma Bulldogettes stood alone in UIL history after their historic third consecutive state softball championship.

That lasted about 22 hours.

On Friday afternoon, May 30, 2025, Corpus Christi Calallen made it a party when the Lady Wildcats beat Andrews 9-2 to win the Class 4A Division I state championship at McCombs Field in Austin.

The first to make history came down to a matter of scheduling, really, and Coahoma got the first crack at it when the University Interscholastic League (UIL) slated their 3A Division II game against Lexington for 4 p.m. on Friday in what turned out to be a 6-1 win.

The 4A DI title game was slated for 1 p.m. Friday. First pitch was a bit behind schedule, and Calallen needed a bit more time to polish off the win after scoring nine runs. It bought Coahoma some extra time alone, but that’s all.

Now, they’ll race each other for the bid to become the UIL’s first back-to-back-to-back-to-back state champions. Perhaps they’ll even do it again on back-to-back days?

That would be even more history. For now, Calallen is fine with enjoying 2025 for a while.

Calallen’s Audryna Almaraz celebrates hitting a double during the Class 4A Division I UIL state championship game on May 30, 2025, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

But if we’re going to talk about history, let’s take it back a bit, shall we?

The University Interscholastic League, better known as the UIL, was born on May 3, 1913, when the Debating League of Texas (founded in 1910) merged with the Interscholastic Athletic Association (1911).

Softball, however, didn’t gain its inclusion into the UIL until 1993. Even then, 5A was the only class to participate in its inaugural season.

Of course, there has been a lot of softball played across all of Texas’ classes in the last 32 years. Yet entering Thursday’s games in the 2025 UIL Texas Softball State Championships, not a single softball program had ever won three consecutive state titles. By dinnertime on Friday, two teams had.

Yep. As wild as it sounds, after all those decades of waiting for it to happen, Coahoma and Corpus Christi Calallen pulled off back-to-back-to-back titles on back-to-back days.

We wrote about Coahoma getting it done on Thursday with a 6-1 win over Lexington, finishing 34-1 with seemingly no end in sight as a talented group is expected to return in 2026.

This time, it’s Calallen’s turn. The Lady Wildcats – after having their 90-game winning streak snapped in the 2025 state semifinals – came back to win that series and on Friday became the newest members of the exclusive three-peat club.

Whether it was a bit of gamesmanship or just a gut instinct, Calallen scratched scheduled starter - senior Bianca Gonzales - just before the game and went with its other ace, junior right hander Jordyn Thibodeaux – a McNeese State commit – to take the circle.

Calallen's Jordyn Thibodeaux pitches during a game against Liberty at the Portland Sports Complex on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Portland, Texas. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The move worked, as the tall right hander dominated over 5 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit with 9 strikeouts and 2 walks. Gonzales hardly lost out, however. She came on to pitch the final two innings and locked down the state title and program’s place in history.

Another junior, Braelyn Bailey, also had a monster championship game. She had two hits, including a grand slam into the bleachers in right field, and finished with 6 RBI in the win. She had the rare chance to hit a second grand slam later in the game but never got much to square up in the at-bat. She was named UIL finals MVP anyway in the win.

Calallen’s Braelyn Bailey is named MVP after the Class 4A Division I UIL state championship game on May 30, 2025, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What’s scary for 3A and 4A teams across Texas is this: Calallen and Coahoma aren’t done making noise. Now it’s a race to win four consecutive trophies, and Calallen might be the early favorite to pull it off. The Lady Wildcats were still a very young team in 2025 and is expected to return everyone from the championship roster except senior stars Gonzales and shortstop Brooklynn Meador.

They weren’t perfect in 2025. Calallen endured a couple of rough stretches throughout the season and even got shutout twice in the playoffs. But when the lights were the brightest and other teams tended to crumble, the Lady Wildcats always answered the bell.

Just as championship teams do.

Calallen shows off its medals after defeating Andrews 9-2 at the Class 4A Division I UIL state championship game on May 30, 2025, at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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