OKLAHOMA CITY — Katie Burkhart thought about giving up on her dream, stopping her chase for the glory of the national championship.

Oh, what she would have missed if she'd let herself quit.

Burkhart threw a four-hitter, Kaitlin Cochran and Mindy Cowles hit three-run homers and Arizona State claimed its first Women's College World Series title with an 11-0 rout of Texas A&M last night.

"I've been speechless since we won this game," said Burkhart, the Sun Devils' left-handed ace. "This is the most phenomenal experience I've ever had. This is what I've dreamed about for my entire life. To be able to experience this is something truly amazing."

Burkhart (41-4) struck out 13 to win her 11th straight decision, firing back-to-back shutouts to close out Texas A&M in the best-of-three championship series.

But she almost gave up the game after going 12-14 her freshman season, as the Sun Devils won only four games in the powerful Pac-10 conference.

"After my freshman year, there was questions I had about if I was going to continue to play the game," Burkhart said. "It was kind of a down freshman year, and then coach came in and he believed in us from day one and told us that we were going to the World Series."

The Sun Devils made third-year coach Clint Myers' prediction come true.

"It is a tradition we're trying to build, and this year's team put it on the map," Myers said.