Who is Reese Atwood? Texas softball star catcher has Longhorns back in WCWS

USA Today

5 days ago

Who is Reese Atwood? Texas softball star catcher has Longhorns back in WCWS
Show Caption
Hide Caption
How the SEC's softball dominance could carry it through to the Women's College World Series
The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson shares the top storylines she's following through the NCAA softball tournament, starting with the SEC's biggest strengths.
Texas softball fell painfully shy of the first NCAA championship in program history last year, falling in the championship series of the Women's College World Series, a setback made that much more unbearable given who it came against (rival Oklahoma, which won its fourth-consecutive national title).
One year later, the Longhorns are once again on their sport's biggest stage.
With a 51-11 record, coach Mike White's team made it to the WCWS for the third time in the past four seasons after outlasting Clemson in a hard-fought three-game series in the Austin Super Regional last week. The No. 6 seed nationally, Texas will continue its run to a national championship with a game Thursday against No. 3 Florida.
REQUIRED READING: WCWS bracket 2025: Full schedule, matchups for NCAA softball tournament
Though a number of figures — be it players or coaches — have helped the Longhorns get to this point, one person has loomed especially large.
Reese Atwood has been one of the biggest stars in college softball over the past two seasons, racking up all-conference and all-American honors while helping lead her team to spectacular heights. This year, she was one of the best players in the best conference in the country, earning a spot on the All-SEC first team.
If Texas ends up going on a run in Oklahoma City over the next week, its junior catcher will almost certainly have played a central role in it.
As the Longhorns get ready for the WCWS, here's a closer look at their star player:
Reese Atwood stats
From virtually the moment she began playing for Texas as a freshman in 2023, Atwood has been an extraordinarily productive player.
That has continued into her junior season, as she's hitting .416 with 21 home runs and 85 RBIs. She's first on the team in home runs and RBIs. Among all Division I players, she's first in RBIs and tied for 13th in home runs.
Here's a look at Atwood's year-by-year stats:
2023 : .291 average, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs, eight doubles, 91 total bases, three walks, 29 strikeouts
: .291 average, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs, eight doubles, 91 total bases, three walks, 29 strikeouts 2024 : .423 average, 23 home runs, 90 RBIs, 12 doubles, one triple, 163 total bases, 26 walks, 20 strikeouts
: .423 average, 23 home runs, 90 RBIs, 12 doubles, one triple, 163 total bases, 26 walks, 20 strikeouts 2025: .416 average, 21 home runs, 85 RBIs, 12 doubles, three triples, 153 total bases, 40 walks, 17 strikeouts
REQUIRED READING: Winners and losers from NCAA softball tournament super regionals: Oklahoma in WCWS again
Reese Atwood awards
Over her nearly three full college seasons, Atwood has earned a slew of accolades.
Here's a sampling of some of her most notable achievements:
USA Softball college player of the year top three finalist (2024)
First team All-SEC (2025)
Softball America first team All-America (2024, 2025)
Softball America national player of the year (2024)
National Fastpitch Coaches Association first team All-America (2024)
D1Softball national player of the year (2024)
Big 12 player of the year (2024)
All-SEC defensive team (2025)
All-Big 12 freshman team (2023)
Reese Atwood height
Atwood is listed on the official Texas roster at six feet tall.
Reese Atwood high school
A native of Sandia, Texas, just outside of Corpus Christi, Atwood was a star at Tuloso-Midway High School, where she was tied for the No. 1 catcher and tied for the No. 5 prospect nationally in the 2022 recruiting class, according to Extra Inning Softball.
The Longhorns were the first major program to show interest in Atwood, who grew up dreaming of playing for Texas.