Who is Reese Atwood? Meet Texas catcher starring for Longhorns on WCWS stage

Texas softball is very close to its first National Championship, and a big reason why is star catcher Reese Atwood.

The junior has helped lead the Longhorns to two straight Women's College World Series appearances, as Atwood presents the team's biggest power threat on offense. Additionally, her stout defense behind the plate is difference-making for a team that has a collective top-20 ERA in the country,

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If the Longhorns win their first title, Atwood will become a sports legend in Austin among a long list of famous Texas athletes. Atwood and Teagan Kavan, especially, have formed as impressive of a pitcher-catcher duo as there is in softball.

Here's what you need to know about Texas' star catcher.

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Who is Reese Atwood?

Reese Atwood is a junior catcher and first baseman who has become one of Texas' best hitters. She has led the Longhorns in OPS and home runs in the past two seasons, and is the only player to surpass 20 home runs on the team since 2024, doing so in back-to-back years.

In three seasons at Texas, Atwood has earned a variety of awards, including making multiple All-Big 12 teams the last two years and making All-SEC first team this year. Head coach Mike White credits Atwood for being one of the biggest leaders on the team.

"Reese has been the one leading our production," White said via ESPN. "We go as she goes, typically. Reese is one of those kids where you never want to take a break and go to the concession stand. You always watch her at-bats because you never know what she'll do next."

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Where is Reese Atwood from?

Atwood is originally from Sandia, Texas, which is located just a couple of hours south of Austin. She spent her childhood on a farm and had to join softball leagues 40 minutes away in Corpus Christi, Texas, just to play in proper leagues as a kid.

"I got to hang around the deer a lot -- my job was to track the babies down and ear-tag them," Atwood said. "I grew up with a lot of responsibility, always working from a young age. It gave me a work ethic and a knowledge that it takes hard work to do things right."

Atwood attended Tuloso-Midway High School and was a top-five recruit coming out of high school, including as one of the top catchers in the country. She joined a Houston-based travel team, which is where 

"I always held onto that dream of playing at Texas," Atwood said. "But I didn't have it put in front of me until I started playing nationally for a Houston team."

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Reese Atwood stats

In three years at Texas, Atwood has put up some of the best numbers in the country, including as the Longhorns' best hitter and a top defensive catcher.

Batting stats

Fielding stats