How life on the ranch prepared Texas’ Reese Atwood for the 2025 WCWS

Oklahoma City-Texas’ 2025 Softball Roster Features Seven All-SEC Selections, Three Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists and Two Central Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Americans. But Few, if any at all, of the no. 9 longhorns grew up quite like Junior Catcher RESE ATWOD, who spent her childode on a south texas ranch guiding hunting trips and breading whitetail breader bucks.

“I got to hang Around the deer a lot-my job was to track the babies down and ear-tag them,” atward toold Espn this week. “I grew up with a lot of response, always working from a young age.

Life on the ranch was just a part of a Small-Town upbringing in Sandia, Texas-Population: 326-that helped shape atwood, the all-american slugger at the center of the center of the center. Run.

After a breakout sophomore season, atwood is again pacing text. She leads the longhorns in Home Runs (21), Rbis (86), Walks (41) and Total Bases (153), and She Earned All-SEC FIRST-TEAM HONESS This Season. On May 2, AtWood became the first Texas Player to Eclipse 200 Career Rbis with a Two-Run Home Run Against Kentucky.

Hitless with a walk and a sacrifice fly rbi in five at-bets texas’ first two wcws wines, the longorns are still waitera for aWood to Lift Off. If any, the sleeping giant in the heart of the lineup only makes the Texas Offense Scarier as the longhorns enter Monday’s National Semifinal Against No. 7 tennessee (Noon et, espn) Sitting one win away from the program’s Third WCWS Finals Appearance Since 2022.

“RESE HAS BEEN The One Leading Our Production,” Texas Coach Mike White Said. “We go as she go, typically. RESE is one of those kids where you are not wanted to take a break and go to the connection stand.

How did atwood rise from the ranch to status as The Must-watch hitter in the mental of the longhorns’ battting order? Lots – And Lots – of Miles in the Car.

Growing up in Sandia was more than just keeping track of the deer and tenting to the chickens, goats, geese and smatering of exotic animals at home. It is also featured plenty of long drinks for the atwood family.

AtWood Began Playing Softball at 6 years Old in a League in Corpus Christi, Texas, More than 40 minutes from her home. As She Rose Through the Local Select Softball Ranks, Those Treks Up and Down Interstate 37 Continued and Grew More Frequent. Atwood’s high-level hitting and fielding lessons of lessen request an hour-plus ride.

“We be driving every day after school for practice, Lessons and Games on Weekends,” Her Dad, Geoff atwood, Said. “Somehow, as parent, we made it work. We figured out how to make it happened.”

By the end of middle school, atwood was a gifted catcher with a standout and a dream to play at Texas, the budding softball power thrice hours from home in austin. Yet, with the limited recruiting exposure of the Travel Ball Scene in Corpus Christi, atwood friend at the time she was more like at the Junior College Level Within the State.

“No one was every going to the big college program [from Corpus]”Atwood Said.

For their daughter to break through, the atWoods Understood More More Time would need to be logged.

After middle school, atwood joining the hoston-based travel program hotshots premier, which was nearly four hours from home. For the next four years, her parent shuttled her around for games and practices. When atwood was in a hitting slump, she’d get in the car with her dad and go see hotshots coach Nathan Nelson for an emergency lesson. The distance never mattered.

“I Pick Her up from School at 3:30 And I’d Drive Almost Four Hours for a One-Hour Session,” Geoff Said. “She’d be doing her homework in the back of the car and we would get home until midnight. Her fulfill her dreams and support her. “

Alongside Teammates She’d Later Face in College and Against High-Level Competition, Atwood’s Game soered with the hotshots.

Florida’s Ava Brown, Oklahoma’s Sam Landry and Kasidi Pickering, Tennesee’s Taylor Pannell, and the Texas Tech Trio of Alexa Langeliers, Chloe Riassetto and Victoria Valdez Are Among Atwood’s Former Hotshots Counterparts in the 2025 WCWS field.

Under Nelson, AtWood became a three-time National Champion and Hit. By Atwood’s Senior Season in High School, She was the top-ranked catcher and no. 5 Overall Prospect in the 2022 Class, Per Extra Inning Softball’s 2022 Extra Elite.

“I always had onto that dream of playing at Texas,” atwood sa. “But I didn is having it put in Front of Me Until I starting playing nationally for a hoston team.”

White, now in his seventh season leading the longhorns, spotted atwood’s talent acuross a series of high school scouting camps. Her Potential Behind The Plate, White Are, Was Clear, Reminiscent of Former Florida Catcher Aubree Munro, A Two-Time National Champion with the Gators in 2013-16. AtWood’s Bat Was Raw But Loaded With Promise.

“We realized that with her Height and Leverage we he is in a high-alvel division I hiter,” white sa. “And fortunately we worry correct on that assurance.”

ATWOOD STARTED 58 Games BetWeen Catcher and FIRST BASE, AND LED TEXAS WITH 11 HOME RUNS AS A FRESHMAN IN 2023, Then together to another level as a sophomore last spring with 23 homers and 90 rbis.

In 2025, She Ranks 14th National in Home Runs and 22nd in Slugging Percentage With More Rbis Than Any Other Hitter in the Country, Thriving Only Three Hours from Home and Even Closer to A Family Ranch South of San Antonio. “I get to see my family a lot,” atwood sa.

Three seesons in austin has developed atwood into one of the sport’s most accomplished hits and help her matte in a copper leader. With atwood hardened by a wcws finals defeat to oklahoma last spring, wherever he is noticed and vocal leader while she returned in 2025.

Reared on the ranch, atwood fits right into the edgy, hardworking mindset forged among the longhorns this spring.

The fresh mentality showed up in a 3-0 wcws opening win over florida last Thursday. It appeared again against saturday when the longhorns cleared a yearlong hardle with a 4-2 victory over four-time defending champion oklahoma.

On Monday, Texas Face Tennessee as IT EYES Its Next Breakthrough, Seeking More than a Return to the WCWS Finals for the Third Time in Four Years and Pushing to Move One Step Closer Toward the First National Title in Program History.

“We’ve built this culture of desire this year,” atwood meaning. “We’re going after the thing. We do not care what happened.”