Texas softball team aims to stay hot in Florida tournament loaded with ranked squads
Powered by National Fastpitch Coaches Association player of the week Reese Atwood, the Texas softball team enters this weekend’s Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational in Florida on the hottest of streaks to start the season.
No. 3 Texas (5-0) opened at the Stacey Winsburg Tournament in Los Angeles by outscoring its opponents 64-5 in five victories, including 3-2 and 16-0 wins over then-No. 10 UCLA. The Longhorns also run-ruled San Diego twice (19-0 and 16-1) and beat Loyola Marymount 10-2. As a result, they rose five spots in this week's USA Today/NFCA poll.
More: Fifteen questions Texas softball must answer in 2024 — one for every returning Longhorn
“The offense is just doing a great job right now,” Texas coach Mike White said after beating UCLA and San Diego for the second time Saturday. “They are being patient, getting good pitches to hit.”
Atwood has certainly seemed in a hurry to score, based on her torrid start to the season. The second-year catcher, who led the team with 11 home runs in her freshman season, hit .733 in 15 at-bats and amassed 12 RBIs, 22 total bases, seven runs and three home runs. In the process, she became just the second nonpitcher in school history to earn a player of the week honor from the NFCA, joining outfielder Lindsey Stephens, who won the award in 2016.
More: How does the Texas softball team look? Let's examine the roster and the key games.
Atwood also picked up the first Big 12 player of the week award of the season.
Plenty of other Longhorns impressed in California, both at the plate and in the pitching circle. Sophomore shortstop Viviana Martinez, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, went 7-for-8 with 14 total bases and seven RBIs in Saturday’s doubleheader, and freshman outfielder Kayden Henry started three games and hit. 600 with four runs and four RBIs.
All five pitchers — Mac Morgan, Citlaly Gutierrez, Teagan Kavan, Estelle Czech and Sophia Simpson — tossed at least three innings while amassing a cumulative 1.00 ERA and an opponents’ batting average of .140. Morgan highlighted the weekend by tossing a no-hitter in the season-opening win over San Diego.
Texas faces a more challenging trip this weekend in Florida, where it will face No. 2 Tennessee, No. 9 Stanford, No. 18 Kentucky and No. 22 Northwestern as well as North Carolina. The Longhorns will open the tournament at 5 p.m. Friday against Tennessee, which eliminated Texas in an NCAA Super Regional series in Knoxville, Tenn., last season.
Florida tournament
Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational, Friday-Sunday, Clearwater, Fla.
Friday — No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Tennessee, 5 p.m., LHN; No. 3 Texas vs. No. 9 Stanford, 8 p.m., ESPN2; Saturday — No. 3 Texas vs. North Carolina, 1 p.m., ESPN+; No. 3 Texas vs. No. 18 Kentucky, 6 p.m., LHN; Sunday — No. 3 Texas vs. No. 22 Northwestern, 8:30 a.m., ESPN2
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Red-hot Texas enters Florida softball tournament No. 3 in Top 25 poll
