The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball inks five players to its 2022 signing class
11.10.2021 | Softball
Atwood, Goode, Gutierrez, Martinez & Pomykalski sign NLI’s as part of nation’s No. 12 signing class
AUSTIN, Texas – Head softball coach Mike White and the University of Texas softball program announced on Wednesday the signing of five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent (NLI) for the 2022-23 academic school year.
Signees include (Position(s)/Hometown/High School/Travel Ball): Reese Atwood (C/1B/Sandia, Texas/Tuloso Midway High School/Hotshots Premier), Leighann Goode (SS/2B/San Antonio, Texas/Sandra Day O'Connor High School/Bombers Gold Smith), Citlaly Gutierrez (RHP/Stamford, Texas/Stamford High School/Bombers Gold Smith), Maddie Pomykalski (UTL/Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East High School/West Bay Warriors) and Viviana Martinez (SS/2B/Tolleson, Ariz./Tolleson Union High School/AZ Storm National-Mathis)
The Longhorns signing class was ranked No. 12 in the nation as part of Extra Inning Softball's 2022 Top 100 College Rankings with all five players listed among the top 75 of Extra Inning Softball's Extra Elite 100 player rankings: No. 3 (Martinez), No. 5 (Atwood), No. 17 (Goode), No. 36 (Gutierrez) and No. 75 (Pomykalski). Two players were listed at No. 1 at their position among the nation's top recruits (Martinez – IF and Atwood – C), Goode and Pomykalski were No. 3 and No. 14 among infielders, respectively, while Gutierrez was No. 15 among pitchers. Softball America also ranked Martinez (No. 7) and Goode (No. 40) in its 2022 Top 100 Recruiting Rankings.
"We are excited to welcome our 2022 Texas softball signing class," White said. "I feel this is one of the best incoming classes in the nation with incredible talent in all the major areas of the game. Texas Softball fans will love watching this group of players compete on the field."
Texas Softball Signing Class
Reese Atwood
Position: C/1B
Hometown: Sandia, Texas
High School: Tuloso Midway H.S.
Travel Ball: Hotshots Premier
A native of Sandia, Texas, Atwood is currently rated No. 1 (tie) as a catcher and No. 5 (tie) overall according to the Extra Inning Softball's 2022 Extra Elite 100 player rankings. During the recently completed 2021 campaign for Tuloso Midway, Atwood batted .478 with 33 hits, 10 doubles, eight HR's and 29 RBIs to go with an .848 on-base percentage. Those efforts earned her District Offensive MVP honors, her second career All-District First Team selection and an invitation to participate in the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star Softball Game. A three-time national champion and a Premier Girls Fastpitch All-American with her club team Hotshots Premier, the 6-0 catcher was also named to the 2021 Extra Inning Softball All-Summer Team after batting .456 with 47 hits, 13 doubles, nine HR's and 34 RBIs.
Coach White on Reese Atwood: "Reese is widely regarded as the top catcher in the country and possesses a big arm and a great glove. Standing six-feet tall, she is also a huge threat at the plate having put up some big numbers last summer with her travel ball team."
Leighann Goode
Position: SS/2B
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
High School: Sandra Day O'Connor H.S.
Travel Ball: Bombers Gold Smith
Listed at No. 17 (tie) overall and No. 3 (tie) in the nation among infielders in Extra Inning Softball's 2022 Extra Elite 100 as well as No. 40 in Softball America's 2022 Top 100 Recruiting Rankings, Goode has proven to be a standout middle infielder at O'Connor H.S. She's hit at a .475 clip over her career with 72 runs scored, 84 hits, 38 extra-base hits, including 11 HR's, and 63 RBIs. During a 2021 campaign that saw Goode earn Texas Sports Writers Association (TXSWA) Honorable Mention All-State, All-Region 4 and All-District 29-6A First Team and District Most Valuable Player honors as well as her second San Antonio Express News Area Super Team nod, the 5-7 middle infielder batted .494 with 42 hits, 42 runs scored, 22 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases. As a rookie back in 2019, Goode began her career with All-Region 4 and All-District 29-6A First Team accolades to go with freshman of the year honors while batting .515 with 35 hits, 35 runs scored, 13 extra-base hits and nine steals. For her club program Bombers Gold Smith, Goode was previously named the squad's 2018 Defensive MVP.
Coach White on Leighann Goode: "A Texas native, Leighann is a talented, five-tool athlete who can play infield or outfield with equal ability. We see Leighann contributing to our team immediately and over the years to come."
Citlaly Gutierrez
Position: RHP
Hometown: Stamford, Texas
High School: Stamford H.S.
Travel Ball: Bombers Gold Smith
A multi-sport standout at Stamford H.S., Gutierrez has earned letters during her inter-scholastic career in softball, basketball, cross country, track & field, tennis and cheer. On the diamond, Gutierrez is rated No. 36 overall (tie) and the No. 15 (tie) pitcher in Extra Inning Softball's 2022 Extra Elite 100 player rankings. She earned TXSWA All-State First Team, her third straight District 7 MVP award (2019, 2020, 2021), All-Big 12 Country Preps Pitcher of the Year and All-Big Country Preps Softball First Team accolades after helping lead Stamford to its first Texas 2A State Championship. Playing at her future home of Red & Charline McCombs Field, Gutierrez struck out 14 and bashed a HR during the 5-4, state title game win over Crawford H.S. on June 2, 2021. During the 2021 campaign, she went 27-4 from the circle with a 0.49 ERA, seven shutouts, five no-hitters and 384 strikeouts while also batting .312 with 15 extra-base hits and 37 RBIs. She owns an overall high school pitching mark of 60-7-1 with 20 shutouts, 10 no-hitters and 832 K's. Off the diamond, Gutierrez owns a pair of basketball all-district nods and finished third in the district (2019 & 2021) in Girls Doubles for Stamford tennis. Most recently during the fall of 2021 with club team Texas Bombers Gold Smith, Gutierrez went 7-0 with a 1.27 ERA, two shutouts and 23 K's while helping her squad to a top 10 finish at Alliance Nationals.
Coach White on Citlaly Gutierrez: "Citlaly is one of the top pitchers in the state of Texas and possesses the size, speed and movement to create problems for opposing batters."
Maddie Pomykalski
Position: UTL
Hometown: Frankfort, Ill.
High School: Lincoln Way East H.S.
Travel Ball: West Bay Warriors
A four-year varsity player at Lincoln Way East H.S., Pomykalski is currently listed at No. 75 (tie) in the nation and No. 14 (tie) among infielders as part of Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2022 Player Rankings. Combining her spring high school and summer ball campaigns (plays club for the West Bay Warriors), she hit .440 overall with 13 HR's, 22 doubles, seven triples and 52 RBIs over 59 games. Included was a two-game stretch for her club squad at the Colorado Triple Crown Power Pool that saw Pomykalski blast four HR's, including a three-run walk-off shot, to go with a double, a triple and eight RBIs.
Coach White on Maddie Pomykalski: "Maddie was ranked in the top 75 players for her class of 2022 and has the flexibility to fill a number of positions for our team. She is a hard worker who has the personality to lift our team both on and off the field."
Viviana Martinez
Position: SS/2B
Hometown: Tolleson, Ariz.
High School: Tolleson Union H.S.
Travel Ball: Arizona Storm National-Mathis
Ranked as the No. 1 infielder and No. 3 overall in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2022 Player Rankings as well as No. 7 overall in Softball America's 2022 Top 100 Recruiting Rankings, Martinez has put up outstanding numbers at Tolleson H.S., averaging .615 with a .689 on-base percentage and a 2.038 OPS. She wasted no time making an impression as a freshman back in 2019 by helping lead her squad to the state playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Along the way, Martinez earned Southwest Region Player of the Year and first-team honors after hitting .612 with 52 hits, 51 runs scored, 25 extra-base hits, including 15 HR's, 20 steals and 44 RBIs. Most recently, Martinez was an honorable mention selection for The Arizona Republic's 2021 All-Arizona Softball Team. For her Arizona Storm club team, Martinez has previously been named a FloSoftball.com "Rising Star," was part of a 14-under Colorado Sparkler Champion and was named a 2021 PGF All-American Team Player for the 2022 class. During the recent 2020-21 club campaign, she batted at a .454 clip with 94 hits, 78 runs, 19 doubles, seven triples, 15 HR's and 85 RBIs.
Coach White on Viviana Martinez: "Vivi is a dynamic offensive and defensive player with tremendous speed. That's why she's ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the 2022 class."
