The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
05.18.2024 | Softball
The five selections mark the most since seven Longhorns were honored in 2021.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The honors for the 2024 Texas Longhorn softball program continued to roll in on Thursday afternoon as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) selected five different UT student-athletes to the three NFCA All-Central Teams.
The five NFCA All-Central Team selections were the most by a Longhorn team since the 2021 squad featured seven selections, which set a program record.
After receiving just one NFCA All-Central First Team selection the last two seasons, Texas had two first team selections as Teagan Kavan and Reese Atwood were honored as a pitcher and designated player, respectively. Kavan, who was named the Big 12's Freshman of the Year a week ago, was the only freshman student-athlete named to the first team, while Atwood was one of just two sophomores appointed to the first team. In total, only three underclassmen were selected to the first time with Kavan and Atwood making up two of those selections.
Viviana Martinez and Ashton Maloney were selected to the NFCA All-Central Second Team at shortstop and outfield, respectively, while Kayden Henry was the program's lone third-team selection as the freshman earned one of the four outfield selections.
Thursday's honor marked the first NFCA All-Region selection for all five Longhorn softball student-athletes as Mac Morgan, Mia Scott and Leighann Goode entered the 2024 season as the only active Texas softball student-athletes to have been named to a NFCA All-Region team.
Kavan enters this weekend's postseason action with a team-leading 17 wins in 25 appearances in the pitching circle, while Atwood has set the program's single-season home run and RBI records en route to being named among the 10 finalists for the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Maloney is second on the team with a .426 batting average, .001 behind Atwood for the team lead, while Martinez is leading the team with 16 doubles. Henry, who like Kavan is among the 10 finalists for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award, paces the Longhorns with a team-high and Big 12-leading 23 stolen bases.
UP NEXT
Texas (47-7) will open the 2024 NCAA Austin Regional on Friday, May 17, when the top-seeded Longhorns take on Siena (33-20) at 3 p.m. CT at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
FOLLOW US
For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoftball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
