The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball’s Atwood to compete with U.S. Women’s National Team in Australia
10.02.2025 | Softball
The senior catcher and the U.S. Women’s National Team will travel to Australia to take on the Australian Women’s National Team on Dec. 31-Jan. 3.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Softball senior catcher Reese Atwood (Sandia, Texas/Tuloso Midway) was named to the 16-player U.S. Women’s National Team roster that will travel to Brisbane, Australia, to compete against the Australia Women’s National Team in the “Down Under Series” on Dec. 31-Jan. 3. Atwood is one of two current collegiate student-athletes (Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens) on the roster.
Atwood and Team USA will take on Australia in a series of exhibition games beginning Dec. 31 at Redlands Softball Park in Ormiston, Queensland. The trip marks the Red, White and Blue’s first visit “down under” since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where Team USA captured gold. Matchups between the two nations have long been fan favorites, highlighted by their clash at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, which drew the largest crowd in Olympic softball history with 9,209 fans at Blacktown Park 25 years ago. In that 13-inning thriller, Australia edged Team USA, 2-1, in one of the most memorable games in Olympic history.
Atwood was the 2025 winner of the Johnny Bench and Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year awards in addition to earning unanimous First-Team All-America recognition. The Sandia, Texas, native played an integral role in Texas’ run to its first-ever Women’s College World Series title in 2025. She became the first Longhorn with 20 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons after finishing with a team-best 21. She led the nation with 89 RBI, which doubled as the second-most in program history, trailing her own record of 90 set in 2024. She also hit .393 with 13 doubles, 41 walks, a .504 on-base percentage, an. 822 slugging percentage and a 1.326 OPS. She was a force behind the plate, posting a .988 fielding percentage with 313 putouts, 18 assists and just four errors. Opponents did not risk running versus Atwood as she threw out four-of-seven would-be base stealers throughout 68 games this past season.
Energized behind Atwood's bat, the Texas offense topped Division I with 630 base hits, finished second with 460 RBI and third with a .352 batting average and 486 runs scored. The Longhorns also ranked inside the top-15 in doubles (9th / 99), home runs (9th / 94), slugging (10th / .583) and scoring (14th / 7.15).
The USA Down Under Series marks the 60th anniversary of the inaugural 1965 World Cup in Melbourne, where Australia edged Team USA, 1-0, in the finals. Looking ahead, the Eagles aim to return to Australia in 2027 for the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals, with sights set on securing their spot at the 2026 Group Stage event in Oklahoma City at Devon Park.
Selected from the WNT athlete pool, the Women’s National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) formed the exhibition roster based on previous and ongoing evaluations at the collegiate and professional levels, as well as USA Softball National Team events.
