The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball ranked No. 2 in Softball America poll
01.13.2026 | Softball
Texas opens the season at No. 2 in back-to-back years.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Softball has been ranked No. 2 in Softball America's preseason poll, the publication announced Tuesday morning.
The Longhorns open the season ranked No. 2 for the second-consecutive year in Softball America's preseason poll. The No. 2 ranking ties for the highest preseason ranking in program history (2026, 2025). It also marks the third-consecutive year Texas has checked in inside the Softball America preseason top-10 after entering the season at No. 9 in 2023.
Texas is slated to play 29 games against opponents ranked in Softball America's preseason poll this season, including playing four opening weekend at the UTSA Tournament in No. 11 Nebraska and No. Washington. All total during non-conference play, UT will play eight games vs. foes ranked inside Softball America's preseason poll in No. 11 Nebraska, No. 22 Washington, No. 17 Arizona, No. 18 Stanford and No. 19 Oklahoma State. Texas will be battle-tested in a loaded Southeastern Conference this season with three-game series against No. 3 Oklahoma (home), No. 7 Arkansas (home), No. 13 Alabama (away), No. 14 Texas A&M (home), No. 15 Georgia (away), No. 16 South Carolina (away) and No. 25 Ole Miss (home). Seven of UT's eight conference opponents enter the season ranked.
Last season, Texas won the program's first-ever Women's College World Series National Championship and compiled a 56-12 overall record. Texas' 10-2 postseason run culminated with a 2-1 Championship Series (third appearance in four years) win over Texas Tech. Texas set a single-season program record with 56 victories after securing the winner-take-all game three over Texas Tech and being crowned national champions. Recording a program-record 56 wins, Texas surpassed the previous mark (55) set by the 2006 and 2024 squads. Additionally, the Horns were the first Southeastern Conference program to win a title since Florida went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. The Longhorns topped Division I with 630 base hits, finished second with 460 RBI and third with a .352 batting average and 486 runs scored. They also ranked inside the top-15 in win/loss percentage (5th / .824), doubles (9th / 99), home runs (9th / 94), slugging (10th / .583), shutouts (10th / 15), strikeout-to-walk ratio (12th / 3.07), scoring (14th / 7.15), ERA (15th / 2.55) and WHIP (15th / 1.18).
In 2026, Texas returns a plethora of talent to the diamond, highlighted by 2025 NFCA All-American selections Reese Atwood (Catcher/Utility) and Teagan Kavan (RHP). Atwood became the first Longhorn to win the Diamond/Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year Award in addition to the Johnny Bench Award after doing so in 2025. The Longhorns return All-SEC selections in Kayden Henry (Outfield), Ashton Maloney (Outfield) and Katie Stewart (Infield), who were each named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2025. Shortstop Viviana Martinez is slated to return to action after missing the 2025 season due to injury. Martinez was named to the 2024 NFCA All-Central Second Team and was selected as a D1Softball Second-Team All-American after hitting .376 with a .431 on-base percentage, .586 slugging percentage, 70 hits, 18 doubles, three triples, five home runs 52 RBI and 46 runs while posting a .932 fielding percentage with 74 putouts.
Via transfer portal, UT added Kaiah Altmeyer (Outfield) from Arizona, Taylor Anderson (Outfield) from Oklahoma State and Brenlee Gonzales (LHP) from Texas Tech. Altmeyer brings a wealth of experience to the Forty Acres after starting in 113 games for Arizona from 2023-25, holding a .355/.548/.484 career slash line with 114 hits, 90 runs scored, 91 RBI and 39 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs. Anderson played her freshman season at Oklahoma State in 2024, appearing in 43 games with five starts. Anderson hit .250 with a .438 slugging percentage and .368 on-base percentage in 16 at-bats, totaling four hits, 16 runs scored, one home run, two RBI and three walks. Gonzales appeared in 12 games with one start as a true freshman with the Red Raiders in 2025. Gonzales posted a 2.84 ERA in 12.1 innings of work with 12 strikeouts to go along with a 2-0 record. Other key returnees for the Longhorns include infielder Leighann Goode, outfielder Kaydee Bennett, RHP Citlaly Gutierrez and RHP Cambria Salmon. Goode slashed .295/.350/.530 with 54 hits, 37 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 43 RBI. Bennett slashed .250/.333/.338 with 37 hits, five doubles, one triple, two home runs and 15 RBI. Gutierrez carries a 2.56 ERA and a 10-1 overall record across 34 appearances, totaling 69 strikeouts in 2025. As a true freshman, Salmon posted a 2.48 ERA and 7-2 record in 22 appearances, fanning 66 batters.
Texas brings in a stellar freshman class in infielder Caigan Crabtree, infielder MaTaia Lawson, outfielder Alisa Sneed, RHP/utility Hannah Wells, infielder Jaycie Nichols, catcher/utility Anne Wallace and utility Drea Wilson. UT also added RHP Sophia Bordi via the transfer portal in December, but she will not be eligible to play for the 2026 season.
The Longhorns open the 2026 season at the UTSA Invitational against No. 11 Nebraska at 6:05 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 6, at Roadrunner Field in San Antonio, Texas. TV designations for the 2026 will be released at a later date.
2026 Softball America Top 25
- Texas Tech
- TEXAS
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Oregon
- Florida State
- Arkansas
- UCLA
- Clemson
- Florida
- Nebraska
- LSU
- Alabama
- Texas A&M
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- Arizona
- Stanford
- Oklahoma State
- Duke
- Mississippi State
- Washington
- Virginia
- Virginia Tech
- Ole Miss
Texas in the Softball America preseason polls
2026 – No. 2
2025 – No. 2
2023 – No. 9
2022 – No. 11
2021 – No. 7
2020 – No. 10
2019 – No. 19
*the Softball America poll originated in 2019.
