The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 1/1 Softball lands four on Preseason All-SEC Team, predicted to win 2026 SEC Championship
01.29.2026 | Softball
Reese Atwood, Kayden Henry, Teagan Kavan and Katie Stewart were named to the preseason All-SEC Team.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 1/1 Texas Softball's Reese Atwood, Kayden Henry, Teagan Kavan and Katie Stewart were named to the 2026 preseason All-SEC Team, the conference office announced Thursday.
In addition, Texas was predicted to win the 2026 SEC Championship following a vote by the league's 15 head coaches in the annual preseason poll.
The preseason All-SEC Team was selected by a vote of the head coaches. Atwood, Henry, Kavan and Stewart were four of 21 players across 15 teams tabbed to the preseason All-SEC Team. Texas' four selections tie with Oklahoma for the most of any program this season.
The Longhorns claimed first place in the preseason poll with nine first-place votes and 189 points. Oklahoma secured second place in the poll with 186 points and six first-place votes. Tennessee (166 points) was predicted to finish third followed by Florida (4th-144 points), Arkansas (5th-137 points), Texas A&M (6th-125 points), LSU (7th-119 points), Georgia (8th-105 points), Alabama (9th-94 points), South Carolina (10th-90 points), Mississippi State (11th-65 points), Auburn (12th-55 points), Ole Miss (13th-51 points), Missouri (14th-32 points) and Kentucky (15th-17 points).
Atwood, a senior catcher, 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. An NFCA First-Team All-American, Atwood was instrumental in Texas' run to its first-ever Women's College World Series title. The Sandia, Texas, native became the first Longhorn with 20 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons and finished with a team-best 21 in 2025. Atwood 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.
Henry, a junior outfielder from Dickinson, Texas, was selected to the All-SEC Second Team and NFCA All-Central First Team in 2025. Henry started in 64 contests during the season, recording a .409 batting average (career-best and third-most on team), .553 slugging percentage, and .454 on-base percentage (career-best), logging 225 total bases and a 1.007 OPS. Henry registered a career-best 85 hits (third-most on team) and team-leading 72 runs, adding four home runs and 30 RBI in 208 official plate appearances.
Kavan, a junior RHP from West Des Moines, Iowa, returns at one of the nation's top pitchers in 2026. The NFCA Second-Team All-American and All-SEC First Team selection took the circle in 43 games, earning 33 starts and posting a 28-5 record with four saves. In 207.0 inning pitched, Kavan notched a 2.16 ERA (team-best), five shutouts (team-best), and 230 strikeouts against 788 hitters (.217 opponent batting average). Kavan was named the WCWS' Most Outstanding Player after not allowing an earned run over 31.2 innings pitched, the longest streak in WCWS history. Her six victories at the WCWS are the most by a Longhorn in a program history.
Stewart, a junior utility player from Frankfort, Ill., started in all 68 games in 2025 and slashed .381/.711/.455 with 75 hits, 17 home runs, 80 RBI and 54 runs scored, ranking second on the squad in doubles (14), home runs (17), RBI (80) and total bases (140). She also reached base 30 times via walk or hit by pitch. Stewart was named to the WCWS All-Tournament Team, the All-SEC Second Team and NFCA All-Central Region First Team as a sophomore. She became the second player in program history to drive in 70-or-more runs during a single season.
The Longhorns open the 2026 season at the UTSA Invitational against No. 9/10 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.
