The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 3 Softball’s Stewart named top 10 finalist for USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year
05.13.2026 | Softball
The junior first baseman is the program’s first top 10 finalist since Reese Atwood in 2024.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 3 Texas Softball junior first baseman Katie Stewart was named a top 10 finalist for USA Softball's Collegiate Player of the Year, the organization announced Wednesday.
Stewart is the first Longhorn to be a top 10 finalist for the award since Reese Atwood in 2024. Former Longhorn LHP Cat Osterman is the only three-time winner of USA Softball's Collegiate Player of the Year, bringing home the award in 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Stewart, the 2026 SEC Player of the Year and First-Team All-SEC selection, is having a record-breaking year at the plate with team-highs in home runs (25), RBI (63), batting average (.434), slugging percentage (.993), on-base percentage (.563), total bases (144), walks (39) and hit by pitch (5). She ranks second on the team in hits with 63 and third in runs scored with 47. Stewart broke the program's single-season home run record after hitting her 24th on April 26 at Kentucky. Stewart leads the SEC in OPS (1.556) while ranking second in home runs (25), slugging percentage (.993), on-base percentage (.563). Stewart sits fourth in the conference in batting average (.434), fifth in RBI (63) and ninth in walks (39). Stewart ranks sixth nationally in home runs per game (0.48), seventh in home runs (25) and 11th in slugging percentage (.993). In 52 starts, Stewart has compiled a .979 fielding percentage and has helped Texas turn 13 double plays. Stewart's 55 career home runs rank third in program history.
Each NCAA Softball season, USA Softball recognizes a Collegiate Player of the Year based on outstanding play over the course of the entire season. At the beginning of each season, USA Softball issues a Top 50 "Watch List" for Player of the Year, followed by a list of finalists that narrows from Top 25 to Top 10 and Top 3. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year is awarded during a team reception the week of the WCWS.
Stewart and Texas return to McCombs Field for the NCAA Austion Regional. Texas, the nation's No. 2 seed, will face Wagner at 3 p.m. CT Friday, May 15. The game will stream on ESPN+ with Cat Osterman (analyst) and Alex Loeb (play-by-play) on the call.
