Longhorns look to rebuild after trip to World Series
AUSTIN — It’s not often mighty Texas gets to play the underdog card for weeks at a time. But that’s precisely what happened last spring, the plucky Longhorns staving off elimination again and again to become the first unseeded team to reach the Women’s College World Series championship series.
Texas lost the final series to an Oklahoma team that could stake a legitimate claim to being the greatest of all time.
Still, coach Mike White’s fourth season had some heart-pumping magic to it. And despite losing superstar infielder Janae Jefferson, All-Americanpitcher Hailey Dolcini and eight other letterwinners, No. 9 Texas has its heart set on returning to the WCWS in Oklahoma City
“Yeah, obviously, we have to replace a lot of pieces,” White said. “So, it’s going to be a question of how quickly the team can come together and who is going to be the leaders on the squad this year. But we are excited about this group of newcomers and looking forward to getting going this weekend.”
Texas opens its 2023 season Friday afternoon with a doubleheader against No. 23 Missouri and No. 8 Northwestern in the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida.
The Longhorns play another doubleheader Saturday against Illinois and No. 12 Tennessee before finishing their five-game trip Sunday versus No. 17 Kentucky
“Yeah, no doubt it’s going to be a start right out of the gate with Missouri, a perennial powerhouse and always hits the ball pretty well,” White said. “Then you, more than likely, face one of the best pitchers in the country in Northwestern’s left-hander Danielle Williams.”
That’s a daunting way to open the season, but White’s eager to see what his team is made of before returning home to play their next 15 games at McCombs Field.
“We’re excited about this weekend and then coming back home for the next four weeks, which will give us a chance to work on some things and find out what we learned,” White said.
There’s no easy way to replace Jefferson, catcher Mary Iakopo and Dolcini — each named to last year’s All-Big 12 first team — but White believes Texas is talented enough as a group to help offset those key losses.
Freshman Reese Atwood, the nation’s top-ranked catcher out of Tuloso Midway, boasts a thunderous bat. Arizona State transfer Mac Morgan posted an 18-3 record with a 2.82 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 119 innings as an All-Pac-12 freshman last year. And lightningquick freshman Viviana Martinez was Extra Inning Softball’s topranked 2022 infielder.
White also mentioned freshman infielder Leighann Goode, freshman pitcher Citaly Guiterrez and LSU transfer utility player Baylea Brandon as newcomers who could make an impact this year.
“Reese Atwood at the catcher position — replacing Mary Iakopo — will be a big piece of us,” White said. “She has a very strong arm, a nice pick-off move to first base and has hit a couple home runs during scrimmages, so we are excited about her for sure. Viviana Martinez is a smooth fielding infielder. Leighann Goode, who was ranked in the top 10 in her class as far as infielders go, has also been hitting the ball very well.”
While Texas lost 10 letterwinners, it still retained some key figures from last year’s national runner-up finish.
Sophomore infielder Mia Scott returns as the team’s only preseason All-Big 12 selection after hitting .377 with 38 runs batted in, 62 runs scored, five triples and 26 stolen bases in 2022. First baseman/ designated player Courtney Day offers a good blend of power and contact in the middle of the lineup after hitting .300 and leading Texas in home runs (12) and slugging (.654) last season. Outfielder Bella Dayton and lefthander Estelle Czech also return after making the 2022 All-Tournament team.
“We did lose a lot of key pieces, but we also had a lot come back, too,” said junior infielder Alyssa Washington, who hit .279 and drove in 35 runs last year. “Going off last year and knowing we had girls who played on that stage and in that moment and knowing we are capable of going back there, again, it’s pretty exciting.”