No. 14 Texas softball added seven new players to the roster, including five true freshmen and two transfers. The Horns 2022 signing class ranks 12th nationally, according to Extra Inning. 

Maddie Pomykalski

Pomykalski is a freshman utility player from Frankfort, Illinois. Extra Innings ranked her as a top 75 recruit as well as a top 20 infielder. Softball head coach Mike White insisted that her versatility on the field and her work ethic were contributing factors to her recruitment. 

“She is a hard worker who has the personality to lift our team both on and off the field,” White said in a press release.

Pomykalski attended Lincoln Way East High School, playing on varsity all four years and hitting .440 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs over 59 games.

Pomykalski was previously committed to North Florida before switching to Texas.  

Reese Atwood

Atwood is a freshman catcher and first baseman from Sandia, Texas. She was the No. 1 catcher and No. 5 overall player in the class of 2022, according to Extra Inning, and hit .478 with 33 hits, eight home runs and held a .848 on-base percentage in her high school career. 

Atwood is also a three-time national champion.

Her travel team teammates expressed Atwood’s vocality as a prominent feature that makes her such a good catcher.

“Reese is a very agile and vocal catcher,” said Ava Brown, who is committed to Florida State as pitcher and first baseman, in a statement given to Extra Inning. “As a pitcher I love throwing to her because she always gives me feedback on my pitches and how they’re moving. That’s one thing that we have that is different from other pitchers and catchers, we work very well together.”

Viviana Martinez 

Martinez is a freshman shortstop and second baseman from Tolleson, Arizona. Martinez was originally committed to Oregon when White was head coach in Eugene and is now following him to the Forty Acres.

She is ranked as the No. 1 infielder and No. 3 overall player in her class, according to Extra Inning. In her high school career, Martinez averaged a .615 hitting percentage and a .689 on-base percentage. 

Leighann Goode

Goode is a freshman shortstop and second baseman from San Antonio, Texas. 

Goode is  ranked No. 17 overall and 3rd in the nation among infielders, according to Extra Innings. In her high school career, she hit a .475 and totalled 72 runs and 11 home runs. For her club team the Bombers Gold Smith, Goode was named the 2018 Defensive MVP.

Citlaly Gutierrez

Gutierrez is a freshman right-handed pitcher from Stamford, Texas.

Not only was Gutierrez ranked 15th for pitchers in 2022 by Extra Innings, but she is also a multi-sport athlete. Gutierrez played basketball, cross country, track and field, tennis and cheer on top of her softball in high school. 

Gutierrez received TXSWA All-State First Team and was a District MVP in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She had 0.49 ERA as a pitcher, five no-hitters and 384 strikeouts while also batting .312.

Mac Morgan

Morgan is a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Creighton, Missouri and a transfer from Arizona State.

Morgan was selected to the All-Pac-12 Third Team in her freshman season and had 75 strikeouts.

She was also awarded Missouri Softball Player of the Year in the 2019-2020 season as well as Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019.

Baylea Brandon

Brandon is a sophomore utility player from Leander, Texas. She played her freshman season at LSU.

In her career as a Tiger, Brandon started seven out of 15 games and had seven hits, four runs and 10 runs batted in.

In her high school career, she batted a .500 and recorded 11 home runs before the pandemic cut her season short. She earned First Team All-District and All-District Offensive MVP in both her freshman and sophomore seasons.