Today, graduate infielder Joley Mitchell is a foundational piece for top-ranked Texas softball, a key contributor on the field and in the locker room.

But about a year ago, Mitchell was a fresh face on campus after arriving through the transfer portal from Notre Dame.

Spending the first four years of her career with Notre Dame softball, the Arkansas native carved out a fruitful tenure with the Fighting Irish. Although Mitchell did not see any game time as a sophomore due to injury, in three years she put together a .344 batting average, 17 home runs and 69 RBIs, as well as a lone All-ACC selection in her senior season.

Before the 2024 season, Mitchell decided to transfer to Texas and continue her playing career.

“Before I decided to transfer, I’ve been watching the program and I like their competitiveness,” Mitchell said. “That showed a lot of grit and a lot of fight and that’s something I was interested in, and I wanted to come play here at Texas.”

The transition to the Texas softball team was not a seamless one for Mitchell. There were times of uncertainty as she learned to adapt to the program.

“I would say that a big challenge was getting along with my teammates,” Mitchell said. “Because it’s hard to come into a great program and have to kind of put yourself in there and become one of them. The environment changes a little bit too, I ended up going to two pretty awesome schools, but Texas is just a little bit different.”

Now in year two with the Longhorns, Mitchell feels much more comfortable donning burnt orange and white. She feels that she has been able to assimilate into the team’s culture and add to it.

“Getting along with everybody and getting to know them and (learning) what kind of players and people they are, and (building) a little bit of trust within them — it needed to take a little bit of time,” Mitchell said. “But I think that I’ve stepped into a leadership role and everybody gets along. I do love being here with them.”

Mitchell’s comfort within the team has allowed her to bring out her competitive nature and fuel her teammates through her motivated spirit. These attributes from Mitchell are not new ones. While at Notre Dame, she carried herself with the same attitude and style of play.

“She’s just a kid who could motivate her teammates through how she played the game,” said Notre Dame head coach Kris Ganeff, an assistant coach while Mitchell was at Notre Dame. “She would step on the field and she (would get) her job done, and she would set the standard for her teammates to get the job done.”

As Texas looks to obtain another shot at the Women’s College World Series championship, Mitchell has been able to use those attributes and allow herself to grow as a leader for her team.

“I have tapped into understanding people’s behaviors and how they respond … so just having to learn what works for them,” Mitchell said. “If we’re here at the field or in games, or even outside of that, just learning what kind of people they are, and then figuring out what way is going to motivate them most.”