From high school phenom to college up-and-comer, Texas softball freshman pitcher Hannah Wells is still navigating and adapting to play at the next level.
Her inexperience came to light in the final inning of the Longhorns’ matchup against Ohio State on Sunday in the Bevo Classic — walking a pair of batters and nailing two more with her pitches.
When the Buckeyes scored two runs and crawled back into striking distance following Wells’ tough outing, head coach Mike White decided to pull the freshman and employ sophomore pitcher Cambria Salmon to the mound.
“We took (Salmon) out in that first game and then had to bring her back in in a tough situation,” White said. “I think the tying run was on deck, and she was able to come through with some really good pitches.”
Salmon pitched the first five innings of the game, but Wells lasted just 1.2 innings on the mound before being taken out. Salmon was able to put the game away safely, helping the Longhorns win 7-4.
For Wells, on the other hand, this matchup helped prove that adjusting to college softball is going to involve some ups and downs.
She was regarded as one of the top national prospects in the class of 2025, earning All-American selection on five different occasions. As the 2025 MaxPreps Texas National Player of the Year, Wells demonstrated her prowess by leading Coahoma High School to an undefeated record of 32–0 and a state championship title.
However, her collegiate starting debut looked a lot different than her high school dominance.
Wells got her first collegiate start against Nebraska in Texas’ third matchup of 2026, a game in which the Longhorns fell 8-5, their only loss of the season so far. She pitched for two innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs.
“She has a lot of expectations (for) herself, so (we will see) whether she can ease her way into things and not fold under some pressure, so to speak,” White said. “But I think she’s going to be elite for us.”
She had a stronger game on Thursday against Abilene Christian, allowing just one hit across a four-inning day. In the matchup, she helped the Longhorns achieve an 11-0 shutout in a five-inning run-rule game.
Despite the fact that Wells might not be consistently meeting her high self-expectations just yet, her teammates seem to believe success could be around the corner for her.
“I know she’s been having a little rough patch right now, but I’m proud of her and her resilience through all this,” junior first baseman Katie Stewart said “Just (to) see her growth as a pitcher, even from now to May, June, I’m excited to see that growth.”
