Texas softball junior infielder and catcher Katie Stewart wears many hats, and this past weekend in Palo Alto, California, each of them was on full display.
In five games, three of which were against top-25 ranked opponents, Stewart hit four home runs and played two different positions in the field: first baseman and catcher.
Head coach Mike White highlighted the junior’s prowess on the offensive side of the ball.
“When she hits them, she hits them, especially the first home run against Arizona was a big one,” White said. “I like what she’s doing. I always thought she was going to have a good year, and she’s not proving me wrong.”
Batting nine hitters in off home runs alone, Stewart proved that she can change the momentum of a game when she steps up to the plate. That first home run against No. 14 Arizona that White talked about resulted in three runs for the Longhorns, as did a critical home run Stewart had in the third inning against No. 13 Stanford to give her team the lead.
Junior pitcher Teagan Kavan emphasized the way in which she is impacted as a pitcher when players like Stewart provide stability on the offensive side of the ball.
“Especially as a pitcher, we have, at least at Texas, we have this weight kind of lifted off our shoulders that we know our offense is going to come through,” Kavan said.
That being said, Stewart’s aptitude at bat wasn’t the only thing that caught Kavan’s attention in Palo Alto. Sure, she was impressed by her teammate’s ability to hit it out of the park four times in five games, but she also addressed Stewart’s ability to switch positions in the field on the fly.
“Katie’s bat was a huge thing this weekend,” Kavan said. “She came up really clutch in big moments, but also her behind the plate stepping in for Reese was huge. She’s great, and I think we forget that when she’s not back there all the time, but she’s a great catcher, and she can do great things on both sides of the ball.”
Stewart got tossed into the catcher’s box unexpectedly against the Wildcats on Friday when senior catcher Reese Atwood took a pitch to the face in the top of the third inning. Stewart’s smooth transition helped anchor the Longhorns through the remaining innings of the matchup to achieve a 12-2 victory.
The junior played a crucial role in each of her team’s road games this past weekend, making her a key player to keep an eye on ahead of Texas’ midweek matchup against Southeastern Louisiana and the Longhorn Invitational starting this Friday at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
If Stewart can have as strong a year as White said he is predicting, she could also be integral to the Longhorns’ success later on this season.
