No. 3 Texas softball is finding a rhythm, with faces new and old going into the first conference series this weekend.
After four weeks of invitationals, the Longhorns will travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to play their first Southeastern Conference matchup of the season. Texas has been dominant on both sides of the field, ending 60% of its games in run-rule victories.
Preparing and fine-tuning the defense has been a lengthier process. Head coach Mike White wasn’t pleased with Texas’ performance defensively against St. Bonaventure at the Longhorn Invitational, but it gave insight into where its weak spots are.
“It was our secondary defenses that were in there, making a lot of the physical errors,” White said. “Every error is a one-third inning advantage, and you make three errors in the game, and they will suddenly get eight innings to your seven.”
Texas has found stability around a few key roleplayers to work out the early-season kinks, including freshman infielder Jaycie Nichols. Nichols has started 18 of 20 games and is batting .432, the highest average among the freshman class. While the batting statistics are impressive, where Nichols has really proven herself is in the infield.
“She made a play that was an absolute bullet, knocked it down, and was still able to throw her out,” White said. “Being able to play her at shortstop as well (takes) a lot of pressure off of (junior infielder Viviana Martinez) and rest her.”
Among her teammates, Nichols has already impressed seasoned veterans with her ability to use her skills and knowledge in stressful situations.
“I think she’s one of the smartest players we have on the field,” senior catcher Reese Atwood said. “She came out, and she has true knowledge of the game, which is something it took me a little bit to learn.”
Atwood doesn’t just see the good of the team; she also sees the struggles of some older players. Senior outfielder Ashton Maloney held the second-highest batting average during the 2025 season at .415. Twenty games into the season, she’s ranked ninth with an average of .296.
“I have full faith, it just takes one hit, takes one good weekend to break through to that,” Atwood said. “We have full belief that she will make a full return and be even better than she was.”
In 54 at-bats, Maloney has only 16 hits and seven RBIs. She registered a season high against Stanford on Feb. 20 with three hits. To help with her confidence, White moved her from the leadoff batter to the last batter.
The team is growing together ahead of conference play. Veterans and rookies are finding their groove, and it shows in the growth and communication on the field.
