Texas softball’s national championship victory over Texas Tech marked Leighann Goode’s last time donning a burnt orange jersey.
However, for the beloved former Longhorn, retiring the color doesn’t mean leaving behind the people who supported her college career.
Goode will embrace her home debut with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s Texas Volts on June 18 at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, just up the road from the Forty Acres.
Fresh off her final collegiate season and second consecutive national title, Goode has tallied three at-bats over the Volts’ first four road games. This upcoming home series could allow her to showcase the impact she can make on the professional level amongst familiar fans.
As a senior with the Longhorns, Goode made 12 home runs and 55 hits. She recognized herself as a player who uses consistency to help her offense stay connected.
“I feel like my role is just to keep getting on base for our big hitters behind me, like (junior infielder) Katie Stewart and Reese Atwood,” Goode said earlier in the season. “(I’m) just making sure I’m doing my job and getting it on base. Sometimes, it’s even putting down the sac bunt to get (junior outfielder) Kayden (Henry) over for them to do that job.”
Defensively, Goode used her experience to help her infield maintain composure against elite competitors. She finished her collegiate chapter with a total of 333 putouts, accumulating a fielding percentage of .968.
Goode played an integral role in both of Texas’ national championship teams, which could help her as she approaches this next chapter of her career, as her collegiate play led to her earning an AUSL Golden Ticket back in March, giving her an automatic bid to play professional softball. After being presented with the ticket, Goode expressed her gratitude for the opportunity.
“I’ve dreamed of going to pro softball, whether that’s been that league or the Olympics, and just being able to be on that stage and possibly play with people I used to play with,” Goode said.
While she won’t be suiting up in Round Rock with any former teammates — former Longhorn catcher Reese Atwood was drafted to the Carolina Blaze in the 2026 AUSL Draft — Goode will be supported by many of the same people who have followed her from the start of her career.
Hailing from San Antonio, Goode has spent her entire softball journey in the Lone Star state. Fans from the area have had the chance to follow her growth throughout her time as a player, and now, they will be able to fill the seats at the Dell Diamond to see what’s next.
The Volts conceded their opening series 2-1 against the Oklahoma City Spark and followed it with a loss against the Carolina Blaze. However, regardless of the series’ outcome against the Blaze, the Volts will soon return to Round Rock to take on the Utah Talons in front of a home crowd.
