Texas softball grades: Mike White, Longhorns' marks after midway point of SEC schedule

Texas softball reached the midway point of its SEC campaign during last week’s series against Oklahoma, and the Longhorns find themselves in the middle of the conference pack.

Sure, No. 6 Texas (33-6, 10-5 SEC) seems all but out of the hunt for a regular-season SEC title after losing back-to-back series against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 3 Alabama. But the Longhorns still boast one of the 10 best offenses in college softball, and they still possess a proven big-game pitcher in Teagan Kavan.

Texas also remains one of the most highly regarded clubs in the nation when it comes to crunching the numbers. The Longhorns rank third in the NCAA in RPI rankings behind Arkansas and Alabama, which means they’re on pace to host an NCAA Tournament super regional as one of the top eight seeds. The only losses for Texas have come against Alabama (No. 2), Nebraska (No. 5), Oklahoma (No. 7) and Texas A&M (No. 18), all of whom rank in the top 20 in the latest RPI ratings.

But Texas coach Mike White does have concerns. His pitchers have a tendency to issue too many walks, and defensive lapses have proven costly. Plus, the bottom of the order lacks consistent production, which means White has done some reshuffling to the lineup.

With the SEC schedule just past its midway point, it's time to hand out midseason grades for the Longhorns, which also includes the nonconference part of the schedule.

MORE: Katie Stewart, Texas softball hope Game 3 win over Oklahoma helps in SEC home stretch

Starting pitchers: Teagan Kavan, staff get B+

Kavan earned the Most Outstanding Player award at the Women’s College World Series last season after leading Texas to its first national championship, and she remains a mentally tough pitcher who almost always works deep into her starts. The junior is enduring career-worst numbers by her lofty standards with a 2.78 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .236 but remains a workhorse with team-highs in wins (14) and innings pitched (113 1/3).

White doesn’t have a traditional No. 2 starter, which means sophomore Cambria Salmon (5-0, 2.10 ERA), senior Citlaly Gutierrez (6-1, 2.36) and freshman Hannah Wells (5-2, 3.13) share the duties. The Longhorns rank sixth in the SEC in team ERA (2.66), seventh in opponent’s batting  average (.234) and eighth in strikeouts (236).

Relief pitchers: Citlaly Gutierrez, other relievers get B

Gutierrez (6-1, 2.36 ERA) remains the best option out of the bullpen considering her array of off-speed pitches and her nasty movement can handcuff a lineup, especially in limited at-bats. But the right-hander has only made 13 appearances this season, down from 34 a year ago. White has begun to use Texas Tech transfer Brenlee Gonzalez more in recent weeks as a left-handed option out of the bullpen. One trend that White wants to stop; take away Kavan, and the Texas staff has a troubling strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.67-1.

Texas Longhorns utility Reese Atwood (14) catches a pitch in the third nning as the Texas Longhorns play the Oklahoma Sooners, the first of a three-game series, on Friday, April 10, 2026 at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)

Infield defense: Reese Atwood shines, but others struggle for C-

Aside from All-American catcher Reese Atwood, this group has endured some struggles. Texas ranks 13th out of 15 SEC teams with a  fielding percentage of .965 and has more fielding errors (35) than all but two other league teams. The Longhorns had to break in two new corner players with freshman Jaycie Nichols at third and converted junior outfielder Katie Stewart at first, and the two have committed eight and five errors, respectively. Even fourth-year shortstop Vivi Martinez has endured some misadventures with six errors in her return to the lineup after missing last season with a knee injury.

But the group can make some plays. Nichols boasts stellar range that can overcome her inexperience, and Martinez has noticeable chemistry with second baseman Leighann Goode in the middle infield.

Outfield defense: Ashton Maloney, unit get A

Center fielder Kayden Henry and right fielder Ashton Maloney have started together for the past three seasons, and they form one of the best defensive outfield tandems in the country. There’s not a faster pair in the SEC.

Texas entered the season with a bigger question mark in left field but hasn’t had many issues. Transfer Kaiah Altmeyer doesn’t have elite speed or the biggest arm, but she’s a savvy veteran who quickly adapted to playing off the high walls. Freshman Alisa Sneed and veteran utility player Kaydee Bennett have gotten more playing time in left in recent games and bring more speed to the spot.

Infield offense: Reese Atwood, group gets A

The Longhorns’ smash sisters of first baseman Katie Stewart (.490 average, 22 HRs, 51 RBIs) and Atwood (.364, 15 HRs, 47 RBIs) form the best SEC batting tandem south of the Red River, and they get plenty of help from the other infielders on a team that ranks 10th in the nation with 8.08 runs per game. Martinez (.358, 3 HRs, 30 RBIs) has the best on-base percentage of her career at .458, and Goode (.415, 8 HRs, 29 RBIs) is in the midst of a career year.

Even Nichols, a recruit prized more for her glove than bat, is hitting .342 and has 10 steals in 11 attempts. White and his coaches will take that production from the bottom half of the order.

Outfielder offense: Kayden Henry, outfielders get B

Henry makes a strong case as the best all-around outfielder in the country. In addition to her defensive prowess, the junior remains on pace for  career numbers in almost every category (.422 average, 6 HRs, 38 RBIs, 59 runs, .525 on-base percentage). Oh, and she has 21 bases in 22 attempts.

After setting a school record for most hits in a season with 93 a year ago, Maloney has slumped off to a career-low .297 average this year and has just 12 RBIs while hitting in the bottom half of the order. Altmeyer has been steady with a .324 average but doesn’t have much power, while Sneed and Bennett haven’t done much in limited at-bats.

Coaching: Mike White makes tweaks, gets A-

White, a coaching veteran coming off his first national championship after eight trips to the WCWS with Texas and Oregon, hasn’t rested on his laurels despite the Longhorns’ success. He’s played the matchups with his No. 2 pitcher, and he’s avoided the temptation to work Kavan too many innings. She’s thrown 113 1/3 innings, which is roughly on the same pace as last season.

But keeping Kavan fresh has come at the cost of some inconsistency with his staff, especially when it comes to what White refers to as the “pitching errors” of walks and hit batters.

White has also toyed with his lineup, especially after his team scored a total of 11 runs in a four-game losing streak that preceded Sunday’s dramatic win over Oklahoma in Game 3 of the series. He moved Stewart from the cleanup spot to No. 2 in the lineup, and that extra at-bat proved decisive in the win. White isn’t afraid to make moves.