Atwood breaks Texas' single-season RBI record passing 66, homer hits dad in outfield

AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin sophomore catcher Reese Atwood is putting her Coastal Bend alma mater, Tuloso-Midway, on the map. She recently broke a Longhorn program record, but it was not so much about the record number. It was the moment between Atwood and her father.

"I could kind of see the anxiety in her," Geoff Atwood, Reese's father said. "She knew she was right on the cuff of setting the school record."

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Call it a father's intuition seeing the pressure. Reese Atwood's dad Geoff has been watching his daughter play since she was 7-years-old. He has not missed a Texas softball game this year. Geoff is superstitious, so after a few at-bats he moved from the stands to the Texas outfield.

"Came up to bat and I stood up. I told my brother I hope she hits me right between the eyes you know with the ball," Geoff Atwood said. "She tried. She almost succeeded."

Reese hit a 2-run homer to left field, a dart to her dad that literally him in the foot. His sister-in-law battled for the ball against a 10-year-old fan. That ball was RBI number 68 on the season, breaking the Longhorns single-season program record at 66.

"I think it's pretty cool just being able to have my name in the record books, but coming back to the field next weekend I've got to focus on winning each game," Reese Atwood said.

A home run that ended with a celebratory Twirl like Eva, in memory of Eva Elena Perez. She hit another in game two against Iowa State.

"Set a record still with a bunch of games to go," Mike White, Texas softball head coach, said. "I know that she even had some struggles through the middle of the year a little bit, but she's getting hot right now at the right time for us."

Now she's just one homer away from tying the program home run record at 18. She also hit a double to right field pushing her RBI record to 70.

"Her mother and I are just super proud of her and her commitment," Geoff Atwood said. "Her love for softball is just beyond your imagination."

Commitment that keeps her batting at the field house sometimes till 9 p.m. One of the last to leave, and just recently her efforts earned her recognition as a top 26 finalist for National Player of the Year.

No. 1 Texas softball (42-6, 20-4) will look to close out the regular season with three more victories starting Friday at 6 p.m. in Lubbock against Texas Tech.

UPDATE: Atwood breaks the single-season home run record on Saturday, May 4 against Texas Tech. She hit two 3-run homers, and with her 9-RBI performance on Saturday (a single-game program record at Texas) she now has 80 runs batted in this year. That total places her seventh on the Big 12 Conference's single-season RBI list and just 12 back of Oklahoma grad Tiare Jennings' record of 92 set in 2021.