Junior Longhorn dubbed the best college softball catcher
Texas Longhorn junior-catcher Reese Atwood was named the winner of the 2025 Johnny Bench Award, which recognizes the best catcher nation. Atwood is the first player in program history to win this prestigious award.
Established in 2000, The Johnny Bench Award annually recognizes the top NCAA Division I baseball and softball catchers as well as the top high school catchers from Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.
The nation’s best (x2) #HookEm pic.twitter.com/iOTr4GVhkO
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) July 9, 2025
Atwood helped lead the Longhorns to their first WCWS title ending the 2025 season with a batting average of .393 while dropping 21 home runs with an overall slugging percentage at .822 with 89 RBIs and to cap it off was walked 41 times. Defensively, Atwood was wall with 313 putouts with a .988 fielding percentage. Atwood’s offensive career stats tally with an overall .371 batting average, 55 home runs, 222 RBIs, and .450 on base percentage. Defensively, she’s accumulated 764 putouts with an overall feilding percentage of .982 as her time as a Longhorn rightfully making her a 2x All-American.
On July 29 at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH the winners of the 2025 awards will be honored at the Johnny Bench Awards Luncheon. The winners will be recognized during an on-field ceremony prior to the Reds vs. Dodgers game, set for 6:10 p.m. CT.