Reese Atwood has turned the moments before an at-bat into a private routine of prayer and self-talk, a small habit that has followed Texas through the Women’s College World Series. The senior catcher said she repeats, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,” and tries to clear her head before she steps into the box.
That detail has drawn notice because broadcasts have shown Atwood talking to herself all season, and the pressure around her is hard to miss. Texas is one win away from a second straight national title, but Atwood said her focus is not on the scoreboard or on the idea of a home run. She said she wants to trust her preparation, feel fully confident she is ready, and think about something with zero connection to softball so she can go up there and lean on the work she has already done.
Atwood, a Texas senior catcher, said faith sits at the center of that approach. She called it huge, and said being at Texas and around people who share that outlook has mattered to her career. Her view is not that God is handing her a home run in those moments. It is that she is supposed to be present and use her platform to spread her faith to others.
That perspective also has shaped where she turns when the moment gets loud. Atwood said Teagan Kavan is her best friend, and that roommates Vivi Martinez and Citlaly Gutierrez are major voices in her game who remind her to stay present, trust the process, trust her preparation and not worry about stats. In a setting built on championship pressure, the advice is simple: do not chase the result before the pitch arrives.
Last year, that calm helped carry Texas through one of the biggest swings of its title run. Atwood was hitless in the Women’s College World Series until Game 1 of the championship series, when Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady tried to intentionally walk her with two outs and two runners on. Atwood sent a single through the left side on what was supposed to be ball four, and the two runs that scored gave Texas a 2-1 win and its first national championship.
This time, the question is not whether Atwood knows the stage. She does. The sharper question is whether the same routine that helps her empty her mind and stay present can again steady Texas through the final step to another title.
