Reese Atwood reminds the AUSL and NiJaree Canady who's boss with first pro hit

Less than two weeks ago, the Texas Longhorns defended their National Championship run through the Women's College World Series, defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders for a second year in a row.

As head coach Mike White and his usual stars, pitcher Teagan Kavan, first baseman Katie Stewart, catcher Reese Atwood, and more, dominated the Red Raiders and their star pitcher, NiJaree Canady, it became evident that the Longhorns had their in-state rivals' number when it came to both sides of the ball.

Now, Atwood has moved on to the next level, playing in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League for the Carolina Blaze, which drafted the former Longhorns seventh overall in the 2026 AUSL Draft before the collegiate season was even over.

Last night, Atwood faced none other than Canady in the circle as the Blaze took on the Texas Volts, who signed Canady as an undrafted free agent following the Women's College World Series.

Reinforcing Texas's dominance over Texas Tech and Atwood's dominance over Canady, the Longhorn Legend hit two home runs off her college rival.

Reese Atwood, Carolina Blaze dominate NiJaree Canady, Texas Volts

Atwood went 2-for-3 at the plate, knocking two balls out of the park to bring in three RBIs, and led the Blaze to an astonishing 9-1 victory over the Volts. Making Atwood's homers that much sweeter was the fact that they were the first hits of her professional career, having just two at-bats before the matchup against Texas.

Clearly, there is something about facing Canady that gets Atwood's bat hot. It leads to her showing off just how talented of a player she is, whether she is behind the plate or at the plate.

Also read: Mike White adds power to Texas softball batting lineup with Reese Atwood replacement

In the 2026 Women's College World Series, Atwood was repeatedly walked, earning just one hit but also recording a run as the Red Raider pitchers avoided giving her anything to actually swing at. Clearly, based on her performance against Canady in the AUSL, Texas Tech might have made the right call, despite still losing the series to Texas.

In the 2025 Women's College World Series, she had three hits against the Red Raiders in the final series, earning three RBIs and two runs of her own. Over the five WCWS games against Texas Tech, Atwood committed just one total error.

So far in her professional career, Atwood has appeared in three games for the Blaze, earning a .400 hitting average at the plate and earning three RBIs over five at-bats. While playing catcher for Carolina, she has already earned 10 putouts and two assists, while committing just one error, showing her continued dominance behind the plate.

Atwood wasn't the only Longhorn selected in the 2026 AUSL Draft, joined by infielder Leighann Goode, who was picked by none other than the Texas Volts. So far, she has had three at-bats but has yet to connect her bat with the ball. Additionally, former Longhorn pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez signed a free-agent contract with the Florida Vibe and has made one appearance so far.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow