Reese Atwood, a Texas senior catcher watching her lips move at the plate all season, says her self-talk is often a prayer—words meant to pull her mind away from the moment and into steadier ground. She credits teammates and faith for helping her handle pressur
There’s a moment at the plate when everything speeds up—the wind-up, the count, the weight of a big inning. For Texas senior catcher Reese Atwood, the noise doesn’t stop. It just gets replaced.
Broadcasts across the Women’s College World Series season kept drifting back to Atwood’s face during her at-bats. Her lips moved constantly, even as opposing pitchers started their wind-up, as if she was having a conversation that couldn’t be heard.
Atwood’s routine isn’t new to her. Last year, it turned into a hinge point. In Game 1 of the championship series. Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady attempted to intentionally walk her with two outs and two runners on. Atwood stepped out of the batter’s box. took a deep breath. and ripped a single through the left side of the infield—what was supposed to be ball four. The two runs that scored proved to be the difference as Texas won the game 2-1 on its way to the program’s first national championship.
When asked what she’s saying in those moments. Atwood didn’t describe a cue card or a mechanical swing thought. “A lot of times I’m honestly just saying, ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,’” she said. “Or I’m talking to myself in the sense of that’s like nothing to do with softball. My mental approach when I’m going through that is more of taking my mind off the game and trying to be present in those moments.”.
She described learning how others handle the plate—how some players game plan pitches or think through what they want their swing to do. For her, the goal is almost the opposite.
“I’ve learned that some people can game plan and think about a pitch that’s coming. or think about certain things in their swing. ” Atwood said. “For me. I just want to trust my preparation and know that I am fully confident that I am prepared for that moment. So. instead of thinking of what I can do better … I like to think of something that has zero relation. so I can just go up there and trust all the hard work I put in fully.”.
Faith shows up again when the conversation turns from what she does to what her team does. Atwood was asked about the prayer element and how common a thread faith is within the program after seeing social media videos of players gathering for faith gatherings.
“My faith is huge,” she said. “Coming into Texas and just being able to surround myself with similar people has been really huge for my career.”
Then she pushed back against the idea that faith is simply a shortcut to outcomes. “I’m not one to believe that God wants me to hit a home run in those moments,” Atwood said. “I like to think that in those moments. God wants me to be present and use this platform to spread my faith to others. and just showing the strength of being an athlete who is still involved in faith and (being) just a strong woman in general.”.
Even with a personal ritual, pressure still arrives—sometimes fast, sometimes after a single swing goes wrong. When Atwood was asked whether she leans on someone or something when games tighten up, she pointed to people first.
“I think definitely Teagan (Kavan), my best friend,” she said. “And then even my roommates. Vivi (Martinez) and Citlaly (Gutierrez). are huge people in my game that I go to. and they always offer great advice. and say things like being present and just trusting the process. trusting your preparation. and not worrying about stats or anything like that. Just being there for the team and nothing else.”.
That focus—on the present, on preparation, on mental toughness—doesn’t stay private for long. Mental health is becoming more visible in sports, and Atwood addressed how she keeps the work steady while the stage grows louder.
“At this level, that preparation is bigger than any other physical preparation,” she said. “I mean. every single team here in the World Series. every single team in the SEC. and all the other schools are just incredible and have all the physical attributes to be able to win national championships and win games. So the separator is your mental preparation. and just your ability to overcome pressure. overcome situations that require a lot of mental toughness.”.
For Atwood, the constant lip movement at the plate isn’t a gimmick meant to fill TV time. It’s a way of pulling herself out of the past and away from the scoreboard’s demands—so when the pitch comes, she can meet it as the same player every time.
Reese Atwood Texas softball catcher Women’s College World Series prayer before at-bat mental preparation NiJaree Canady Teagan Kavan Vivi Martinez Citlaly Gutierrez faith and sports