Coming off back-to-back national championships, the expectations have reached unprecedented levels for Texas softball.
In search of a three-peat, head coach Mike White got his first look at the 2027 team on Tuesday when the Longhorns hosted the Murray State College Aggies for a nine-inning scrimmage. Immediately, the Longhorns demonstrated why the offseason set a great foundation for them to potentially go deep into the Women’s College World Series.
Texas made three transfer additions this offseason: senior Samantha Swan, a catcher from Arizona State, senior Isa Torres, an infielder from Florida State, and junior Samantha Lincoln, a pitcher from Texas Tech. During the first inning, all three showed why White can insert them into an already talented Longhorn lineup.
In the top of the first, Lincoln set down three of the first four batters she saw and only surrendered one hit before turning the ball over to her hitter counterparts. White was impressed with Lincoln’s off speed improvement this offseason.
“I thought she has been working on some spins, and I liked to see her work on that tonight,” White said. “(She) did a really good job of that.”
In her first at-bat, Torres sent a line drive missile out to left field, clearing the left fielder and bouncing off the wall. With the outfielder scrambling to retrieve the ball, Torres displayed her speed, making it to third with a stand-up triple.
Two at-bats later, Swan knocked a base hit into the outfield for her first base hit and RBI, driving in teammate senior infielder Viviana Martinez.
“Samantha Swan behind the plate did a great job for us,” White said. “Strong arm down to second and also had a couple of hits as well.”
It was a similar scene in the second inning. Lincoln once again looked sharp, recording a 1-2-3 inning, quickly getting the Longhorn fielders off the diamond.
Already up 7-0 in the second inning, Torres pulled a ball high in the air, this time not only clearing the head of the Murray State outfielder but also the right-center field wall. Two at-bats in, and Torres had already showcased the elite athleticism and power that had her hitting second in the lineup.
“What an at-bat,” White said of Torres’ plate appearance. “To be able to hit the ball the other way with power, pulled the ball over the fence for a home run and then made some plays in the infield.”
Swan impressed in her second at-bat as well, once again securing an RBI with a base hit.
Most importantly for White, the transfer class looked comfortable both on the field and as part of the team.
“That’s the big thing — feeling part of the program,” White said.
