Texas’s Atwood and Goode Go Back-to-Back at Picks 7-8 in 2026 AUSL Draft

Texas teammates went back-to-back at picks 7 and 8 in the second round of the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League College Draft on Monday night, with catcher Reese Atwood selected by the Carolina Blaze and infielder Leighann Goode taken by the Texas Volts on the ESPN2 broadcast.

The pairing reunites each Longhorn with the program’s two top-three picks — Atwood with No. 1 selection Karlyn Pickens in Carolina, and Goode with No. 2 pick NiJaree Canady in Texas. Commissioner Kim Ng announced both picks in succession during the second-round segment.

Atwood: Texas’s all-time home run leader to Carolina

Atwood broke Texas’s career home run record on Feb. 12, hitting her 59th to pass Taylor Hoagland’s mark of 58 set from 2010 to 2013. She extended the program record across the 2026 regular season and enters postseason play with 71 career home runs. She also holds the Texas career RBI record at 276 — both program marks, and both still active as the Longhorns open SEC Tournament play this week.

She is the 2025 NFCA National Catcher of the Year and the 2025 Johnny Bench Award winner, and she earned a spot on the 2026 USA Softball Women’s National Team athlete pool announced in early April.

After the record-breaking game in February, Atwood reflected on her path through the program: “It means a lot. I look back at my freshman year coming ’till now and I owe so much to the people here at Texas. Growing up, I don’t think I ever really dreamed of this. It was just one of those things, taking a step at a time, believing in myself.”

The Blaze, holders of the No. 1 overall pick, used their second-round selection on Atwood to pair Pickens with one of college softball’s most established power bats. Carolina general manager Dana Sorensen said in a statement that Pickens’ “four years pitching in the SEC has given her the best preparation for the pro league” — a profile Atwood matches as a senior with three full SEC and Big 12 campaigns of her own.

Goode: NFCA All-American to the Volts

Goode joined Canady in Texas after being named a 2025 NFCA All-American at Texas. The infielder has been a fixture of the Longhorns’ lineup alongside Atwood and brings a profile the Volts targeted with their second-round pick after taking Canady at No. 2.

Both Texas players retain their NCAA eligibility through the remainder of the 2026 college postseason, which opens this week with the SEC Tournament. Texas earned a double-bye and enters as the No. 4 seed.

What it means for the rosters

Atwood gives the Carolina Blaze a Round-1-and-Round-2 battery foundation in Pickens and a senior catcher with national-team-level credentials. Goode gives the Volts a middle-infield bat to anchor a roster headlined by Canady’s right-handed pitching.

The 2026 AUSL season opens June 9. The Blaze play home games at Smith Family Stadium on the Duke University campus, while the Volts play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas — the largest venue in the league at 11,631 seats.

Full pick-by-pick draft results are available in our complete 2026 AUSL College Draft results.