AUSL Grants Second and Third Golden Tickets on the Forty Acres
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) began a special tradition last year when it hand delivered Golden Tickets to the best collegiate stars in the game, and thus officially earning them selections into the AUSL College Draft pool.
On Friday night, the very first Golden Ticket of the 2026 season was presented to none other than Texas Tech's two-way standout NiJaree Canady.
Nearly 24 hours later, the second and third Golden Tickets were awarded on the campus in Austin, Texas, to a pair of Longhorn teammates, Reese Atwood and Leighann Goode.
AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng had the honors following No. 1 Texas' narrow victory over No. 15 Texas, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon. The triumph also led to the Longhorns clinching the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown and continued a program-best 29-game win streak.
In three-and-a-half years in the burnt orange, Atwood has already established herself as an all-time great at Texas, and continues to add to her resumé in her senior campaign.
HOOK ‘EM! Reese Atwood is ✨GOLDEN✨
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) March 28, 2026
The second golden ticket goes to @TexasSoftball's @atwood_reese! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/ONA5E314u2
Among the top of Atwood's accolades are 2025 National Champion, 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Catcher of the Year, Johnny Bench Award winner, All-American, two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist, and the program's new home run leader, with even more expected if she continues with the year she is having.
The 6-foot catcher from Sandia, Texas, is batting .388 with seven doubles, 13 home runs, and a team-best 43 RBIs. Perhaps her biggest impacts on the field are her poise and control behind the dish, having allowed zero passed balls through 32 games.
She was particularly brilliant in Saturday's day game, going 2-for-3 with a solo shot, two RBIs, and throwing two Aggie runners out on the base paths, including a sneaky, back-door pick to third base in the top of the second.
Earlier this month, Atwood joined Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens when she signed a Name, Image, Likeness partnership with AUSL, the league's second collegiate deal. Let's also not forget, Atwood and Pickens were the only two collegiate players selected to the U.S. National Team's Down Under Series roster.
Shortly after Atwood was "given her flowers", Goode's name was called.
Goode has been a consistent component to the Longhorn roster since she arrived on the Forty Acres. She's seen time at various positions on the dirt and in the grass, before settling into second base in 2026.
🌟 GOODE AS GOLD! 🌟@leighannn_11 receives the third golden ticket. 🤘 @SEC | @texassoftball pic.twitter.com/YabPIpgPaN
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) March 28, 2026
In her rookie campaign, Goode was an NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 Finalist upon starting all 61 games, leading the Longhorn lineup in doubles (16), total bases (112), and was second in home runs (8).
In 2025, Goode played a key role in Texas' title run, including a three-run mash to left center in the championship series finale to put the Longhorns up 5-0 in the first inning. Once again starting all contests that year (66), Goode finished with an average just under .300 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.
Goode has saved her best performance for last, batting a career-best .447 so far. Offensively, she's registered 34 hits and runs, seven doubles, five deep flies, and 22 RBIs, while her fielding percentage sits at .962 with only three errors on the season.
The AUSL will continue to pick its Golden Ticket recipients as the 2026 season excitement progresses. The league announced the AUSL College Draft Show will take place on Monday, May 4 at 7 p.m. E.T., airing on ESPN2.
Maddy Lewis was a four-year starting infielder for UC San Diego Softball (2015–19), helping lead the Tritons to two conference championships, a West Region title, and a trip to the Division II National Championship in her senior season. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication, where she also wrote for the student newspaper, The Guardian. After college, Maddy spent two years as a Sports Information Director, working closely with the softball, basketball and running programs, deepening her appreciation for the stories behind the stats. She has continued her playing career on the international stage as a member and captain of the Israeli Women’s National Softball Team for the past four years, facing top talent at European Championships, Canada Cups, and the Maccabi Games. Beyond competing, Maddy remains deeply committed to growing the game. She co-hosts the Jewish Softball: More Than A Game podcast, offers private instruction in the Bay Area and has coached teams at the Triple Crown Sports International Challenge and the JCC Maccabi Games. With a passion for storytelling and softball, she is dedicated to giving back to the sport that has shaped her both on and off the field and making an impact on the next generation in any way she can.
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