The best catchers in the history of Texan softball

Texas has a long and successful history of producing some of the best softball players in the history of the game. This doesn’t just include pitchers and hitters either, as several incredible catchers have come out of Texas too.

Whether it be starring for their university or for the USA at international competitions, here are the greatest catchers from Texas in softball history.

Erin Tresselt

If you were looking at an online sportsbook back in the 90s and wanted to bet on a team, if it had Erin Tresselt in it, you knew you were going to be in luck. She played for the University of Texas between 1994 and 1997 and made a name for herself almost instantly.

She was a three-time All-American and a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year. Not only was she famed for her awe-inspiring defensive skills, but she also had a knack for controlling the game from behind the home plate.

Megan Willis

Megan Willis has been widely regarded as one of the best catchers for the University of Texas in recent years. Starting for the team between 2006 and 2009, she earned several titles and even broke a record during her time on the team.

She was a three-time All-American and a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year and she also broke the school record for the most career home runs.

Taylor Hoagland

Taylor Hoagland is arguably one of the most famous and most successful players to come out of the University of Texas. She played for the Longhorns for four seasons and she was named an All-American three times.

While she was famed for her strong arm and strength behind the plate, she also has the longest-hitting streak in the history of the university and is the all-time homerun leader. Hoagland has also represented the United States at the internal level.

Mandy Ogle

While Mandy Ogle doesn’t have the same list of accolades as others on this list, she is another University of Texas catcher that was one of, if not the best, around during her career. She was a two-time All-American and also represented the USA in 2013.

Ogle was known for her strong arm and speed behind the plate, and she also represented the USA at the international level in 2013.

Kyla Walker

Kyla Walker is one of the most successful and decorated softball players in the history of the program at Baylor University. From 2016 to 2019, she was the go-to catcher for Baylor but wasn’t too shabby with a bat in hand either.

Some of her numerous accolades include being on the Big 12 Commissioner's Roll several times, being named on the Big 12 First Team and in 2016, she was a Freshman of the year Top 25 finalist.

Mandy Gellner

Mandy Gellner padded up for Texas A&M from 1999 to 2002. She was a two-time All-American and was famous for her insanely strong arm and her ability to pick off and get out baserunners on a very consistent basis.

Amy Rosson

Amy Rosson is another player that was brilliant behind home plate, as well as with a bat in hand. She was a catcher for the University of Texas for three seasons, and in that time, she was named a two-time All-American and a two-time All-Big 12 Selection.

As mentioned, she was a demon with a bat, too, being able to hit singles or home runs seemingly whenever she felt like it.

Kelly Dyer

Finally, Kelly Dyer was a catcher for the University of Texas in the late 90s and early 2000s. She was a two-time All-American and a two-time Big-12 Player of the Year. She also set several career records while playing, including breaking the record for the most career hits.

Softball in Texas

While softball is incredibly popular across the United States, two of the best teams in the South are the University of Texas and Texas A&M. Both teams have shown incredible strength over the past few decades, and both have produced some of the best softball players we have seen in years.

The University of Texas has won four regular-season conference championships and four Conference Tournament Championships. Not only that, but they have appeared in 22 NCAA Tournaments, appearing in every one since 1998 except for 2001 and 2004.

Texas A&M is another giant in the world of university sports, dominating in softball, basketball, football and soccer. While the Aggies are still building a reputation in softball, they already have a couple of titles under their belt.

The Aggies have won two NCAA Tournament Championships, one Conference Tournament Championship and two regular-season conference championships; they have also appeared in 32 NCAA tournaments. It is safe to say when it comes to softball, Texas knows how to play.