Texas softball lands the perfect fit with 2026 recruit

Magnolia star Stevie South commits to the Longhorns

Magnolia's Stevie South flashes a pair of "hook'em horns" signs in announcing her commitment to the University of Texas softball program in a social media post. / Stevie South X.com

From the moment she played a varsity softball game as a freshman in the spring of 2023, Stevie South always had it.

“Always getting on base, always finding something,” Magnolia High coach Angela Gonzales-Cooper said. “You just knew she was a different type of kid.”

Since she was seven years old, tossing a softball around with her father Lance, South had an innate feeling for the game.

She’d tried gymnastics. She’d tried soccer. But softball was her calling. She knew it even then.

“I just felt like most of the game just made sense,” South said. “I’ve always been someone who just needs to be told something once and I can pick up on it pretty quickly.

“Skill comes with God-given talent, but knowing the mental game and how to prepare, like the different swings for the different pitches to hit … it all came naturally.”

I am extremely blessed and excited to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue my academic and athletic career. I want to thank the Lord for His strength and guidance, as none of this would have been possible without Him. I would also like to… pic.twitter.com/OpDHYSlbFl

— Stevie South (@StevieSouth34) November 11, 2024

That prowess attracted University of Texas coach Mike White. And White’s culture and program enamored South.

Texas and South are an ideal fit, which is why South, a Class of 2026 catcher and outfielder ranked 37th nationally by Softball America, committed to the Longhorns on Nov. 10.

At 16 years old, South’s profile is growing rapidly.

At Magnolia High, about an hour northwest of Houston, she is hitting better than .500 with an on-base percentage of .600 and 15 home runs through two varsity seasons. She was a member of the USA U-15 women’s national team, helping it to a World Baseball Softball Confederation World Cup gold medal in Japan in 2023, hitting .526 with five RBIs and five runs scored in eight games.

South said she feels freer with recruiting behind her. But she is more determined than ever to get better.

“Growing up playing softball, there’s always been that goal of going to college and hopefully maybe playing for the Olympics,” South said. “But it’s always been about playing college softball.”

South, funny enough, grew up an Aggie. The Texas A&M campus is only an hour away from Magnolia, so she attended multiple A&M camps. South also has a close relationship with her cousin, a chemical engineer who graduated from A&M.

But once she stepped foot in Austin, her entire world changed.

“Texas invited me to a camp a couple years ago, and I went there with an open mind,” South said. “I immediately fell in love with it. The environment itself is very me. I’m competitive and I obviously want to win.”

Recruiting opened Sept. 1. A little more than two months letter, she was committing during an official visit.

“They’ve always been my top school,” South said. “Immediately when I was on campus, it felt like home. UT was always my No. 1. There were other schools in the picture but nothing compared to UT. It was an offer I couldn’t really pass on.”

South said the coaching staff is “elite.” She loves their “dynamic of coaching.” White has authored a .741 winning percentage in five years at Texas, with a national runner-up finish in 2022 and three NCAA Super Regional berths.

They were also straightforward, something South admired.

Texas coaches told South she would have to work for her spot. Where she plays, catcher or in the outfield, will be dependent upon the best fit for that particular year.

“(Coach White) wants to win a national championship and he’s going to do everything he can to do that,” South said. “That’s my goal too, so, yeah.”

South is a talent beyond her years.

“More so than any kid I’ve ever coached,” Gonzales-Cooper said.

South has always had a knack for putting the ball in play. And she loves competing.

In a district game during South’s freshman season, eventual state champion Lake Creek, which finished the season No. 1 in the nation, pulled its starting pitcher for senior ace Ava Brown, now playing at the University of Florida, to face South with two on and two out in the second inning.

South took the first pitch for a ball before fouling off the next pitch. Then she hit into a gap between first and second base for a groundout.

It was recorded an out, but was one of the first instances of South’s moxie. Not only did she not back down from Brown, Lake Creek’s obvious respect for her, even as a freshman, was telling.

South has matured considerably, on and off the field, since that early April game in 2023.

As a sophomore last year, she hit .482 with 11 home runs and 14 walks to four strikeouts.

“My mental toughness is a lot better,” South said. “My freshman year, I’d let things affect me more than I do now, or I would let them affect me for longer.”

She wants more, pushes for more, citing the desire to get bigger, faster and stronger.

South raves about being part of her school’s strength and conditioning program. She is also working to become more of a leader for her team.

“Just keep getting better,” South said.

South has always been an incredible talent. But playing for Team USA’s U-15 gold medal team last year changed her.

“It’s set bigger standards and bigger goals for me,” South said. “Not only representing my country, but wanting to win for my country is pretty big for me.

“There’s so many people who want to play for that team and so many people working for it, to have the honor of being selected for it is really awesome. Wanting to keep working to make the next team and the next team after that has really pushed me as an athlete.”