Three days after the portal officially opened, the Longhorns reeled in a transfer commitment from Arizona State catcher Samantha Swan, who announced her decision on her social media accounts. A Central Texas native who graduated from Georgetown High School, Swan looks like a natural replacement for All-American catcher Reese Atwood, who used up her eligibility after helping Texas win its second consecutive national championship last week by beating Texas Tech.
A three-year starter for Arizona State, Swan hit .383 with 12 home runs, 55 RBI and 39 runs while earning All-Big 12 player this past season. She had a .450 on-base percentage and a .700 slugging percentage while setting new career highs in every almost every offensive category.
Swan, who is ranked as the No. 9 overall player and No. 1 catcher in the transfer portal by Softball America, is the first player this offseason that has pledged to Texas in the portal. She has one remaining year of eligibility.
In addition to Atwood, Texas lost starting outfielders Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney as well as starting second baseman Leighann Goode to graduation. Backup infielder Shylien Brister and backup pitcher Cambria Salmon have already entered the portal.