Texas Softball Star Katie Stewart Achieves Historic Academic Honor

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a remarkable achievement, Texas junior first baseman Katie Stewart has become the first Longhorn in nearly three decades to earn a spot on the first-team academic All-American roster. The announcement from College Sports Communicators came on Tuesday, recognizing Stewart for her outstanding academic performance, a feat last accomplished by Nikki Cockrell in 1998.

Stewart's impressive season includes smashing a school record with 31 home runs and driving in 79 RBIs, contributing significantly to Texas's consecutive national championship victory. Her performance earned her the title of Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, in addition to multiple first-team All-American honors. She currently maintains a 3.54 GPA while majoring in corporate communication.

Joining Stewart, junior infielder Viviana Martinez earned a place on the third-team All-America list. After missing the 2025 season due to a knee injury, Martinez made a strong comeback, achieving a .379 batting average with 67 hits and 47 RBIs. She also excelled defensively at shortstop, striking out only 11 times and earning first-team All-SEC recognition. Martinez is pursuing a degree in applied movement science and boasts an impressive 3.91 GPA.

With Stewart and Cockrell being the only Longhorns to receive this prestigious honor multiple times, the academic All-America team has included a total of nine Texas players throughout its history.