RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
It was a good week to be a Longhorn softball fan.
Texas Head Coach Mike White picked up verbals from several elite prospects across the country including a pair of Extra Elite 100 pitchers, Sophia Simpson, ranked No. 27 in the 2021 Extra Elite 100, and Ryleigh White, ranked No. 23 in the 2020 Extra Elite 100.
The outstanding hurlers committed after taking their official visits last weekend (Sept. 7-8, 2019) to Austin and also on that trip was Katie Cimusz, who looks to be their batterymate in the future.
Katie was ranked in the Top 25 of the 2021 Extra Elite 100 and should be the catcher of the future for the Big 12 school which is stockpiling young talent through transfers and signings of incoming high schoolers.
Here’s a closer look at Katie’s background and recruiting process which culminated with her committing to Coach White in a way we don’t think we’ve heard before: on the water during a river cruise!
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NAME: KATIE CIMUSZ
Hometown/ST: Atascocita, Texas
Grad Year: 2021
Position(s): Catcher/Utility
Club Team: Diamond Sports Hotshots 18U Premier
High School: Atascocita High
GPA: 4.73 weighted
College: Texas
Top Honors/Accomplishments: Ranked in the Top 20 in 2021 Extra Elite 100, two-time Texas All-State (6A), 2018 WFC Offensive MVP, 2018 6A State Champion; District 21-6A Newcomer of the Year, Texas 6A All-Tournament team.
Preferred College Major: Civil Engineering
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Talk about the recruiting process and how that went from start to finish?
For me it was a long and winding process just because of the rule change back my freshman year but I think that rule helped me out because at the time I was only focusing on the softball part of it.
Over the next two years, I started thinking more on the academic side and thinking about what I wanted to do, who provided that option and if I would get the best education I could get at this school.
About a year ago, I got my first invite to a Texas camp and it was one of the first camps with the new coaching staff. After that camp, I knew something was different about Texas and I loved it.
When did you commit and how did you tell the Longhorn coaches?
I committed Saturday (Sept 7, 2019). I was on my official visit and we actually were on a river cruise. As we were pulling into dock to get off, I pulled Coach White off to the side and told him, “I want to be a Longhorn and this is exactly where I want to be.”
Was there an “aha” moment when you knew Texas was right for you?
I think for me really my “aha” moment was seeing basically the whole city coming together a day before the football game and already starting preparations for it. It just made me feel like I would have the whole city to support me in fulfilling my 10-year-old self’s dream of playing at the collegiate level.
*** Scroll down to read more about Katie on and off the field!