OTC Player Spotlight: Michaela Landers — The No. 1 Recruit in 2028 Is Heading to Texas

There are rising stars — and then there are players who seem to announce their arrival all at once.

Michaela Landers has done exactly that.

The standout infielder from Waxahachie, Texas has already put together an international résumé with Team USA, produced one of the most remarkable high-school offensive seasons in recent memory and established herself as one of the premier young players in the game.

Now, the No. 1 prospect in Softball America's Class of 2028 has made her college decision.

Michaela Landers is heading to the University of Texas. Landers announced her commitment to the Longhorns on September 18.

A Record-Breaking 2026

Landers' sophomore season at Waxahachie High School was staggering.

Over 41 games, she hit .639 with 25 home runs, 105 RBI, 73 runs scored and 52 extra-base hits. Her 105 RBI established a new Texas high-school single-season record, while her 25 home runs broke the Dallas-area single-season mark.

Those numbers helped Waxahachie finish 38-3 and advance to the Class 6A Division I Region II semifinals.

But Landers' story isn't limited to high-school softball.

Making Her Mark With Team USA

Landers has already worn the red, white and blue on the international stage.

At the 2025 U-15 Pan American Championship in Acapulco, Mexico, she hit .600 (12-for-20) with three doubles, two triples, a home run, eight RBI and 13 runs scored while helping the United States capture the gold medal.

She was named to the All-Pan Am Team, and finished the tournament leading Team USA in hits and runs while posting a 1.100 slugging percentage.

Later that summer at the WBSC U-15 Women's World Cup in Italy, Landers hit .458 as the United States captured bronze.

Her progression through the USA Softball pipeline continued when she was selected as an infielder for the 2026 U-18 Women's National Team.

And remember — she's still a Class of 2028 player.

Next Stop: Austin 🤘

The next chapter will eventually take Landers to one of college softball's biggest stages.

Her commitment to Texas gives Longhorn fans another elite young talent to follow as she completes the remaining years of her high-school and travel-ball career.

For fastpitch fans, though, the fun part may be watching what happens between now and then.

Landers already has international experience, record-setting high-school production and recognition as the top prospect in her class.

And she's got plenty of softball still ahead of her.

Why We're Watching

That's exactly why Michaela Landers is our first OTC Player Spotlight on the new Outside The Chute website.

Player Spotlight isn't only going to be about the stars everybody already knows.

We want to introduce fastpitch fans to the names they'll be hearing a lot more about in the years ahead — players from Canada, the United States and around the world who represent the next generation of the game.

Michaela Landers is certainly one of those names.

Remember it.

Outside The Chute
Connecting the Softball World. 🥎🎙️