Tag: Washington Huskies Softball

Oregon transfer rounds out Washington’s pitching staff

The Washington Huskies earned a commitment from a former arch-rival to round out their pitching staff.

It might take some time for Stevie Hansen to get used to her new colors. On Wednesday, the former Oregon Ducks pitcher announced her commitment to coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies, which finalized the team’s rotation ahead of their first season in the Big Ten.

Hansen gives Tarr a very strong No. 2 option behind Cal Poly transfer Sophia Ramuno who has plenty of experience. Over her three years in Eugene, she made 94 appearances and finished her career with a 3.02 ERA, 36-20 record, 2 saves, 326 1/3 innings pitched, 281 strikeouts, and a .229 batting average against.

After posting a career-high 3.52 ERA as a junior, Washington’s coaching staff is hoping that Hansen can return to the dominance that she displayed as a sophomore with the Ducks. She had a 20-7 record over 146 1/3 innings pitched with 110 strikeouts and was named to the NFCA’s All-Pacific Region Second Team.

Her greatest accomplishment came on February 28 of that season when she was named D1 Softball’s National Pitcher of the Week after going 4-0, three of those victories coming against ranked teams, with a 1.27 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 22 innings.

Hansen also accrued all kinds of honors during her first year, where she was named to the All-Pacific Region Third Team, All-Pac-12 Third Team, and All-Pac-12 Freshman Team.

Bates chips in as Team USA cruises in group play at Women’s Softball World Cup

Sis Bates played a role in Team USA’s first two wins as Taran Alvelo struggled to open group play at the Women’s Softball World Cup.

Team USA’s first two wins at the Women’s Softball World Cup in Italy looked eerily familiar to a lot of wins coach Heather Tarr has had throughout her career on Montlake with the Washington Huskies.

Although her team is now led by former Oklahoma superstar Jocelyn Alo, Tarr has still gotten some contributions from two-time first-team All-American and three-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Sis Bates.

The US won their first game 5-2 over Team Canada, where Bates came in came in as a pinch hitter, drew a walk, and scored a run. Then, in their second game, a 7-0 rout of Team Italy, Bates once again came in as a pinch hitter where she recorded a single and a run scored before staying in to play shortstop.

Washington’s other alum in the World Cup struggled in her one outing, as Taran Alvelo struggled in Team Puerto Rico’s 8-0 loss to Team Japan. Through 3 1/3 innings, Alvelo let up 9 hits, 6 earned runs, and a walk as the No. 2 ranked team in the world dropped to 0-2 in group play.

Two Washington softball alumni to compete for Women’s Softball World Cup

The Washington Huskies will have two players and one coach competing for the Women’s Softball World Cup.

The Women’s Softball World Cup finals are set to begin on Monday in Italy as the field is down to eight teams, two of which hold Washington Huskies alumni. Team USA is led by shortstop Sis Bates and is coached by Heather Tarr, while pitcher Taran Alvelo anchors Team Puerto Rico’s pitching staff.

During her time at Washington, Alvelo was dominant. She finished her career with a 102-27 record and a 2.53 ERA over 798 innings with 895 strikeouts (No. 2 in school history) and a .213 batting average against.

Alvelo was named an All-American during both her junior and senior seasons and became the No. 8 pick in the 2019 National Professional Softball draft by the Aussie Peppers.

Bates was similarly dominant during her career and was honored on the NFCA’s First Team All-America as a sophomore and junior, and to the second team as a graduate student in 2021. She was also named the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and finished her career with 320 hits, the most in school history.

While also playing with Athletes Unlimited, Bates returned to Montlake in June 2023 to serve on Tarr’s staff as the director of player development.

Washington adds Oregon State utility player Charity Sevaaetasi

The Washington Huskies added an important depth piece to their roster on Sunday.

Heather Tarr continues to make strong additions to Washington’s 2025 roster through the transfer portal and on Sunday, she earned a commitment from former Oregon State Beavers utility player Charity Sevaaetasi.

Sevaaetasi holds an .880 career OPS with 13 home runs and 45 runs batted in over 105 games of Pac-12 play with the Beavers and brings much-needed experience to the roster. She played both first and third base along with the outfield during her time in Corvallis and should move into a full-time outfield role as she makes her return to Seattle.

The product of Auburn High School in nearby Auburn, Washington will have two years of eligibility remaining due to an injury that kept her out for the latter half of her sophomore season and the entirety of her junior year.

As the Huskies head into the Big Ten, Tarr’s team looks like it will rely on a lot of young talent from the high school ranks in the lineup with sophomore Giselle Alvarez as the only returning starter from last season’s lineup that didn’t either graduate or enter the transfer portal.

Sevaaetasi brings much-needed experience to the roster to help anchor the young lineup, which will also be headlined by incoming transfers Ava Carroll and Riley Peschek, who had a lot of success during their first years of college softball, although it came against a lower level of competition.

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Sophia Ramuno can establish herself as one of the Big Ten’s best pitchers in 2025

The Washington Huskies could turn to Cal Poly transfer Sophia Ramuno as their new ace.

The Washington Huskies softball team took some massive hits in the transfer portal and much like the football and men’s basketball teams, coach Heather Tarr is going to roll out a new-look starting lineup in 2025. Not only is she replacing eight hitters, but the entirety of her 2024 pitching staff.

Lindsay Lopez and Brooke Nelson graduated, while Ruby Meylan and Sidne Peters entered the transfer portal. That forced Tarr to hit the portal herself, where she added Madi Balk and Rylee Rehbein from Florida State and Montana respectively, along with Sophia Ramuno from Cal Poly.

Ramuno is coming off a stellar second season where she was named to the All-Big-West first team thanks to a 2.31 ERA and 160 strikeouts over 160 1/3 innings. At Washington, she may be expected to take on a similar workload and if she can carry over the success she saw in 2024, become one of the Big Ten’s best pitchers.

Balk, Rehbein, and first-year Morgan Reimer should round out the Huskies’ pitching staff for the 2025 campaign, which should ask a lot of Ramuno. Washington’s other two transfers have combined for 104 1/3 innings in their careers, while the Cal Poly transfer has worked 284 1/3 in two seasons with the Mustangs.

Last year, Meylan led the Huskies with just 123 2/3 innings pitched, with Lopez close behind at 87 2/3. If Tarr’s team is going to have success in the Big Ten, a lot of it is going to depend on a strong pitching staff, which could put a lot of weight on Ramuno’s shoulders.

If she can continue on her strong sophomore campaign and act as a true ace, Ramuno will take a lot of pressure off of Washington’s young lineup, especially in the early part of the season.

Washington’s leading run producer commits to Texas Tech

Star Washington Huskies outfielder Alana Johnson committed to Texas Tech on Tuesday evening.

The Washington Huskies took another hit in the transfer portal on Tuesday evening when sophomore outfielder Alana Johnson announced that she committed to Texas Tech.

She took a big leap forward in her second season on Montlake, leading the team with 13 home runs, 40 runs batted in, and a .664 slugging percentage. Her .336 batting average tied her with Rylee Holtorf for second on the team and was nearly a 100-point improvement over her 2023 mark, where she batted just .238.

Johnson’s stellar season earned her a spot on the NFCA’s All-Pacific Region Third Team and made her a hot commodity in the transfer portal. Originally from Summit, Missouri, she opted to take her talents closer to home, joining the Red Raiders and the ranks of the Big 12.

Filling the hole she leaves in the lineup won’t be easy for coach Heather Tarr, but she has plenty of prospects to work with. Not only did the Huskies bring in an exciting high school recruiting class, including outfielder Addie Craig from Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, but she also added junior college transfer Ava Carroll, who put up stellar numbers during her one season at Mt. Hood Community College.

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Washington continues to add pitching staff reinforcements with All-Big West First Teamer

The Washington Huskies are building a strong pitching staff for their first year in the Big Ten.

Heather Tarr has done an impressive job stockpiling pitchers for Washington’s first season in the Big Ten and added another in Cal Poly product Sophia Ramuno, who announced her intentions to join the Huskies on Friday night.

Originally from San Diego, California, Ramuno spent two years with the Mustangs and had a strong career. During her first season, she was given a heavy workload and finished with a 12-11 record and 142 strikeouts on the season, and a 2.21 ERA over 20 appearances in conference play.

Those numbers earned her an All-Big West honorable mention and a spot on the All-Big West Freshman Team. She made a significant jump during her sophomore season, where she acted as the ace of the pitching staff, working 160 1/3 innings and striking out 160 batters.

Ramuno accrued a 13-10 record on the season with a 2.31 ERA and 1.20 WHIP while holding opponents to a .229 batting average, which elevated her to a spot on the All-Big West First Team during her second season on campus before she opted to enter the transfer portal.

She gives Tarr a strong, veteran option either in the starting rotation or out of the bullpen and adds some stability to Washington’s inexperienced staff.

While it still feels like a longshot, if the coaching staff can secure an upset in the recruitment of NiJaree Canady, Ramuno’s addition shouldn’t discount that possibility either. Pitching coach Brad Kilpatrick may need some time to help develop transfers Madi Balk and Rylee Rehbein as strong bullpen options, but that would also give the Huskies five pitchers on the roster.

Nevertheless, with or without Canady on staff, Ramuno is a promising addition who has the potential to be a reliable member of the pitching staff in the Big Ten.

Catcher Sydney Stewart transfers to Arizona

The Washington Huskies are in search of a new backstop for the 2025 season.

Coach Heather Tarr has a lot of work to do to rebuild her roster ahead of Washington’s first season in the Big Ten and will be looking to replace a lot of production up and down the lineup, especially at catcher.

Junior Olivia Johnson and sophomore Sydney Stewart both entered the transfer portal at the end of the year, with the latter announcing her intentions to play at Arizona on Tuesday.

Stewart had a breakout sophomore campaign at the plate, posting a .321 batting average and 1.006 OPS with 5 home runs, 10 doubles, 18 runs batted in, and 23 runs scored. She was also a defensive standout, tallying just 3 errors on 245 chances, good for a .988 fielding percentage which helped lead her to a spot on the NFCA’s All-Pacific Region Third Team.

In Tucson, Stewart may become the primary catcher while being spelled by sophomore Emily Schepp, who started 48 games last season. Schepp posted a .298 batting average with 7 home runs and 27 RBI, which could move her into a designated player role more often as the Wildcats move into the Big 12.

Tarr will have to hit the portal for reinforcements at the only player at the position on the roster is senior Haley Winckler, who played in two games last season after earning a Rawlings Gold Glove for her perfect fielding percentage and batting .389 at Bellevue Community College in 2023.

All-Pac-12 shortstop Rylee Holtorf commits to Florida

The Washington Huskies lost one of their biggest contributors to the SEC and the Florida Gators.

The Washington Huskies saw another important member of the 2024 roster find her new home in the transfer portal after Rylee Holtorf announced her commitment to the Florida Gators on Wednesday.

Out of the leadoff spot, Holtorf was a vital part of coach Heather Tarr’s offense last season during a breakout campaign at the plate. She boasted a .336 batting average with 11 home runs, 25 runs batted in, and a 1.052 OPS. She was also exceptional in the clutch, hitting two walk-off home runs during the year.

Holtorf was also credited with a .942 fielding percentage at shortstop after recording 8 errors on 130 chances.

Those numbers propelled the junior from Peoria, Arizona, to spots on the All-Pac-12 First Team and NFCA All-Pacific Region First Team before she graduated early and decided to enter the transfer portal along with seven other members of last season’s roster.

Tarr will look to replace her production with one of the top middle infielders in the portal, former Montana Grizzlies star Riley Peschek at the position. The native of Gig Harbor, Washington had a .350 batting average during her one year in Missoula and led the team with her 1.055 OPS, 5 home runs, 33 runs batted in, which earned her a spot on the All-Big-Sky First Team.

Utility player Kinsey Fiedler transfers to Tennessee

The Washington Huskies lost former top recruit Kinsey Fiedler to the Tennessee Volunteers.

When utility player Kinsey Fiedler announced her commitment to Tennessee on Wednesday night, coach Heather Tarr continued to see her 2024 roster find new homes. She becomes the fourth member of last season’s Washington roster to commit to her next school.

One of the nation’s top five recruits in the 2021 class, Fiedler was named to the All-Pac-12 Freshman Team in 2022 and earned honors as an NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete in 2023, but took a step forward at the plate in her junior year.

While starting all 47 games in 2024, she held a career-best .336 batting average with 7 home runs, 27 runs batted in, and a .984 OPS. Fiedler played all over the diamond defensively, as Tarr did everything she could to keep her bat in the lineup, which could be useful for her new coach, Karen Weekly.

Weekly is no stranger to coaching players who have resided in Seattle. One of the stalwarts of her lineup over the past five seasons was Kiki Milloy, the daughter of Washington legends Lawyer and Claudine Milloy.

The back-to-back SEC regular season champions should be benefit greatly from Fiedler’s arrival, especially if she can replicate last season’s numbers. She finishes her career at Washington with a .283 batting average, 23 home runs, 71 RBI, and a .927 OPS over 150 games on Montlake.

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