Tag: Washington Huskies Softball

Odunze, Nelson win Pac-12’s Tom Hansen medal

Two outstanding Washington student-athletes were chosen to receive the Tom Hansen medal.

Every year, the Pac-12 selects a senior male and female student-athlete from each school to receive the Tom Hansen medal, which was renamed in 2009 after Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen, who served the conference for 26 years.

The award is given to outstanding athletes who display the “greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics, and leadership.” In 2024, the Pac-12 recognized Rome Odunze and Brooke Nelson to receive the award.

Odunze had arguably the greatest season of any wide receiver in Washington history, recording 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 15 total touchdowns as he helped lead the Huskies all the way to the national championship.

He was named a Consensus All-American before being selected No. 9 overall by the Chicago Bears in April’s NFL draft.

Nelson was a dominant two-way player for coach Heather Tarr on the softball field. At the plate, Nelson posted a .323 batting average and 1.093 OPS with a career-best 12 home runs and 37 runs batted in. She also tallied a 5-1 record in the circle, including a no-hitter, 2.02 ERA, and 35 strikeouts over 34 2/3 innings.

Those numbers led Nelson to a spot on the NFCA’s First Team All-America in her final year of eligibility, and the No. 5 spot in Softball America’s two-way player rankings.

Washington freshman Alexis DeBoer arrives on campus

One of Washington’s top recruits has arrived on campus for the school’s LEAP program.

Coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies signed a promising 2024 freshman class and after eight members of last year’s team decided to enter the transfer portal, they will be expected to play an important part in Tarr’s plans as the team moves into the Big Ten.

Among the six-player class, which was ranked No. 13 in the country by Extra Innings Softball, is Alexis DeBoer, the daughter of former Washington football coach Kalen DeBoer. Following her father’s abrupt departure four days after the national championship, some fans had questions about whether Alexis would follow through with the Huskies, or transfer to Alabama to be closer to her family.

According to some of her teammates’ posts on social media, Alexis, who was ranked as the No. 11 player in the 2024 class by Extra Innings Softball, has officially enrolled at Washington.

“She brings experience and strength to our lineup,” Tarr said on signing day. “She’s an athletic, corner infielder with some big power in her bat. Being a daughter of a coach is something we value in our program…We look for Alexis to make an immediate impact on Husky Softball, not only on the field, but off the field as well.”

[lawrence-related id=4201]

Washington outfielder Brooklyn Carter commits to Baylor

Washington’s best threat on the basepaths has taken her talents to the Baylor Bears.

As the Washington Huskies’ roster shuffle continues in the transfer portal, outfielder Brooklyn Carter announced on social media that she will officially be leaving coach Heather Tarr and Seattle for Waco, Texas, and the Baylor Bears.

Coach Glenn Moore went looking for an outfielder who can be consistent at the plate as he looks to replace seniors Taylor Strain and Ana Watson, and has found that in Carter. During her two years at Washington, Carter batted .301 with a .316 on-base percentage and 16 runs batted in while mainly working out of the leadoff spot.

More importantly, she was one of the biggest threats on the basepaths in the Pac-12. She stole 49 bases over her two seasons on Montlake, including going a perfect 21 for 21 in 2024.

Her speed and athleticism, which helped her earn a spot on the All-Pac-12 Freshman Team in 2023, will be very useful for Moore, as the Bears only stole 39 bases as a team last season. Carter will also be an asset on defense, as she boasts a .984 fielding percentage with just 1 error across 63 chances.

[lawrence-related id=4201]

All-Pac-12 Freshman Team honoree Sidne Peters chooses Texas A&M

The Washington Huskies saw promising freshman pitcher Sidne Peters depart for Texas A&M.

One day after the Washington Huskies signed former Florida State pitcher Madi Balk out of the transfer portal, coach Heather Tarr’s team lost All-Pac-12 Freshman Team honoree Sidne Peters to the Texas A&M Aggies.

Peters was one of the first members of the 2024 Huskies to enter the portal following the year and between her and Ruby Meylan, who left UW for Oklahoma State, Tarr is replacing Washington’s entire pitching staff from the previous season.

Under coach Trisha Ford, Peters should slot into the rotation behind senior Emiley Kennedy, a 2024 All-SEC First Team honoree, and senior Emily Leavitt, who was named to the All-Big-Ten Freshman Team in 2022 at Minnesota before transferring to College Station.

She should be expected to fill the hole left by the graduation of Shaylee Ackerman, who posted a 2.81 ERA over 79 2/3 innings last year. Peters had a strong first year with the Huskies and should be a very good option to fill that role with the Aggies, finishing with an 8-1 record, 3.35 ERA, and .185 batting average against over 62 2/3 innings.

Washington softball’s new commit has video game numbers

Washington softball’s new commit, outfielder Ava Carroll, posted an out-of-this-world stat line during her one year at Mt. Hood Community College.

Coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies earned a commitment from outfielder Ava Carroll on Tuesday, who has one of the nation’s best stat lines from the 2024 season.

At Mt. Hood Community College, she posted a .529 batting average, 1.507 OPS, 14 home runs, 58 runs batted in, 78 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, and struck out just 7 times while taking 18 walks. Those numbers unsurprisingly won her the Northwest Athletic Conference’s South Region’s Most Valuable Player Award and earned her a spot on the NWAC South Region’s First Team.

Now as Carroll makes her transition to the Big Ten, she might not be able to produce at such an absurd pace against a higher level of competition, but she could become a reliable contributor in the middle of the order. Her ability to hit for both contact and power with such a low strikeout rate is something Washington’s lineup sorely needs after losing most of the roster to the transfer portal.

If new hitting coach Jenn Salling can help her adjust to the competition level quickly, Carroll, who has three years of eligibility remaining, could be a stellar pickup for the Huskies.

Florida State pitcher transfers to Washington softball

The Washington Huskies added former Florida State pitcher Madi Balk out of the transfer portal.

The Washington Huskies added some depth to their pitching staff on Monday night with the commitment of Madi Balk, who entered the transfer portal after two years at Florida State.

“I absolutely fell in love with Seattle and the UW Softball program this past weekend,” Balk said on social media. “I truly feel like myself here. Thank you so much for this opportunity!”

Balk had a strong first year in Tallahassee, making 8 appearances with 3 starts, and finishing 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a .143 batting average against. She struggled during her sophomore year after being buried in the Seminoles’ rotation, making just 3 appearances and tallying just 3 1/3 innings pitched, where she allowed 4 hits and 5 earned runs, giving her a 10.50 ERA for the year.

The change of scenery should do Balk a lot of good and she should work well with Washington’s new pitching coach Brad Kilpatrick, who should hone in on her control. She owns a career 11:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which should be the primary focus of her development.

With so many openings on the pitching staff following the graduation of Brooke Nelson and Lindsay Lopez, and both Ruby Meylan and Sidne Peters choosing to enter the transfer portal, Balk’s role with the Huskies is still somewhat unclear, but she will certainly see a much heavier workload than her time at Florida State.

Washington softball adds Brad Kilpatrick as pitching coach

The Washington Huskies finalized their coaching staff with a former Florida Gators assistant.

Coach Heather Tarr added a new assistant coach to the Washington Huskies‘ coaching staff on Monday in Brad Kilpatrick, who comes to Seattle by way of the University of Florida.

Kilpatrick served as a student manager with the Gators for two years, primarily working with the pitchers, who tallied a 2.93 ERA in 2024 on their way to the Women’s College World Series semifinals. He is expected to continue working with the pitchers, which is replacing all four members of the 2024 staff.

He earned a gold medal with Australia’s U18 team at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in 2018, and a bronze medal with Team USA in 2022.

“As we move into our new conference, I am excited to add Coach Brad to our existing staff,” Tarr said in a statement. “Our pitchers will benefit tremendously from what Brad has to offer. His time thus far as a player, for USA Softball, his background coming from Australia and his recent experience at the University of Florida under Coach [Tim] Walton are all things that will benefit us as a program.”

“Brad’s connections across the country and internationally will also help us on the recruiting scene. An additional benefit is Brad’s ability to pitch live to our hitters which will in turn be an asset to our offense. We can’t wait to see how good we can get in this new era of Husky softball.”

[lawrence-related id=4052]

Washington softball’s Celis signs pro softball deal

Washington Huskies infielder Jillian Celis signed a professional contract with the Florida Vibe.

Washington Huskies coach Heather Tarr did an excellent job identifying Jillian Celis in the transfer portal. She secured a commitment from the former San Diego State product, who played her final year in Seattle and thrived.

Now, she will take her talents to the professional ranks after signing a deal with the Florida Vibe.

Celis batted .313 in her one year with the Huskies, leading the team with 14 doubles, finishing second in runs batted in with 37, only behind sophomore Alana Johnson, and adding 7 home runs.

For her efforts, the graduate student was named to the All-Pac-12 third-team and the conference’s All-Defensive team thanks to her perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on 160 chances.

Her leadership and defense are going to be hard to replace in the middle of the infield for Tarr, who is still looking for a fair amount of reinforcements in the transfer portal after eight members of the roster entered the transfer portal following the season.

Washington softball All-American Jenn Salling returns as assistant coach

The Washington Huskies hired former All-American

After hitting coach Victoria Hayward left the Washington Huskies for the head coaching job with the Nevada Wolfpack, coach Heather Tarr went out and hired a more than suitable replacement in Jenn Salling.

A bronze medalist with Team Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics and a two-time NFCA All-American during her career at Washington, her .474 on-base percentage is good for No. 5 in school history. Stalling also holds Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pac-10 first-team selections, along with a .342 career batting average and 92 runs batted in.

She spent two years under Tarr as a graduate assistant and worked as an assistant at the University of Central Florida before returning to Montlake.

“Husky Nation, I am so excited to be back home,” Salling said in a statement. “First, I want to thank Coach Tarr and the University of Washington athletic department for providing me the opportunity to give back to the program that significantly impacted my life both as a person and a softball player. I am honored to be in a position to carry on the 30-plus years of excellence that the University of Washington softball program has built. Go Dawgs forever!”

“Jenn Salling brings high-level experience in all areas of coaching to our program,” Tarr said. “Her recent experience under coach Cindy Ball-Malone at UCF readies her for this role. She will combine to help develop our offense and our defense. I am super excited to bring Jenn back home for this opportunity to continue building on the legacy of Husky Softball.”

Now, with the coaching staff set, it can continue its quest toward rebuilding the roster, which has seen eight departures in the transfer portal.

[lawrence-related id=4033]

All-American P Ruby Meylan commits to Oklahoma State

All-American pitcher Ruby Meylan has found a new home and will leave Seattle for Stillwater.

Coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies are officially looking for a new ace after All-American pitcher Ruby Meylan announced her commitment to Oklahoma State on Thursday afternoon.

During her two years on Montlake, Meylan was extremely reliable, earning All-Pac-12 and NFCA All-Pacific Region first-team honors in both years. Over 303 2/3 innings in her career, she posted a 27-17 record with 8 saves, a 2.31 ERA, 343 strikeouts, and a .224 batting average against, and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

In Stillwater, she is expected to be the ace of the Cowgirls staff, as coach Kenny Gajewski has found his replacement for All-American Lexi Kilfoyl, who used her final year of eligibility this season.

With All-Pac-12 Freshman Team honoree Sidne Peters also in the transfer portal and seniors Lindsay Lopez and Brooke Nelson out of eligibility, Tarr is going to have to replace her entire pitching staff from the 2024 season.

The only known member of the 2025 staff is first year Morgan Reimer, a product of Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. While Reimer appears ready to assume some sort of workload, Tarr is going to have to heavily utilize the transfer portal for additional reinforcements.

[lawrence-related id=3846,3679]