Tag: Washington Huskies Softball

Softball America ranks two Huskies inside top 10 at their positions

Jillian Celis and Ruby Meylan have been two of the best players in the country for coach Heather Tarr this season.

The No. 5 Washington Huskies have been one of the best teams in the country this season, carrying a 16-2 record into conference play with the only two losses coming at the hands of No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 7 Oklahoma State.

Two of the integral players to the success of coach Heather Tarr’s team have been pitcher Ruby Meylan and infielder Jillian Celis, who were both named to Softball America’s top 10 at their respective positions heading into the month of March.

Celis was ranked as the country’s No. 2 player at second base and has put together an impressive season in her one year at Washington. The graduate transfer from San Diego State leads the Huskies in most major offensive categories, including batting average, home runs, doubles, hits, runs batted in, and OPS.

Softball America ranked Meylan as the nation’s No. 8 pitcher and after being named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Third-Team All America in her first year, she appears to be on track for another stellar season full of accolades.

Meylan’s 0.53 earned run average ranks at No. 13 in the country, supported by a WHIP of 0.87 and a strikeout to walk ratio of 55:16 over 42 1/3 innings. She boasts a 6-1 record on the season with five complete games and the only loss coming in extra innings at the hands of the then top ranked Sooners.

With four other Pac-12 teams ranked in the top 25 it will be a tough road for the Huskies to take home the final Pac-12 title, but Meylan and Celis, along with Washington’s high-powered offense appear up to the challenge.

Washington softball’s Celis honored as Pac-12 Player of the Week

Graduate transfer Jillian Celis had a big week for coach Heather Tarr and was honored as the Pac-12’s Player of the Week.

Coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies had an impressive week, starting with a doubleheader sweep of the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday and culminating with another sweep of Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.

One of the integral pieces during the Huskies’ 4-0 stretch was graduate transfer Jillian Celis, who has been an integral piece of the lineup after transferring from San Diego State and was honored as the Pac-12 Player of the Week on Monday.

Celis hit a home run in three consecutive games, including one to spark the six-run seventh-inning comeback which was capped off by Olivia Johnson’s walk-off grand slam in Washington’s 8-6 victory over Maryland. Over the team’s four games this week, she batted .571 with the 3 home runs, 3 triples, and 8 runs batted in.

She has arguably been Washington’s best offensive weapon all season, as her .403 batting average, 4 home runs, 24 RBI, 9 doubles, and .742 slugging percentage all lead the team.

As the Huskies prepare to face off with the Arizona State Sun Devils to open the final season of Pac-12 play on Friday, Celis is expected to continue to anchor No.4 Washington’s lineup as it attempts to make a run at the Women’s College World Series.

Washington’s offense explodes in Jane Sanders Classic behind Celis’ big day

Jillian Celis was one of Washington’s offensive catalysts as the Huskies scored 23 runs on Saturday to round out non-conference play.

The Washington Huskies couldn’t be stopped during the Jane Sanders Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday during a doubleheader with Mount St. Mary’s. Coach Heather Tarr’s team won both games in five innings by the run-ahead rule, winning the first matchup 10-0 and following it up with a 13-3 victory to move to 16-2 on the year.

Washington’s biggest star of the day was graduate transfer Jillian Celis, who went 2 for 3 with 3 runs batted in during the first game, including a 3-run home run. Junior Kinsey Fiedler posted an identical stat line in the first game, opening the scoring with a 3-run homer of her own in the first inning.

The Huskies hit four home runs in the first game, with Giselle Alvarez and Avery Johnson also taking a trip around the bases.

Graduate student Brooke Nelson and senior Lindsay Lopez combined for a one-hit shutout, with Nelson earning her fourth win of the season recording 6 strikeouts over four innings.

Celis’ exceptional day continued in the second game, going 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Sophomore Brooklyn Carter went 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs and a stolen base, while Fiedler went 2 for 2 with a triple, driving in 2 runs and scoring one herself.

Sophomore Alana Johnson also went 3 for 4 while first year Sidne Peters earned her second victory of the season. Peters allowed 3 hits and 3 runs (1 earned) while walking 4 batters and striking out 10.

The Huskies will take to the diamond again on Friday to open Pac-12 play with a three game series at home against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Johnson’s walk-off grand slam clinches sweep of Maryland for Washington softball

Olivia Johnson’s walk-off grand slam gave the Huskies a doubleheader sweep over the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday.

Early in the week, the Washington Huskies moved their home-opener up and scheduled a doubleheader with a future Big Ten conference opponent, the Maryland Terrapins.

Thanks to a walk-off grand slam from junior Olivia Johnson in the second half of the doubleheader to cap off a 6-0 comeback, the Huskies were able to complete the sweep of the Terps and move to 14-2 on the season.

Before the miraculous comeback, coach Heather Tarr’s team started the day the right way with an 8-0 run-ahead rule victory behind the right arm of sophomore Ruby Meylan, who allowed 3 hits and struck out 6 batters over 5 innings.

Offensively, junior Rylee Holtorf led the way with 3 runs batted in, including a 2 RBI triple in the second inning before adding a sacrifice fly to push across the game-winning run in the fourth. Graduate transfer Jillian Celis added 2 hits and 2 RBIs in the victory, while junior Kinsey Fiedler stole home to open the scoring in the second inning.

Lindsay Lopez didn’t have her best day in the circle to start off the second game. The Arizona State transfer lasted just 2/3 of an inning, allowing 5 hits, 6 earned runs, and 3 walks, highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Sydney Lewis.

However, first year Sidne Peters had her best outing as a Husky in relief of Lopez. She shut down the Maryland offense, striking out 7 and allowing just one baserunner, which came on a walk, over 5 1/3 innings. Washington slowly chipped away at the lead, with sophomore Sydney Stewart’s second home run of the season cutting the deficit to 6-2 in the fourth inning.

That score held until the seventh inning, when Celis led off with her second home run of the season. After Holtorf’s second triple of the day, she scored on a single off the bat from sophomore Alana Johnson to cut the deficit to 6-4 before walks to Fiedler and Stewart loaded the bases for Olivia Johnson.

In an 0-2 hole, Johnson sent a shot over the fence in left center field to complete Washington’s impressive comeback.

The Huskies will return to the field on Friday in Eugene, Oregon, for the first of two games against Mount St. Mary’s in the Jane Sanders Classic.

Washington softball’s Heather Tarr earns 800th career victory

The Washington Huskies’ celebrated softball coach Heather Tarr’s 800th career win on Saturday following a victory over Yale.

Washington Huskies’ softball coach Heather Tarr has been celebrated as one of the best in the business and on Saturday, the 49-year-old reached a milestone in her 20th season at the helm. With Washington’s 8-0 run-ahead rule victory over the Yale Bulldogs, Tarr earned the 800th victory of her storied career which includes the 2009 national championship, eight trips to the Women’s College World Series, and the highest winning percentage of any coach in school history.

Behind a career-high 12 strikeouts from sophomore Ruby Meylan, the Huskies cruised to a sixth-inning victory which saw the All-American third-teamer improve to 5-1 on the season, allowing just 1 hit and 3 walks against her 12 punchouts.

Graduate transfer Jillian Cellis provided a significant chunk of Washington’s offensive production, going 2 for 3 with two doubles that accounted for 4 runs batted in, before scoring a run on Jing Gardner’s sacrifice bunt. Junior Rylee Holtorf hit her second home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning that extended the Huskies’ lead to 5-0.

Many around the university took to social media to congratulate Tarr on her achievement, including Washington signee Alexis DeBoer, the daughter of former football head coach Kalen DeBoer.

The Huskies move to 12-2 on the season with the win and return to action on Thursday when they take on Mount St. Mary’s in the Jean Sanders Classic in Eugene, Oregon.

Brooke Nelson’s no-hitter highlights 2-0 day for Washington softball

The Washington Huskies had an impressive day in Florida, going 2-0 on the day with Brooke Nelson tossing a no-hitter.

Coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies took the field twice on Friday and moved their record to 11-2 with two convincing victories over Pittsburgh and Loyola Chicago.

Rylee Holtorf started the day with a home run in to open the scoring against the Panthers, who answered right back with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning off the bat of Kat Rodriguez. The scoring subsided until the fifth inning when the Huskies pushed 5 runs across, starting with an RBI single from Brooke Nelson and ending when Olivia Johnson scored on an RBI groundout from Avery Hobson.

Lindsay Lopez earned the win for the Huskies, as the senior tossed four shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out 3 batters. Pitching was certainly the story of the day when Nelson entered the circle to take on the Ramblers.

The senior spun five no-hit innings, walking one batter and striking out five as Washington’s offense pushed across 9 runs to invoke softball’s run-ahead rule.

Tarr’s squad was fueled offensively in its second game by Alana Johnson, who went 3 for 3 with an RBI and scoring 2 runs herself. Jillian Cellis contributed with 2 hits and 2 RBI while Brooklyn Carter stole home for her 11th steal of the season.

The Huskies will finish up their time in Florida on Saturday morning as they take to the diamond one last time for a matchup with Yale.

Washington Softball suffers a big loss to No. 7 Oklahoma State

The Washington Huskies suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Thursday.

The Washington Huskies suffered just their second loss of the season on Thursday at the hands of the No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowgirls by a final score of 7-0. The Huskies fell to 8-2 on the season and 0-2 against schools from Oklahoma, with their only other loss on the year coming at the hands of the top-ranked Sooners.

Coach Heather Tarr gave the start to senior Lindsay Lopez, who took the loss and fell to 3-1 on the season after allowing three runs (two earned) over 4 1/3 innings. Lopez was effective until the fifth inning when Oklahoma State finally broke through with three runs, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of Claire Timms.

The Cowgirls, who moved to 9-2 with the victory, put the game out of reach in the seventh inning after adding four earned runs that were credited to first-year Sidne Peters, three of which scored on a home run from Rosie Davis.

Washington’s offense, which has been solid all season, fell silent against Lexi Kilfoyl. The graduate transfer from Alabama struck out four batters and allowed just two hits in a complete game shutout.

After starting the week 2-0 with victories over Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast, the Huskies will return to the diamond after a short break to take on South Florida.

Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State and the best matchups this week in College Softball

The Oklahoma Sooners face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a top 25 showdown, but what are the other top games this weekend.

The 2024 softball season is off and running, and tournament play from coast-to-coast continues this week.

The Oklahoma Sooners are heading west for the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic for a five-game slate. Additionally, some fantastic matchups are happening in Austin, Raleigh and in Athens.

But what are the best matchups happening this weekend? Here’s a look at eight games we’re looking forward to.

Sooners Still On Top: Updated look at the top 25 softball power rankings after Week 2

Updated look at college softball power rankings after week 2.

Week 2 of the softball season is in the books. And while the action in Clearwater, Florida, getting halted due to weather left much to be desired, it was another fantastic week on the diamond.

There were a number of impressive performances across the country and we’re beginning to see the top teams separate themselves.

Oklahoma may be in a tier of its own because of what it has done over the last three-plus years, but teams such as Texas and Georgia have been impressive as well.

On the flip side, powerhouse programs UCLA and Florida State have had slow starts.

The SEC is beginning to establish itself as the premiere softball conference. Mississippi State and Kentucky have picked up big nonconference wins this season. In D1Softball’s latest top 25, 11 SEC programs are represented. That’s not even including Oklahoma and Texas who will officially be joining the SEC in July.

The Red River Rivals have been on a tear to start the season and look to be on a collision course for the Big 12 title in their final years.

Here’s a look at the latest D1Softball top 25 and where those teams rank in the Softball America power rankings.

Updated to include USA TODAY Sports NFCA Coaches Poll and USA Softball/ESPN Poll.

More: 3 Stars from the Sooners 5-0 weekend in Lake Charles

Washington softball moves into top 5 after undefeated weekend

The Washington Huskies continue to move up in the rankings following a strong weekend in Florida.

Even though the Washington Huskies had two games canceled due to inclement weather at the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational in Clearwater, Florida, coach Heather Tarr’s team still found a way to move up to No. 4 overall according to D1softball.com.

The Huskies appear to be clicking on all cylinders to start the season outside of a loss to the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners, outscoring their opponents 29-6 over three games. Washington would have had a chance to move further up the rankings if they had an opportunity to play the LSU Tigers, who moved up three spots in D1softball’s rankings from No. 9 to No. 6.

Tarr’s team also came in as the highest ranked Pac-12 team in the D1softball poll this week, with Stanford sitting at No. 9, Arizona at No. 17, and UCLA at No. 24. Behind a high-powered offense averaging 7.5 runs per game and the right arm of sophomore Ruby Meylan in the circle, who possesses a 0.66 earned run average on the season, the Huskies appear to be one of the favorites to win the Pac-12 championship during their final year.

Washington will remain in Florida for the rest of the week and will return to the diamond on Tuesday for a matchup with Florida Gulf Coast University before taking on Stetson on Wednesday. Then, the Huskies will travel to Tampa for the South Florida Showdown which consists of five games, beginning with Oklahoma State on Thursday.